Morgan ranks No. 1 at 2nd base in MLB history
In the land of makebelieve, a place we all tend to imagine these days, you wouldn’t want to tell Rogers Hornsby he’ll be sitting on the bench. Roberto Alomar, Rod Carew and Jeff Kent would be a little steamed, as well. But here’s a vote for Oaklandraised Joe Morgan, who died Sunday, as the greatest second baseman of all time.
It’s a maddeningly difficult call, and yet quite comfortable if you saw him play. Put together everything Morgan offered on a baseball field, and nobody else measures up.
In an interview with espn. com, Hall of Fame catcher and former Cincinnati teammate Johnny Bench noted that Morgan “did everything. If you needed a walk, he walked. A hit, he got a hit. A double, he hit a double. A homer, he hit a homer ( 268 lifetime). A stolen base, he stole a base. He was great defensively, ( and) he was so smart, he understood every situation.”
At 5foot7, bound to look comically small against a good number of spectators, let alone the opposition, Morgan took total command of
a ballgame. If it was playoff time, the pressure at suffocating levels, he was like a fireman racing into an inferno. From the days of his youth, when he couldn’t get scouts to even consider him, he was out to prove a point — and he never relented.
Statistically, it all boils down to his MVP season of 1976: .320, 113 runs scored, 27 homers, 111 RBIs, 60 stolen bases, a Gold Glove and leagueleading figures in onbase percentage, slugging and OPS, while serving as a rocksolid clubhouse leader who never strayed out of character. It would be impossible to get more from a second baseman. Others in the argument: Hornsby: His lifetime average (. 358) surpassed any of Morgan’s seasons. For heaven’s sake, over the sixyear period of 192025, the man hit .370, .397, .401, .384, .424 and .403! Still, it’s worth taking into account that in Hornsby’s time, men of color were not allowed. There were no night games, crosscountry travel or bullpens full of hardthrowing relievers, each a little different from the last. Also, a meticulously researched SABR profile notes that Hornsby “made a mess of his personal life and his blunt, opinionated approach to life kept him in turmoil” while making it clear, through comments made public over the years, that he was “bigoted and antiSemitic.” But as a player, SABR wrote, “He was so good that any alltime team without him at second base is highly suspect.” I’ll stick with my call.
Napoleon Lajoie and Eddie Collins, from the deadball era. Astounding numbers, no question. ( Lajoie hit .426 in 1901.) Gamechangers of the highest order and deadcinch Hall of Famers. But that’s just too long ago. Lajoie played one 152game season ( 1906) in which he didn’t hit a single home run. Collins peaked at six ( 1924). Wow, that ball was dead. Study the old films and tell me you wouldn’t take Morgan.
Frankie Frisch and Charlie Gehringer: Frisch played for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals from 1921 through ’ 37, felt right at home in the World Series ( eight times) and hit .300 or higher for 11 straight years. There wasn’t a better second baseman in the mid1930s than Gehringer, a lifetime .320 hitter for the Detroit Tigers and a man whose onfield elegance was praised in reverential terms. I’d have no problem with either one on my team, but not ahead of Morgan.
Carew and Alomar: Geniuses of the modern day. Carew hit nearly .400 (. 388) in 1977 and won seven batting titles, wielding the bat as if it specifically responded to his command. Alomar definitely gets into the argument with Morgan among those who could do it all, and he was superior defensively. The Morgan call still holds.
Ryne Sandberg and Kent: Sandberg made the Hall of Fame, quite deservedly, and Kent has a passionate following in that regard, arguing that he’s the greatest powerhitting second baseman of all time ( indeed, with 377 career homers) while playing a toughminded if not spectacular second base. Not sure anyone would rank either of these two ahead of Morgan.
Jackie Robinson: Here’s the deal. If I’ve handpicked a team and need a leadoff man with a fierce, competitive presence — as in “You’re in for a long day, so get ready for a world of trouble” — I’d take either Robinson or Pete Rose. I’m sure Morgan would gracefully defer if I had Robinson at second base. It would seem fair, just and inspiring. But for purposes of this discussion — no explanation necessary.
Rocketing back to Earth
NBA chatter: As the Warriors watch with great interest, the Houston Rockets suddenly find themselves without a head coach or general manager in the wake of resignations by Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey. And you wonder if those two men saw that enormous Dead End sign just up the road. Thanks to bigswing trades ( involving several firstround draft picks), an enormous payroll and the news that owner Tilman Fertitta has curtailed his desire for lavish spending, there’s no way this team can significantly improve in the offseason. The James Harden Russell Westbrook pairing proved to be a bust, complete with burdensome contracts. And here’s something entirely new: Every team in the Western Conference has playoff aspirations with no intention of “tanking.” ... Morey’s successor, Rafael Stone Jr., earned a law degree at Stanford but left a prominent New York firm to become the Rockets’ general counsel ( 2005) and pursue his love of basketball — fueled by his own experience ( playing for Division III Williams College) and his father’s time as a University of Washington point guard in the ’ 60s. ... Stone has been heavily involved in the basketball operations for years. Do he and the next head coach really want to retain Morey’s fatally flawed blueprint of avoiding the midrange jumper at all costs? The Rockets don’t play “the modern game” because they don’t play smart basketball. They just stand around and watch Harden shoot, then drift into dreamland off the ball. ... And please, enough with the tedious prattle claiming “they would have beaten the Warriors in 2018 ( Western Conference finals) if Chris Paul didn’t hurt his hamstring.” The Warriors played Games 47 of that series without one of the most influential players in league history, Andre Iguodala, who also was injured. ... Besides, Harden would have screwed it up somehow. The Ringer points out that over the past five years, Harden has shot less than 25% from 3point range in the fourth quarter and overtimes of playoff games. He’s always good for a titanic letdown.