Hal Morris

Who is Hal Morris?

William Harold Morris III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He attended Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and the University of Michigan. Morris was the Player of the Year while attending Munster High School. His Michigan team started the 1983 campaign 33-0 and made an appearance in the College World Series. That team had three future Reds in Morris, Barry Larkin, and Chris Sabo. He is currently the director of professional scouting for the Los Angeles Angels.

Morris was selected by the New York Yankees in the eighth round of the 1986 amateur draft. Besides the Yankees and Reds, he played for the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers. Morris was known for his unusual hitting technique, in which his feet never settled as the pitcher delivered the ball, so his swing was preceded by his feet shuffling towards the plate. Morris was not known for his power, but he had the ability to spray the ball to all corners of the ballpark.

After retiring, Morris continued his education by graduating with an MBA from Stanford University. Morris has been involved in a variety of real estate and technology ventures, and has been an advisor to Montara Capital Partners, a boutique private equity firm focused on 1031 exchange and tax advantaged real estate transactions. Before joining the Angels in November 2011, he was a professional scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates for two seasons and the Boston Red Sox for one. His brother, Bobby, played professional baseball between 1993 and 2001.