Jerry Morales was an outfielder for five teams (including two stops with the Cubs) from 1969-1983. He batted .195 in 19 games for the expansion San Diego Padres in 1969. He played a few games for the Padres in 1970 and 1971, batting .155 and .118, before sticking with San Diego in 1972. After batting .281 in 1973, Jerry was sent to the Chicago Cubs as part of the Glenn Beckert trade.
Morales played four years with the Cubs, posting seasons of .273, .270, .274, and .290 with double-figure HR totals in each year. He made the 1977 NL All Star team. He was hit in the knee by Sparky Lyle and scored a run in that game. The injury limited his effectiveness for the rest of the season.
After the 1977 season Jerry started to move around a lot. He played for the Cardinals in 1978, the Tigers in 1979, and the Mets in 1980 before signing with the Cubs as a free agent before the 1981 season. He batted .286 in 1981 and .284 in 1982 as a part-time OF but was released after the 1983 season after batting .195 in 87 at bats.
After his playing career he was a coach and a scout for several teams. Jerry was the first base coach for Montreal from 2002 to 2004 and coached first base for the Washington Nationals from 2007 to 2008. His Wikipedia entry says he was named as a coach of the St. Lucie Mets in 2009 but his name isn't on the roster on the team website.
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I remember Morales well, especially his 1979 season with the Tigers. He was traded after the season to the Mets for Richie Hebner, who became my favorite player for a spell.
ReplyDeletefor some odd reason, Morales looks like a giant to me in this photo, way larger than the stands behind him.
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