The first thing I noticed about Joe Morgan‘s APBA cards was his height. Being on the shorter side myself, I loved that Morgan was a power-hitting, base stealing, Hall of Fame second baseman. One of the great things about baseball is that great players come in all sizes and shapes. You’ve got Hack Wilson and Dave Winfield. You’ve got Cal Ripken, Jr. and Ozzie Smith. 
It’s why we can love watching Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve. As I mentioned in previous posts, my brother was a fan of Johnny Bench when we were growing up. His fandom led us to the Cincinnati Red’s Big Red Machine of the 1970s. We loved learning about Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey. We thought George Foster was cool because he was, up to that time, the only person who’d hit 50+ homers in a season during our lifetimes. But Joe Morgan…he was special. He was what I pictured myself being if I were a star Major League ball player.
I never had the pleasure of watching Joe Morgan play in person. However, I do remember him playing in the 1983 World Series when he was with the Philadelphia Phillies. I recall him hitting a homer off Scott McGregor in game one. I was a bit young to appreciate the Big Red Machine, so I thought it was wonderful seeing Morgan, Rose, and Perez play in the fall classic…even though they were all at the ends of their careers.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | GDP | SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Totals | 116 | 99 | 438 | 365 | 50 | 89 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 8 | 3 | 66 | 39 | .244 | .356 | .351 | .707 | 6 | 6 |
Joe Morgan’s final APBA card is a shadow of his Hall of Fame prime. However, it’s a solid swan song for a 40-year old ballplayer. His defensive skills had eroded and he only earned a Secondbaseman (6) rating instead of his customary Secondbaseman (9) during his Gold Glove days. No longer was Morgan a (F) speed rating. However, earning regular speed isn’t too bad on a final card. Morgan did manage to steal eight bases in eleven tries. It was only the second time in nineteen seasons he didn’t reach double-digits in steals. For the season, Morgan hit .244. Taking a closer look at this APBA card, I think it should produce at least a .251 average, maybe even a .260 average if you figure in the 36 it has on 64. It’s helped by having an extra 8 and by having five 14s. Little Joe could always draw a walk. Though it’s a double-column card, it has decent power numbers in the second column and that’s where Morgan will pick up his steals. On a plus side, it doesn’t have a 24.
I used this card for eight games during my 1984 Detroit Tigers replay. Morgan got 34 plate appearances and hit .267 against the Tigers. He hit seven singles and one double and also managed to drive in two runs. Little Joe drew three walks and stole three bases against Detroit. The Oakland A’s played the Tigers twelve times in my replay, going 4-8 against the men from Motown. I think the sample size proves my analysis and that APBA was generous to Morgan for his final card…then again, maybe I just rolled good numbers for him.
Jose Altuve is the modern day Joe Morgan. Morgan was a better fielder and base stealer; Altuve hits for a better average and has just as much home run power. However, Morgan played in an era when middle infielders weren’t expected to hit. His production in his MVP seasons of 1975 and 1976 produced WARs of 11.0 and 9.6. Altuve’s excellent seasons of 2016 and 2017 produced WARs of 7.7 and 8.3. So, on the surface, their numbers might seem similar…but Morgan was a more valuable player in his era, when offense wasn’t so prevalent.
Mostly I remember Joe Morgan as an announcer. Though some didn’t like his style, I always enjoyed his analysis. Every time I listened to him on a broadcast, I learned something. I recall him analyzing a replay with John Miller and talking about the spin on a slider. Even on the replay Miller couldn’t see the spin, while Morgan had seen it in real time. Finally, Miller just said, “I guess that’s why you’re in the Hall of Fame.” He never said anything more true.
Joe Morgan was always one of my favorite players. I did see him at his prime in Cincinnati and attended all the 1983 World series games between the Phillies and the Orioles. I also had occasion to meet Joe after he retired through one of his childhood friends. His listed height at 5’7″ is a “stretch.” When he first came up with Houston, he had a game winning hit. The opposing manager ranted about how he was beaten by a “Little Leaguer.” Little did he know what the future held! Joe had a fabulous 1976 card and he was on my APBA team for many years. His 1976 season card batted .426 and was our league MVP. After the members of the great Reds team retired, I was lucky enough to getan autograph of each of the Big Red Machine.
I’ve been playing APBA for SIXTY-ONE years and it never gets dull!
Steve (steegree AT gmail DOT com)
Great stories, Steve. Thanks for sharing. Morgan would be an interesting person to meet.
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