The Boston Red Sox are in mourning after the passing of Joe Morgan, the manager who led the team to winning seasons every year of his tenure.
Major League Baseball announced that Morgan passed away on Saturday. He was 95.
Morgan, a Massachusetts native, was a baseball lifer who achieved his dream of managing the Red Sox. He achieved this goal after starting out working in a different area of the field.
He worked as a third-base coach with the Red Sox, but suddenly became interim manager after the 1988 All-Star break. General manager Lou Gorman dismissed John McNamara after a 43-42 start to the season.
Morgan delivered immediate success in the interim role, which led to him becoming the organization’s full-time leader. The team went 46-31 after he took over, including 18 wins in 19 games in July and August 1988. This team went on to win the AL East over the Tigers.
“‘Morgan Magic’ is forever part of Red Sox lore,” said Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. “Joe took over in 1988 and gave New England a summer it would never forget.
“How fitting that, in his final season watching the Red Sox, he saw another team respond to adversity with a remarkable run of its own. Joe gave us one of the great chapters in this club’s history, and we will always remember him for it. Our hearts are with his family.”
He remained the Red Sox manager in 1989, 1990, and 1991, leading the team to at least 83 wins each season. The Red Sox won the AL East once again in 1990. Much like in 1988, the Red Sox lost in the AL Championship Series to the Athletics.
Boston ultimately fired Morgan after the 1991 season despite the team winning 84 games. The team did not achieve success after making this move. Butch Hobson served as manager for three losing seasons before the Red Sox made another leadership change.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer and former manager Joe Morgan,” the team said in a statement.
“He was a truly beloved fixture of the Red Sox, spending nearly two decades with the organization. We send our love to the Morgan family.”
