After attending Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada and pitching for the baseball team, Morgan was selected by the Oakland Athletics on June 6, 1978 in the 1st Round (fourth overall) of the Major League Draft.
After starting the 1979 season with the AAA Ogden A's, Morgan was called up again to the big club after posting a 5-5 record with a 3.48 ERA in 101 innings.