Another Baseball Giant Is Dead

This is shaping up to be a tough year for baseball legends and their fans. Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Joe Morgan has died at age 77 from a nerve condition, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. He's the third MLB icon to die this month alone, after Whitey Ford and Bob Gibson. And as the AP notes, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, and Al Kaline died earlier this year. Morgan was a 10-time All-Star and a two-time MVP in the National League, and he picked up five Gold Gloves for his play at second base. He gained fame as part of the dominant "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s that won two championships.

"Joe wasn't just the best second baseman in baseball history, he was the best player I ever saw and one of the best people I've ever known," said former teammate Johnny Bench, per the Enquirer. "He left the world a better, fairer, and more equal place than he found it, and inspired millions along the way." Morgan, who was just 5-7 and 160 pounds in his playing days, was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1990 on his first ballot. Among second basemen, he holds the record for home runs (268) and games played (2,649).