Joe Morgan, Driving Force of Big Red Machine, Dies at 77

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan acknowledges the crowd after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the Reds' baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 7, 2010. Al Behrman/AP Photo

CINCINNATI—Joe Morgan, the Hall of Fame second baseman who became the sparkplug of the Big Red Machine and the prototype for baseball’s artificial turf era, has died. He was 77.

He died at his home Sunday in Danville, California, family spokesman James Davis said in statement Monday. Morgan was suffering from a nerve condition, a form of polyneuropathy.