Who Is The Shortest Power Hitter In MLB Baseball History?
Joe Morgan is the shortest power hitter in MLB history, standing at only 5’7” and weighing 160 pounds. Over the course of his 22-year professional baseball career, Joe Morgan hit a total of 268 home runs. Keep reading to learn about Morgan’s exceptional MLB career as a power hitter.
Joe Morgan’s Career
Joe Morgan began his Major League Baseball career in 1963 with the Houston Astros. He continued to play second base for 22 seasons, and is most famously remembered as a Cincinnati Red, though he also played briefly for the Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants.
In 1975 and 1976, Joe Morgan won the National League MVP award, not only for his batting but for his ability as a fielder. Over the course of his career, Morgan collected five total Gold Gloves. In his first season as a Red, his bat was so hot he led the league in on-base percentage, walks, and runs. Morgan’s most memorable hit came in Game 7 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. In picture-perfect baseball style, Morgan hit a single to drive in the Reds’ winning run with two outs in the 9th inning.
Joe Morgan’s Power Hitting
Despite Joe Morgan’s small 5’7” stature, he was known not only for an aptitude for getting on base but also as one of the greatest power hitters in MLB history. With 268 career home runs, Joe Morgan ranks 174th on the all-time list of most MLB home runs. His home runs per season were in the double digits in 13 out of his 22 seasons, often hitting homers in the high teens to high twenties.
The most home runs Morgan hit in a single season were for the Cincinnati Red in 1976, when he hit 27 balls out of the park. Morgan also hit 449 career doubles and 96 triples. Another notable fact about Joe Morgan was that he was part of the “Big Red Machine,” a nickname for the Reds team that dominated the late 1970s.
Joe Morgan After Retirement
Joe Morgan had a long and successful career in baseball ahead of him, even after his retirement from professional playing in 1984. He is perhaps best remembered now as the classic voice accompanying Jon Miller on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. He even collected two Sports Emmys for his success in this role. Morgan also contributed his broadcasting skills at ABC, featuring on Monday and Thursday Night Baseball.
Morgan’s career as a broadcaster lasted 21 seasons, meaning his baseball career as a whole stretched over 43 years. In 1990, Joe Morgan was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame.