1976 ASG +40: Joe Morgan 1976 Topps #420

This weekend the Phillies open a nine game homestand with a three game set against the Reds. Forty years ago when the All-Star game was held in Philadelphia the Reds sent an entourage of seven players plus manager Sparky Anderson.

1976 Topps #420 Joe Morgan AS

Among the seven was the teams entire infield including future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. At the time of the 76 All-Star game Morgan may have been at the height of his 22 year career. He was in the middle of his 2nd consecutive MVP season. The Reds won the World Series during both of Morgan's MVP campaigns. The only folks that separated Joe Morgan from winning both of those MVP awards unanimously were his Reds teammates (Pete Rose 2 Votes in 1976 & George Foster 5, 1976).

And from an advanced stats perspective, the Voters were correct, Joe Morgan was a monster. 1976 was the 5th of  six consecutive seasons in which the second baseman would lead the league in Offensive WAR. Four of those years he would lead all Position Players in WAR, during both MVP years he led all players in WAR.

1976 All-Star Game
Morgan started the game along with the rest of the Reds Infield, He went 1 for 3 including a single off of HoF Pitcher Cafish Hunter in the 3rd. Later in the inning he would score on a Home Run by teammate George Foster.

The 1976 All-Star Game was the 7th of 10 trips to the Mid-Summer Classic including 1972 when he was the Games MVP. Morgan started and played all nine innings of that game, He only picked up one hit, but it was an important one. With one out and Nate Colbert at second base Morgan punched a single off of Dave McNally to drive in the game winning run.

1976 Topps #420 Joe Morgan AS (b-side)

Just posting the b-side so you can see Morgan's 1975 MVP Stat line.

For more on this card and a lot of info on his playing career plus a couple of videos check out Project Baseball 1976.


Sources and Links
1976 ASG 40th Anniversary Index
Joe Morgan HoF Index
Project Baseball 1976
Baseball-Ref

Joe Morgan HoF Index

This is an Index of Cards and Postings related to Joe Morgan

1976 Topps #420 Joe Morgan AS

Joe Morgan HoF Index
1976 Topps #420 (1976 ASG 40th Anniversary)
1984 Topps #705 (NL Active SB Leaders / 1983 NL Champ Series)

1983 NL Champions: Joe Morgan 1984 Topps #705 NL Active Stolen Base Leaders

One of the most notable Wheeze Kids was Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. 

1984 Topps #705 NL Active Stolen Base Leaders Morgan Cedeno Bowa

Regardless of what folks may think of Morgan as a broadcaster he was a helluva ballplayer.  Most people remember him from his days with the Big Red Machine, but he was also played second base for the Phils during their 1983 NL Pennant winning season.  

Morgan was down to his penultimate season by the time he got to the Phillies and his age was showing.  He only batted .230, but he did have a good World Series. He hit a game tying Home Run in the only game of the series which Phillies won. In the last post season AB of his career Morgan Tripled off of Scott McGregor. It was the last hit of the Phillies season. 

The Big Red Machine
The Reds are The Great Eight of the Big Red Machine. The centerpiece of the event will be Joe Morgan weekend which will feature the unveiling of a statue of the Hall of Famer. For more information on Joe Morgan Weekend click here.   

1984 Topps Active Leaders
The Active Leaders Subset from 1984 is a great one for Phillies fans. The set celebrates Career Leaders in 9 different categories and since the Phils were the Wheeze kids in 1983, they are well represented. Morgan, Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Larry Bowa, and Tony Perez all make appearances. The set consists of 18 cards (9 per league) and runs from #701-#718

Other Voices
Andy from High Heat Stats did an in depth analysis of the SB leaders on the old Baseball-ref blog

1983 NL Champions Series  
Darren Daulton
Bo Diaz  
John Denny
Garry Maddox  
Tony Perez
Pete Rose
 
Steve Carlton Passes Walter Johnson


Sources & Links
Larry Bowa Index
Baseball Card Database
Cincinnati Reds 
Baseball-ref.com

NSCC Loot 1975 Topps Mini - HoFs

I have a bunch of scans from the NSCC way back in early August which I have yet to post.

1975 Topps Minis

As with a lot of other vintage collectors I am a sucker for 1975 Topps Minis. 

These were a buck a piece which is more then I would typically go for a 75 Mini, but the lot is all Hall of Famers.  I have no serious interest in building the whole set, but I have thought of collecting all of the sets HoF cards.  The August show was a huge step towards that goal.    

Couple of favorites here.  The HR League Leaders features two Phillies, Schmidt and Dick Allen who led the AL in 74 while playing w/ the White Sox.

The Mantle - Wills card features a Card that Never Was if my memory is correct.  Topps had yet to sign Maury Wills in 1962 and he was never issued a 62 Topps card.  For the 1975 MVP series the Topps simply created the card that never really existed.

Oaks Card Show Express Report

The Oaks Card Show has free admission on the first day, I only had a small window but decided to pop in since the price was right.  Here is a brief synopsis of very off-condition vintage cards that were found - Lots of 1951 Bowman.  

 1951 Bowman #256 Ken Silvestri 

1951 Bowman #260 Carl Erskine
1951 Bowman #56 Ralph Branca
1951 Bowman #122 Joe Garagiola  

1966 Topps #195 Joe Morgan

1960 Topps #173 Billy Martin 
1963 Topps #439 Don Zimmer

The 1951 Bowman Cards were $1.00 each as was the '66 Joe Morgan.  The Martin and Zimmer were in a 3 for a buck bin. 

The 1966 Topps Joe Morgan is his 2nd year Card and the first card of his where he appears solo.  It is in ok condition - some creasing.     

The Silvestri and Erskine cards are both HI numbers in the 51 Bowman series.  Any Bowman Brooklyn Dodger is probably worth a buck unless it is in really horrible condition.

Joe Garagiola was a big part of my youth as he commentated on the game of the week when I was a kid.  Glad to have finally picked up one of his cards. 

So yeah I had a real successful show on Friday and fully intend to get back to the show for a fuller day on Sunday.   

Phillies World Series Teams - 1983

1984 Topps #210 Joe Morgan
1984 Fleer #27 John Denny

When I was a kid I was always fond of the 1983 team - despite having moved on from baseball to other popular teenage pursuits like girls and cars I found time for the 83 Phillies. I grew up in south central Pennsylvania which had divided loyalties in the early 80s. They were the Phillies and the Orioles, in 1983 the two teams met in the I-95 World Series.

The Phils took game one 2-1 behind the 5 hit pitching of the National League Cy Young winner John Denny. The Orioles went on to win the next four games.

The Morgan card is likely one of the few of him in a Phillies uniform. It is pretty representative of the 1983 Wheeze Kids also, they featured seven starting postion players at the age of 30 and over - this year the only starter over 30 for both teams may be Pat Burrell in some games. And Morgan is a former Red as were Pete Rose and Tony Perez who were also on the team.

John Denny was the other pitcher on the team - racking up a 19-6 record and winning the Cy Young while Steve Carlton paced the team in innings with 283 innings.

I am actually a fan of both clubs, primarily the Phillies, but I also follow whats going on down in Baltimore - I try and make it down to Camden Yards a couple of times a year and I like checking in at Orioles Card "O" the day for O's information.