This year has certainly been the most challenging year in a long, long time, thanks in large part to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 threw the 2020 Major League Baseball season out of whack, forcing MLB to construct a schedule that was about a third of the length of a normal season.
Now that we are down to the last four teams it seems a little more “normal,” even though there are very few fans in the stands and the American League and National League Championship Series are being played at neutral-site stadiums.
However, 2020 has been a trying year for baseball fans for an entirely different reason.
Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan died Sunday at age 77 after suffering from a nerve condition, the latest in a long line of baseball Hall of Famers who have passed away in 2020.
Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and Whitey Ford have all died in the last six months, an uncanny stretch the likes of which we haven’t seen.
The Reds are heartbroken to learn of the passing of baseball legend Joe Morgan. pic.twitter.com/zBoQ2gHZys
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) October 12, 2020
‘Little Joe’ was a big leaguer for 22 seasons, he won the National League’s MVP award twice, five Gold Gloves, was a 10-time all-star and the most complete second baseman during his career.
He was also the sparkplug of the Cincinnati Reds’ back-to-back World Series championship-winning teams in 1975 and ’76, and that is saying a lot given that the Big Red Machine was powered by the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez.
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After his playing days, Morgan entered the broadcast booth in 1985 and went on to become one of baseball’s best television analysts.
Joe Morgan, a multi-talented player and a tell-it-like-it-is broadcaster, will be missed.
Rick Zamperin is the assistant program, news and senior sports director at Global News Radio 900 CHML.