In this edition of the 20th anniversary series, we will look back on the story of the most chaotic player in Nats history
On June 30th, 2009, one of the most memorable Nationals of their early history came to town. His name was Nyjer Morgan. He was not the most talented player, but he was a spark plug, who provided fireworks whenever he was on the field. Morgan was also a loose cannon, who provided brilliance, as well as moments of madness. There is a reason that there is a video called “Nyjer Morgan gets pissed off”.
Nyjer Morgan was not even the best player the Nationals got in that trade, reliever Sean Burnett was more important to the Nats future success. However, as the saying goes, the streets will never forget Nyjer Morgan.
Morgan made an immediate impact when he arrived in DC. He was a spark plug at the top of a bad Nationals lineup. Morgan hit an astounding .351 , with a solid .831 OPS in 212 plate appearances. He also added 24 stolen bases in his 49 games in DC during the 2009 season. In 2009, all of the attention Morgan got was from his production and electric play style.
In 2010, things changed for Morgan. He was less productive and his antics overshadowed his play. On May 22nd, 2010, he was a part of one of the craziest inside the park home runs of all time. After he was unable to make a tough but makable play in center field, he slammed his glove to the floor and walked away from the ball. Josh Willingham had to come all the way from his left field position to get the ball. By the time the Nats relayed the ball home, Adam Jones had come all the way around the bases. Morgan had just lost his mind in the middle of the game.
His other iconic episode that season came in September, when he incited a wild brawl with the Marlins. After decking the catcher in a previous game, the Marlins were out for blood. This revenge came when Chris Volstad threw behind Morgan. Nyjer immediately rushed the mound, and threw a wild left hand at Volstad before being close lined by the first baseman. The ensuing brawl was as wild as you will ever see in Major League Baseball.
On the field, Morgan was less productive in 2010, posting a negative WAR, posting a paltry .633 OPS. He also led the league by getting caught stealing 17 times. With his waning performance and occasional bouts of insanity, the Nats had seen enough and traded him to Milwaukee. With the Brewers, Morgan developed a cult like following, due to his “Tony Plush” alter ego.
While Morgan was far from the best National, he was one of the more memorable. Remembering guys like him is the reason why I created the 20th anniversary series.