'Icon of Joel Barlow baseball,' Charlie Morton's impressive Major League career fuels next generation of small-town athletes
He pitched for seven different teams over his 18-year pro career, and he was a two-time all-star.
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Connecticut native and two-time World Series champion Charlie Morton said goodbye to baseball this week.
He pitched for seven different teams over his 18-year pro career, and he was a two-time all-star.
From the backfields of Joel Barlow High School to the biggest stage in the game, Morton's career continues to inspire the next generation of ball players.
"He's the icon of Joel Barlow baseball," says Jimmy Kennedy, the senior team captain at Barlow. "It's crazy to see someone from this small town make it to the big stage, and I'm hoping I can do that myself."
Morton grew up in Trumbull.
When he moved to Redding, Barlow's current athletics administrator, Mike Santangeli, coached him.
"After all the success he had in Major League baseball," Santangeli says, "it didn't change who he was back in 2002."
Morton was unknown to scouts until his junior year.
Santangeli says he rose through the ranks thanks to hard work, determination, and selflessness.
"On a rain day, when we couldn't find a facility, Charlie had the entire team to his house," Santangeli says. "He had a whole setup: a mound, a batting cage. We had practice in his basement, and his mom served us sandwiches. It's one of the most memorable things of my coaching career because it was so selfless."
Morton's championship career continues to inspire small-town kids to keep chasing their big-league dreams.
"If Charlie should know one thing," Santangeli says, "it's that this community is ultra proud of what he's accomplished."
