May 31, 1996: Death of Superior’s Dan Morgan

On this day in 1996, Superior native Dan Morgan died of cardio-respiratory complications of mitral valvular disease. Morgan pitched for Superior’s high school baseball team, using a submarine style that baffled hitters. In his senior year, Morgan allowed just 16 hits all year and threw two no-hitters. From 1972 to 1974 he posted a combined record of 48-8 for Superior’s high school and American Legion teams, including 552 strikeouts in 374 innings pitched. Morgan was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the 1974 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft, and received scholarship offers from the universities of Arkansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. He chose to attend the University of Minnesota, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection and in his junior year. That season Morgan was nearly unhittable, posting an ERA of 1.56 in 94.2 innings, going a perfect 10-0 in 16 games with six complete games. After college he was drafted by the Montreal Expos, but while playing for their farm system suffered a rotator cuff injury. The Dan Morgan Memorial Scholarship Committee has awarded a scholarship to a Superior High School graduating senior student-athlete every year since 1997. The brochure for the scholarship describes Morgan: “He dedicated his life to sports, his career, family, friends, and helping others grow physically and spiritually. He did so with generosity, grace, and humor.” You can read a much more complete biography of Morgan by Duluth baseball historian Anthony Bush here.

The 1977 Minnesota Gopher baseball team. Dan Morgan is seated at the far right of the first row. (Image: GopherSports.com)