Up on the blog today, let’s go and include Joe Morgan to my fun 1971 “Minor League Days” sub-set, with an image of “Little Joe” as a 19-year-old playing for the Durham Bulls in 1963:
Morgan had a pretty good season for Durham that year, hitting .310 with
18 homers, 116 runs scored and 28 stolen bases in 140 games, with a
staggering 143 base-on-balls.
He would also make his MLB debut later that year with the (then) Houston
Colt .45’s, collecting six hits in 25 at-bats over eight games before
truly embarking on his eventual Hall of Fame career in 1965 when he was
ripped off the NL Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .271 with 100 runs
scored, 163 hits, 22 doubles, 12 triples, 14 homers and 20 stolen bases
with a league-leading 97 walks.
By the time he retired after the 1984 season at the age of 40, he
finished with two MVP Awards, 10 All-Star nods, five Gold Gloves, 2517
hits, 1650 runs scored, 268 homers and a cool 689 stolen bases with 1865
walks.
One of the all-timers right there at second base!
