The Morhardt’s have been a staple of Connecticut baseball for more than sixty years. Professional baseball has become a genetic trend for the Morhardt’s. Three generations have ascended from the amateur ranks to the professional level. The patriarch of the Winsted-based family, Moe, is the father of Darryl, Greg, and Kyle and grandfather of current GHTBL player, Justin Morhardt. From the Twilight League to the big leagues, men of the Morhardt family have significant baseball credentials.
Meredith “Moe” Goodwin Morhardt was born on January 16, 1937, in Manchester, Connecticut. He excelled in three sports at Manchester High School: baseball, basketball and soccer. On the diamond, he was a five-tool player who hit and threw lefty. Moe Morhardt first attracted the attention of major league scouts in high school, where he was a teammate of GHTBL legend, Gene Johnson. As a center fielder, Moe batted a combined .452 in his junior and senior seasons.
Moe was a 6’1″ multi-sport athlete. He attended the University of Connecticut where he excelled as an All-American in baseball and soccer. He helped the Huskies win two NCAA District titles. He was appointed UConn co-captain, batted .365 and was considered the finest collegiate prospect in New England. During the summer months, Moe played for St. Cyril’s baseball club in the Hartford Twilight League. After four GHTBL seasons and three years at UConn, Moe signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1959 as a free agent.
Twelve major league clubs scouted Moe Morhardt but Cubs chief scout, Lennie Merullo was first in line. Moe accepted the Cubs offert that came with a $50,000 signing bonus. The newest Cubs prospect was assigned to Fort Worth, Texas, and would find himself at three different minor league levels that year including the Class D Paris Lakers in Paris, Illinois. In 1960, he was first baseman for the Class A Lancaster Red Roses of the Eastern League and then assigned to the Class B Wenatchee Chiefs in 1961.
Moe was called up to Chicago and made his major league debut on September 7, 1961. He appeared in 7 games for Cubs, hit for a .278 batting average and was the first Manchester native in 40 years to reach the major leagues. The following year he played 18 games as a pinch-hitter. His final MLB bat ended in a swinging strikeout against Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Moe was sent down to the minors and split the season between Wenatchee, Washington and Class AA San Antonio, Texas. He spent 1963 and 1964 in the Cubs farm system and retired from professional baseball soon thereafter.
In the summer of 1965, Moe rejoined the Hartford Twilight League. As a standout for the Moriarty Brothers franchise and he immediately won a league title. After his playing career, Moe became head baseball coach at The Gilbert School in Winsted, Connecticut, from 1967 to 1987, and also served as athletic director. He recorded 299 wins, 134 losses, 8 league titles and 4 Class M state championships at Gilbert. He was elected to the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.
In 1988, Moe took a job coaching University of Hartford where he would teach baseball for seven seasons; serving as an assistant from 1988 to 1992 and as head coach from 1993 to 1994. From 1997 to 1999, he was head coach of the Western Connecticut State University baseball team. Moe was also head coach of the Danbury Westerners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, coaching the team from 1998 to 2004.
Moe had three sons, Darryl, Greg and Kyle who were raised in Winsted. Most recently, a semi-retired Moe and his son Darryl established a summer youth team, the Torrington Copperheads who compete in the Pete Kokinis Baseball League (formerly Jaycee-Courant League). Moe also continues to support his grandson, Justin Morhardt of the People’s United Bank franchise by attending at twilight league games.
“You should value every at bat. The biggest regret a hitter should have is that he gave away an at bat.”
Moe Morhardt
“Moe Morhardt was a wonderful as a hitting coach. He kept it very simple. He’s just a great baseball mind in so many different ways. Every time I hear ‘Moe Morhardt,’ I smile.”
Jeff Bagwell, former University of Hartford player and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
Darryl Morhardt was born on October 23, 1962, as the oldest of his siblings. In 1980 he graduated from The Gilbert School where he was a catcher and a utility man. He was also a top basketball player for Manchester Community College in 1982. Darryl went on to play college baseball at Coastal Carolina University for three years. Then he signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves to begin a short professional career.
After suffering a shattered wrist on a fastball from reliever John Wetteland, Darryl Morhardt returned home to coach. He was an assistant coach at the University of Hartford (1991-1995), Gateway Junior College, Western Connecticut State College, Marietta College and George Washington University. In his time at Marietta, Darryl aided legendary coach Don Schaly in achieving five Ohio Athletic Conference titles and three Division III World Series appearances.
Darryl eventually went on to work for the Baltimore Orioles organization as scout. During the summer months he was also a pitching coach in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Torrington Twisters. He then served as head coach of NECBL’s Holyoke Blue Sox (2008-2012). In 2016, he was tapped as pitching coach for the Newport Gulls. When he found time, Darryl played on teams in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, Tri-State League and the Waterbury Twi-Met League.
Darryl Morhardt is an unsung hero of amateur baseball. For a span of about 40 years, he competed in summer leagues throughout Connecticut and nationally. He played his first GHTBL season for Middletown’s Bordiere Travel team in 1982. He returned to the twi-loop in 1991 to join the Society for Savings team led by Manager Tom Abbruzzese. At catcher, pitcher and first base, Darryl suited up for Abbruzzese’s bankers franchise until 2007 and captured a total of five leagues titles with People’s United Bank.
In 2013, Darryl Morhardt became head baseball coach at Housatonic High School. He has also coached several AAU teams, including his current club, the Torrington Copperheads. Recently, he won a Men’s Senior Baseball League 50-over national championship as a member of the Salty Dogs, a Rhode Island-based team. In a 55-over MSBL national championship against a team form Florida, Darryl played against Dante Bichette and Mark Whiten. Darryl continues to play amateur ball on a 38-over team in the Northeast Baseball Association; a league Darryl has won four straight years.
Greg Morhardt was born on October 25, 1963. He learned to play baseball from his father Moe and alongside his two brothers, Darryl and Kyle. Greg was a star athlete at The Gilbert School in multiple sports. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 14th round of the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft but instead decided to attend college at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. In his junior season he batted .346 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs and was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1984 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Greg Morhardt’s professional career began in Orlando, Florida, as first baseman for the 1984 Orlando Twins (Class AA Southern League). By 1986, he was called up to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Twins AAA affiliate. He ended the season with a career best .263 batting average, 13 home runs and 70 RBI. Greg was well-traveled during the 1987 season as a member of the Portland Beavers in Oregon and the Orlando Twins. After a tough year at the plate, he was released by the Twins, but the Detroit Tigers picked him up. Following his stint with the Tigers Greg returned home to Connecticut.
In twilight of his playing career, Greg Morhardt was a star in the GHTBL. He played for Tom Abbruzzese’s Society for Savings franchise from 1992 to 1996. Then he continued his career in baseball as an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels. Most notably, Greg scouted Mike Trout at 16 years old and insisted the Angels take Trout in the 2009 MLB Draft. Greg had been a minor league teammate of Mike Trout’s father Jeff Trout. In 2010, Greg earned a lifetime achievement in athletics award from The Gilbert School. He now works for the Boston Red Sox as a professional scout and resides in Winsted, Connecticut.
“He had speed and strength. It was a perfect storm of athleticism.”
Greg Morhardt, on scouting Mike Trout.
Justin Morhardt was born on March 3, 1994. Like his father, uncle and grandfather, Justin attended The Gilbert School and was a highly scouted baseball player. Then he became a veritable slugger at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. During college, he overcame a serious health concern called Graves Disease causing thyroid problems. In his return to Bryan as a junior he was selected as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American. That year, Justin helped the Lions to a 35-16 overall record and 17-10 record in Appalachian Athletic Conference play, earning Bryan their first-ever at-large NAIA National Tournament bid.
A week after being named a NAIA All-American, Justin was drafted by Braves in the 22nd round in the 2017 MLB Draft. At rookie ball with the Braves in the Gulf Coast League, he appeared in 26 games at catcher. A series of concussions led him to call it quits on his professional career. Nowadays, Justin continues to play as an amatuer in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. He is a key two-way player for People’s United Bank. In his day job, he works as Staff Accountant at King, King & Associates CPA in Winsted.
Mike Morhardt
Mike Morhardt is the uncle of Justin and a first cousin to Darryl and Greg. He was a gifted baseball and basketball player from Stafford, Connecticut, and contributed to the Morhardt sports legacy. Mike attended the University of Hartford and pitched under his uncle, Moe Morhardt. In 1994, Mike pitched for the East Hartford Jets in the GHTBL. After finishing his playing career in 1994, he became varsity pitching coach for the Hawks at the University of Hartford. He later became coach at Windsor Locks High School for baseball and girl’s basketball. Then, Mike coached Stafford High School basketball in 2009 but has since returned to Windsor Locks as baseball coach and a physical education teacher.
Sources
- Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
- Baseball-Reference.com