Mrs. Morhard and the Boys: One mother's vision. The first boys' baseball league. A nation inspired.

by Ruth Hanford Morhard

As the Great Depression brought America to the brink of disaster, a devoted single mother in Cleveland, Ohio, wrestled triumph out of adversity by creating a community activity that would inspire the nation.
 
Josephine Morhard never waited for something to happen. At twelve years old, fiercely independent Josephine left her family’s Pennsylvania farm to start a new life. Coming of age during one of the most devastating times in America, and weathering two bad marriages, Josephine put her personal problems aside to insure a productive future for her daughter and son. But Junior was a volatile boy of eight—until his mother came upon a novel sports idea to encourage discipline, guidance, and self-worth in her son. Out of a dream, an empty lot, and the enthusiasm of other neighborhood kids, Josephine established the first boys’ baseball league in America. Her city—and the country—was watching.
 
Beyond all expectations, the Cleveland Indians rallied behind her project. Indians legends Bob Feller, Jeff Heath, and Roy Weatherly helped hone the boys’ skills; renowned sports reporter Hal Lebovitz became an umpire; and they were given permission to play in historic League Park. All the while, as Josephine’s Little Indians graduated into the Junior American and Junior National Leagues, and finally a Little World Series, she instilled in her boys strong values, good sportsmanship, and an unprecedented sense of accomplishment. Some of them, like Ray Lindquist and Jack Heinen, would become Minor League players. Not one of Mrs. Morhard’s boys would ever forget her.
 
In this stirring biography of an unsung American heroine, Josephine Morhard’s daughter-in-law recounts the extraordinary life and accomplishments of a resilient, selfless, and determined woman. Her inspiring true story—a long time coming—is something to cheer for.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir, Memoir

296 pages, Hardcover

Published February 26, 2019

About the author

Ruth Hanford Morhard was memorizing the batting and earned run averages of Major League baseball players and reading baseball books when other girls were playing with dolls. Combining that with another love, writing, it seems natural that she would one day write a book about baseball. "Mrs. Morhard and the Boys" is that book.

The book had a personal beginning. When helping clean out her mother-in-law's home after she passed away, Ruth discovered a can of film, labeled "Bringing Up Baseball"--produced by the Cleveland Indians. The film documented how Mrs. Morhard created the first boys' baseball leagues, patterned after the Major Leagues and with their help, during the Depression. That led Ruth on a mission to discover more. What she found was Mrs. Morhard's intriguing and inspiring story of hardship, resilience and her determination to give her fatherless son a better life through baseball.

This is Ruth's second book. "Wired to Move: Facts and Strategies for Nurturing Boys in Early Childhood Settings" was published in 2013. Her writing credentials also include a Certificate in Creative Nonfiction from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Skidmore College.

Other writing credits include children's books: "Hello World", "Exploring My World", "We Have Magic Helpers" and its companion book "Building Blocks" for parents and teachers; institutional histories "United Way at 100", "Shaping a System of Higher Education", "What Can One Man Do" and award-winning publications, films and videos. She lives in Chardon, Ohio. Find out more at ruthhanfordmorhard.com.

Career-wise, she has been a senior executive with major philanthropic and arts institutions and currently serves as a consultant to national, regional and local educational and philanthropic institutions.

Reviews

[Richard Stuhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the 2024 baseball season begins, followers of our national pastime should find of interest a delightful story about the game at the grass roots level. “Mrs. Morhard and The Boys” chronicles the founding of the nation’s first boys baseball league in Cleveland in the late 1930s. Mrs. Morhard’s league preceded and was the model for what we now know as “Little League.” The pretenders have been unmasked and the truth has been revealed. Readers will learn that it is not Williamsport, but, rather, Cleveland (or, more precisely, University Heights) that is the birthplace of boys baseball in America. Along the way, they will meet a steady stream of legendary Cleveland sports personalities who played a role in these events.

I was surprised to learn that a story about a diminutive woman (she was less than five feet tall) who overcame incredible odds to establish and manage the nation’s first boys baseball league is now essentially unknown in the place where it all occurred. This is particularly true because Mrs. Morhard’s accomplishments were completely at odds with cultural expectations at the time about the role of women in society.

If the book is to be criticized, it is because of the space devoted to Mrs. Morhard’s formative years. We learn in detail about the life events that led to the founding of the boys baseball league. But Mrs. Morhard’s struggles over the years help explain her persistence when faced with a steady stream of adversity as her dream became reality. Thus, the deep dive into background seems warranted.

Josephine Mathey Morhard was born in 1891. She was one of 17 children raised on a prosperous farm in Poland, Ohio — yes, 1 player of short of what it would have taken for the family to stage a game on its own “Field of Dreams.” Although she mostly enjoyed farm life, Josephine later clashed with her parents over her workload and her parents’ opposition to dating a much older boy. Incredibly, she left home at the age of 12 and set off on her own. Let that sink in. At that age, I couldn’t even make it through breakfast on my own. For several years, she found work (and shelter) as a babysitter and housekeeper for various families in Bessemer, Boardman, and Youngstown, Ohio. Later, she moved to Cleveland and worked as a stenographer.

It was in Cleveland that Josephine met Jerry Gerau, a real estate speculator, and the couple married in 1919. For several years, Gerau’s business was wildly profitable. The Geraus moved to Tampa, lived the high life, and had a child. But by 1926, the business began to crumble, and Jerry disappeared. Unbeknownst to Josephine, Jerry was a serial bigamist. Josephine was just the latest in a string of women whom Jerry had married and later deserted when the going got tough — never bothering to obtain a divorce when he decided to move on.

Josephine divorced Jerry and returned to Cleveland, where she met a local butcher named Albert Morhard. Josephine and Albert married, had a child (Josephine’s second), and operated multiple butcher shops in Cleveland and its eastern suburbs. For a few years, the marriage was happy and the business was successful. But then Albert began drinking heavily, started seeing other women, and became abusive to both Josephine and the children. At a time when divorce was viewed as a badge of shame, Josephine was now divorcing for the second time. After Josephine divorced Albert, the couple split the butcher shops that they had operated jointly. Albert’s stores failed; Josephine’s survived and prospered — mainly because of her customer relations skills. Those skills would serve her well in the years to come.

It is here that baseball finally makes its appearance in this drama. The Morhards’ son, Albert Junior, was traumatized by his father’s abusive behavior. He was a poor student and was prone to temper tantrums. But Junior shared his mother’s passion for baseball; they were both diehard fans of the Cleveland Indians. Josephine decided that baseball was the key to Junior’s mental health and happiness. She saw the sport as a way to build discipline and self-worth in her volatile 8-year old son. The therapy seems to have worked. A post-script in the book reports that Junior starred in both baseball and football at Cleveland Heights High School; graduated from Western Reserve University and Cornell Law School; had a successful law practice in Cleveland; and later became a judge.

In 1937, there was no organized baseball for boys in this country. (American Legion ball was available for young men of high school age and older.) Josephine stepped into the breach. While raising two young children as a single mother and managing her meat market, she found time to organize the kids in their University Heights neighborhood into a rag tag team. But she still needed a field and opponents. Never one to take “no” for an answer, Josephine cajoled a local businessman into allowing the boys to use vacant land near his store for the field and persuaded the mayor to dispatch city plows to grade the property. Josephine then found groups of kids in other nearby neighborhoods and organized a four team league. Josephine coached Junior’s team and served as the nascent league’s commissioner, attending every game in high heels — positioned under an umbrella along the first base line with a whistle around her neck that she blew whenever a player stepped out of line.

But Josephine was not content with a low key operation. She named her son’s team the “Little Indians” and solicited support from their major league counterpart. The Cleveland Indians rallied behind her program, providing replica uniforms at a discounted price and supplying baseballs at no charge. (It seems to me that the Indians could have afforded to donate the uniforms, but they were as penny pinching then as they are now.) Josephine’s organizational efforts attracted media attention and later caught the eye of Indians players. Mel Harder, Bob Feller, Jeff Heath, and Roy Weatherly regularly visited the field where the Little Indians played to schmooze with the boys and provide instruction on baseball fundamentals. Hal Lebovitz, who later became a renowned sports reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, volunteered his time as an umpire.

Interest in Josephine’s league skyrocketed. By 1941, signups reached the point where Josephine had enough teams to fill two leagues, which she called the Junior American and Junior National Leagues. All the teams were named after big league teams, preceded by the qualifier “Little” — e.g., Little Yankees, Little White Sox, Little Cardinals, etc. Team rosters included the nephews of Cleveland Indians owner Alva Bradley, as well as the sons of Indians manager Roger Peckinpaugh. The original ballfield was no longer adequate for the number of teams now playing. So, Josephine secured land to support two new state-of-the-art fields. The fields had real backstops and wooden bleachers, and the players had real uniforms and proper equipment. While Josephine largely subsidized the leagues from her own modest earnings in the early days, she increasingly turned to donations, modest admission charges, and fundraisers to continue operations.

But it was not all smooth sailing. One player’s father believed that managing a boys baseball league was not women’s work and was convinced that he, as a man, could certainly do better. As an umpire myself, I was shocked — shocked — to learn that parents could be difficult. The problem was that Josephine and the difficult dad had fundamentally different ideas about how the league should be conducted. Josephine saw the league as a vehicle for developing character, instilling values, and teaching life lessons; she insisted on good sportsmanship. The difficult dad, in contrast, was focused on winning. The dad removed his son from Josephine’s league and started a competitive league. But Josephine’s kids and their parents stuck with her; the competing league never got off the ground.

The summer of 1941 proved to be the league’s high water mark. The season concluded with the “Little World Series,” pitting the champions of Josephine’s Junior American and National Leagues. To the surprise and delight of the boys, Josephine managed to persuade Alva Bradley to make available the Indians’ own ballpark, League Field, for the championship game. Everyone who was anyone in Cleveland at the time was in attendance.

The Little World Series received massive publicity, not only in Cleveland but all around the nation. Josephine was bombarded with inquiries from people who had read the newspaper stories and wanted advice on how to start boys baseball leagues in their own communities. One of those inquiries came from a man in Williamsport, Pennsylvania named Carl Stotz. Armed with information that he obtained from Josephine, Stotz started a program of his own, which he called “Little League.” That program, headquartered in Williamsport, has become the nation’s premier boys baseball league. Stotz is now lionized as the founder of boys baseball in America when, in fact, he learned everything he knew from Josephine. To his credit, Stotz had an idea that apparently never occurred to Josephine: He persuaded local businesses in Williamsport to sponsor individual teams.

While the attention was flattering, it proved the undoing of Josephine’s program. Cities and towns all over the country began developing their own recreational baseball leagues. In Cleveland, those other leagues siphoned players from her Junior American and National Leagues. The problem she faced was exacerbated by the War. People working multiple jobs to support the war effort didn’t have time to take their kids to baseball games and didn’t want to waste their rationed gasoline on such trips. The businessman who made land available for the baseball fields sounded the death knell for the league when he reclaimed the property for commercial development. While the league held on for a few more years, it disbanded after the 1944 season.

The book is meticulously researched. The author, Ruth Hanford Morhard, relied principally on lengthy notes left by Josephine and information provided by Junior — who just happens to be her husband. Those sources were supplemented by extensive interviews of players (or their surviving spouses), parents, umpires, supporters, and other hangers-on, as well as by archival research into the newspapers in the areas where Josephine lived. The archival materials provide interesting context for the story. Thus, we learn what it was like to be raised on a farm at the beginning of the 20th century, to live through the Depression as a small business owner, to navigate the changes wrought by World War II, and to function as a single mother at a time when it was not viewed as just another lifestyle.

To be sure, this is not a book about big issues or important historical developments. But it is a breezy, feel-good story that any sports fan — and certainly any Cleveland sports fan — should enjoy. At least it’s a story that any Clevelander can enjoy after getting over the shame of allowing Carl Stotz and Williamsport to bask in the glory that is rightfully ours.

Rick Stuhan

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a woman, and I love baseball, so this was an interesting part of the history of baseball that was unfamiliar to me. Josephine Morhard clearly didn't have the easiest life, and decided that her son needed something that brought structure and joy. This was a baseball league that she founded in Cleveland through persuasion and determination and far exceeded any expectations she set when the idea came to her. But in many ways, a good portion of this book is more a biography of Josephine; the story about the founding of the baseball league doesn't start until halfway through the book, and spends a decent amount of time covering some of the boys and their antics. So for someone looking for a book on baseball history the title of the book is somewhat deceptive. The book also doesn't feel like a biography or non-fiction book. It definitely reads to me like the author recounting the story of her mother-in-law based on her interactions with her and the knowledge of her husband. This isn't a bad book, and I learned some things from it, but just feel like I would prefer a book that is more focused on the facts of the league she founded.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is a good account of the life of Mrs. Josephine Morhadt and the struggles and Sent through in her work and relationships, I felt that the cover and description of the book is a bit misleading because there isn't a lot of baseball in the book. It's more of a human interest story than a baseball book. Taken from that perspective, I'll give it four stars.

[Niki Zucca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the subject of the book, but the writing style was very meh for me. I felt like I was reading a high schooler’s essay.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still wiping the tears from my eyes. This book is a wonderful account of the driving spirit of one woman to create something special for the boys in her community and beyond.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful account of Mrs Morhard's incredible tenacity in creating a boys' baseball league in Cleveland. Ruth skillfully recounts Mrs Morhard's life from the early years right through to her magnificent work not just creating a league but continuing to refine and improve it from a couple of kids throwing a ball about in rundown lot to something much greater. Although I was a little impatient to get through the childhood years (and into the baseball stories), I became gripped by the book as soon as Mrs Morhard left home. Her resilience in overcoming the many challenges she faced was moving and inspirational. Her drive and desire in setting up the league, and what it meant to those involved, is so beautifully captured in this book. Ruth has done a lot of research in writing this book and yet has told the story in such a detailed and engaging way that I felt I was there in the moment.

Thank you for ensuring Mrs Morhard's contribution to baseball is remembered and celebrated.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Edwin Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

MRS. MORHARD AND THE BOYS is the story of Josephine Morhard, a resilient mother in Cleveland, who in the 1930's and 1940's, created the first boys' baseball league. Finding something worthwhile and fun for her son to do, Morhard's vision quickly became a reality, and her boys' league was quickly embraced by the community, the city of Cleveland, and the country. She was resourceful, creative, and driven; three attributes that helped mold and shape her league and any and all boy's baseball leagues from then on.
The story of the woman who started boys' baseball is an intriguing topic for a book. The book, to my surprise, spends an excessive amount of time chronicling the life of Mrs.Morhard, and less than half the book deals with her creating the boys' baseball league in Cleveland. The creation of the league and the way Mrs.Morhard embraced creating the best league possible was fascinating reading. Her innovations were a pleasure to find out about and how other cities were inspired by her creation to start leagues themselves. Then quickly, the book finishes. The reader finds out about where many of the boys and the adults around the league ended up. The title and cover of the book lends itself to a story of beginnings of the boys' baseball, but disappointedly much of the book has nothing to do with baseball.
Mrs Ruth Hanford Morhard, the author, is a gifted writer who paints nice pictures with words and describes people quite well, but I just thought the focus of the story was misguided when comparing it to the title of the book.
Thank you to Kensington Books/Citadel, Ruth Hanford Morhard, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!

[Kathy Pellegrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There was a lot of Cleveland history of areas that I knew. It also had a lot of baseball history which included many of the the Cleveland Indian stars. It was special for me because I knew one of the original little league players. What a woman Mrs. Morhard was! She never let the hardships of a divorce or war bring her down. She was able to run a successful market and start the original little league despite many obstacles that would have stopped many including myself. She was a remarkable woman. Her family must be very proud of her.

[John Taillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and written
biography. More of a turn of the century coming of age, Depression era and war era story than a baseball book. That said, this is a must read for anyone who thinks Little League baseball started in Williamsport. Also an excellent read for anyone from or with an interest in Cleveland.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of little league baseball. I was drawn to the story of Josephine's life though more than I expected.

[Alana Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Morhard is an amazing woman! From a young girl she faced many challenges. Her family was dependent upon her strengths of being a hard-working, independent, smart and responsible. She was forced to take on responsibilities that her parents shifted to her - such as taking care of the younger children, plowing fields, feeding animals; all of this and she was early elementary age. Those traits that helped her be successful as a child carried her through her life bringing into existence a woman that was confident, smart, dedicated to her family, and innovative. This book tells the story of her life and how she managed her life facing abuse, neglect, sexism, and surviving the difficulties of taboo divorces. She inspires me. She motivates me, And, I would love her as a friend. I would love to be beside her watching baseball games and fundraising for projects. The final pages of this book prove the impact this woman had on the lives of those around her, the boys that she coached. She teaches all of us to find our niche and do for others.

[Kathy Bonner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Morhard and The Boys. By Ruth Hanford Morhard.
I chose a baseball book because I love baseball and because of our trip to see games in AZ for spring training. This story was really really good. Tells a story of a woman that didn’t get credit for her efforts (once again)! This woman created Little League Baseball for boys in 1931. The whole story starts with her background, her life as a child growing up in a huge family. It tells of her tenacity and her gumption and to never give up! Her whole purpose of creating little league is to teach her son these lessons along with how to control his temper. She also wanted to teach the towns boys how to get along with each other and strive to make something of themselves and help them realize it is not always about winning the game. This woman was a force and her story is remarkable. Highly recommend!

[SA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I really tried to finish this book. I picked it up to do so, so many times, but, oh, my, good, Lord. The first few chapters were so nauseating, I kept shaking my head. I'm doing it now, just thinking about writing this review. And, Please, the premise of the woman's story is enough, there's no reason for all the over the top gar-bage. The author is the daughter-in-law. In one of my final moments of frustration, I started reading chapters in the back of the book, not sure I got a correct moment of clarity, but it seemed that the author was a "new" daughter-in-law. She became the daughter-in-law, during the writing of this book. I don't know if that had something to do with the the prose, but, again - Oh-My-Good-Lord, I needed an insulin shot to survive the writing.

[Ken Tappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great “human interest” story with a lot of interesting info about life in Ohio before and during the Depression. However, the baseball part of this book consisted of maybe one third of the book and the rest centered on the life of Josephine Morhard. The author clearly knows little about coaching kids or how to play baseball and that clearly diminishes the appeal of the book to those of us who do.
That said, I certainly don’t want to diminish the contributions of Mrs. Morhard who did wonderful things for the youth of Cleveland.

[Donna Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the woman who created baseball's Little League and how and why she did it. The majority of the book is about her life from early childhood, one of 17 children, to her struggles as an adult with abusive's marriages and financial struggles during the depression. Morhard is a strong woman and a story worth reading in itself. She had 2 children, one a boy who loved baseball but he and his friends had no where to play. If you had kids who participated in Little League baseball, love reading about strong women or love baseball history this is a good read.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Morhard and the Boys by Ruth Hanford Morhard is a true story. This is about one mother's vision--the first boys baseball league. The first 10 pages or so deal with Josephine growing up and he adult life. What this woman went through is remarkable! What a story! The second part of this book deals with baseball and how she helped young boys play the game! I am glad this woman's story was told because it needed to be. (Gerard's review)

[Patrick Leber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! About half way through the book, I questioned the many details being shared. When you read the notes at the end, you understand how the details were collected.

I was in awe with this entire book. I love the baseball and Cleveland history throughout the many pages. This is a story about determination, perseverance, and the love for your child. I’m so happy this book was recommended to me. 5 ⭐️

[Joanne Sitarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books that I have read in a very long time. The fact that I have chosen to read it at the beginning of preseason baseball and after a brutal winter makes it all the more special. A true fan of America’s favorite pastime will enjoy the trivia but even if you don’t follow the sport, the nostalgia is special.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baseball by the Book #261 062220: "Before there was the Little League World Series, there was the Little World Series, played at Cleveland's League Park in 1941. Author Ruth Hanford Morhard joins us to talk about the remarkable story of a single mother who pioneered youth baseball in the years before World War II."

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baseball is America's pastime, but I never knew how Little Leagues got started. Mrs. Morhard s started the first baseball league for boys and forever changed how young boys would spend their free time.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Morhard led an interesting life, and while small details were fictionalized to create a more robust narrative, the writing is a bit lackluster. That said, the pages turn quickly and it brings the backdrop of wartime and depression, painting out a portrait of the times. Biography readers may enjoy this, and baseball lovers will particularly appreciate the second part of the book.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read. If you are familiar with Northeast Ohio you will enjoy seeing the area through the eyes of a woman who was born there, grew up during two world wars and the Great Depression, and had more then her share of struggles to deal with.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Mary Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about a fascinating woman!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting nonfiction story of the mother who started Little League in Cleveland, Ohio at the end of the Depression.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love baseball and stories about strong women, you'll love this book. Who knew that Little League Baseball started in Cleveland, Ohio?

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting testament to one woman’s journey to making a difference to kids. Great Cleveland and baseball history.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the beginning of little league baseball. Mrs. Morhard was quite a woman.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

so that's how it all started

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story that reads like a novel. Mrs. Morhard & the Boys unearths the strong, determined, single mother who created the first boys' baseball league. From her childhood working as a farmhand on the family plot, through her abusive marriages, and her life as a single mother, Josephine Morhard never stopped striving to make life better for herself and her family. Hers is a very American story.

[Jane Tennyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

This was a sweet story of a woman who just didn't quit. I am not a baseball devotee, but found there was enough of the game at the time to give the story context and passion.