Bobby Morgan

Robert Morris Morgan

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 175 lb.
• High School Northwest Classen High School
• Debut April 18, 1950
• Final Game April 20, 1958
• Born June 29, 1926 in Oklahoma City, OK USA
• Died June 1, 2023 in Oklahoma City, OK USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Infielder Bobby Morgan was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1944 season and spent his first season in professional ball with the Olean Oilers of the class D PONY League and also with the Newport News Dodgers of the class B Piedmont League. Playing both third and short during the split season he hit at a .270 clip with nine homers in 121 games. Bob was then called for military service and spent 1945-1946 with the United States Army during World War II.

Bobby was with the class B Spokane Indians on his return to the game in 1947, where he played 149 games, hit .293 and made the All-Star team at third base. Morgan became the first of the heir apparents to Pee Wee Reese at shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers when he was voted the International League MVP and led the league in hitting with a .337 average for the Montreal Royals in 1949. He also helped his team win the league playoffs and was chosen as the shortstop for the All-Star team.

Morgan got the call to Ebbets Field in 1950 where he appeared in 67 games, with 52 of those at third base. Bobby hit at a .226 average and fielded at a .969 percentage and spent 1951 in Montreal before starting a seven-year run in the major leagues in 1952. He wound up seeing most of his playing time as a backup at third base in 1952 and 1953, although he was consistent if nothing else with 45 base hits, seven home runs and 67 games played in both the 1950 and 1952 seasons. Morgan saw brief action in the 1952 and 1953 World Series against the New York Yankees and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Young and $50,000 on March 28, 1954.

Morgan had his most productive season in the majors for the Phillies in 1954, hitting .262 with 14 homers and 70 RBIs. This was his peak and after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in early 1956 for Solly Hemus, the Cardinals handed him back to the Phillies along with Rip Repulski for Del Ennis in November of the same year. The Chicago Cubs purchased Morgan from the Phillies on May 19, 1957. Bobby hit only .207 for the Cubs, then played in one game in 1958 and ended his eight-year major league run with a .233 hitting average and a .963 fielding percentage.

Morgan decided to drop back down to the minors where he played five straight years (1958-1962) with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and finished up his 11-year minor league run with the Miami Marlins and the Chattanooga Lookouts in 1963 at the age of 37. He finished with a .264 hitting average with 120 home runs and fielded at a career .962 percentage. Morgan, who was still affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, became the manager of the the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League in both 1964 and 1965 and finished up his three-year managing career with the Portsmouth Tides of the Carolina League in 1966.

After his active playing and managing career Morgan became a scout for the Kansas City Royals until he became a restaurant manager in his home town of Oklahoma City, OK.

Notable Achievements

• 1949 MVP International League Montreal Royals

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page