Boston Red Sox
The parent Red Sox reassigned Morgan after the 1982 season,making him a scout for 1983–84 before he was finally invited to return to the Majors as Boston's first-base coach in 1985. He worked as the team's bullpen coach during the Red Sox' 1986 pennant-winning season,then replaced Rene Lachemann as Boston's third-base coach in 1987. [19]
In 1988,a Boston team was at one game over .500 under manager John McNamara,leading the ownership to fire him during the All-Star break. They named Morgan acting manager July 14 and began negotiations with high-profile candidates,such as Joe Torre and Lou Piniella,who were under contract to other organizations. The Red Sox won their first 12 games under Morgan –a period dubbed by the press as Morgan Magic –and the team named him as their permanent field boss. [20] The 1988 Red Sox won the AL East,but were swept by the Oakland Athletics in the American League Championship Series;two years later,the 1990 Sox repeated history,winning their division but bowing in four straight to the A's in the playoffs. Collectively,the Red Sox were 0–8 in the post season under Morgan,an American League record.
In 1991,Morgan guided a Boston team to a second-place finish in the AL East. The team had difficulties in June and July before maneuvering their way back in early September;as late as the 21st,they were just a half game behind Toronto in the East. [21] However,they lost 11 of their last 14 games and finished seven games behind Toronto. Although he had one year remaining on his contract,he was fired at season's end in favor of Butch Hobson. Under Hobson,the 1992 Red Sox finished last in the AL East. [22]
Morgan's final big league managerial totals:301–262 (.535) over 3+1⁄2 years, all with the Red Sox. [23] His record as a minor league manager over 16 seasons (1966–71; 1973–82) was 1,140 victories and 1,102 defeats (.508) [24] with one league championship (with the York Pirates of the Double-A Eastern League in 1969).
Managerial record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason |
|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
|---|
|
| BOS | 1988 | 77 | 46 | 31 | .597 | 1st in AL East | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost ALCS (OAK) |
|---|
| BOS | 1989 | 162 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| BOS | 1990 | 162 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 1st in AL East | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost ALCS (OAK) |
|---|
| BOS | 1991 | 162 | 84 | 78 | .519 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
|---|
| Total | 563 | 301 | 262 | .535 | | 0 | 8 | .000 | |
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