Joe Morgan Biography

Joe Morgan was universally regarded as one of the best second basemen ever to play baseball as he reached the heights of both personal and team success with ‘Cincinnati Reds’. In his early career, he was constantly under-estimated due to his small frame, and hence even professional teams hesitated to sign him. Finally, he signed for ‘Houston Colt .45s’ and made a favourable impression very soon. However, he also had to endure racism during this period which affected him to such an extent that he even considered quitting baseball. However, he persevered and progressed to the major league and became a consistent player for the Astros. But with time, his relationship with then-manager deteriorated and he was eventually sold to ‘Cincinnati Reds’. Here, Morgan was part of a team regarded as one of the best ever in baseball and was a dominant force for almost a decade. Together with other star players like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez etc., he helped the team win an unprecedented back-to-back ‘World Series Titles’, with Morgan being the ‘Most Valuable Player’ in both the seasons. Morgan himself cemented his credentials as a great second baseman with his powerful hitting and fast but intelligent running. Following his retirement, he was an active baseball broadcaster and continued his association with the game he loved.