Next stop: Morgantown. No, not Flavortown. I'm sorry to disappoint you all.
But Nyjer Morgan played with plenty of spice during his seven-year baseball career. The outfielder was never a stud, but his bold personality and outrageous temper tantrums put him on our MLB's greatest villains list.
Here's how Mr. Morgan, an all-time lunatic, came to be.
Nyjer Morgan: Origins Of A Villain
Morgan grew up in San Francisco and surprisingly took a liking to hockey, not baseball. At 5-foot-10, he was no beast but made up for it with scrappiness.
He played Junior B hockey in British Columbia, racking up 10 penalty minutes in just two games. Baseball was always there for him later, but that fire started on the ice.
Eventually, the Pirates drafted Morgan in the 33rd round of the 2002 draft. That's where the trouble began.
Morgan's Maddest Moments
Moronic? Ingenious? Whatever Morgan did, he was one of a kind.
Crushing Catchers
Hey, wake up your drunk uncle; he'll love this. We're talking about old baseball, when you could still run the catcher, and when men were men. Grr.
Well, Morgan loved running catchers. Given his hockey background, he had a knack for the old shoulder-to-chest contact play, and he used that hit stick on many occasions.
The O.G. Brawl
In 2010, Morgan had already established himself as an agitator. His jersey never mattered much, but this time he represented the Nationals in a September game vs the Marlins.
As retaliation for Morgan running the Marlins catcher the night before, Fish right-hander Chris Volstad plunked the Nats outfielder in the ribs. Then... chaos!
Morgan charged the mound, just missed with a mean left hand, and then received a textbook clothesline from Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez. Morgan, ever the entertainer, walked off the field with a ripped jersey and his hands pumping the crowd.
Fans booed. Announcers condemned Morgan's actions. The villain got his shining moment.
Nyjer Morgan: Cruisin' For A Benchin'
This is the all-time Morgan clip. In a 2010 game vs the Orioles, the Nats center fielder leaped for a fly ball at the wall but botched an easy catch. Instead of scooping up the ball, he spazzed out.
Morgan chucked his glove on the grass in disgust while Adam Jones raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Naturally, Morgan was booed by the hometown Washington crowd.
A villain, even to his own fans.
