NORTHAMPTON — The Lions and Elks contested a fierce baseball rivalry in Northampton Little League in the mid-1990s.
David Hoose coached the Lions, and Tim Molaghan led the Elks. Molaghan’s Elks regularly prevailed.
“What drove me crazy was that he would beat me every time if the game was important, and every kid played,” Hoose said. “Despite that rivalry, I came to respect him so much as a coach and as a person.”
Molaghan, who coached youth sports in Northampton for the past 25 years, died this week. He was in his late 60s.
Molaghan graduated from Fitchburg High School in the 1960s. He settled in the Pioneer Valley where he raised three boys: Brendan, Ryan and Devin. Molaghan was a retired social worker with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
“It’s a great loss for the city of Northampton and baseball altogether,” said Glenn Connly, whose son Garrett played for Molaghan. Connly also served with Molaghan on the board of directors for Mike Laga Youth Baseball. “This is going to affect a lot of young people who aren’t going to be able to play for him.”
Tampa Bay Rays minor leaguer Erik Ostberg played for Molaghan’s Sandy Koufax team when he was 13.
“He was one of my favorite coaches ever,” Ostberg said. “I’ve played with a million coaches at every level, he was one of the happiest to be at the field and see guys get better and succeed.”
It was the first travel team Ostberg played for. Molaghan called him personally to tell him he made the team.
“That’s one of my fondest memories,” Ostberg said. “He was very good at the strategy aspect of the game. He knew how to get the best out of guys.”
Molaghan understood the game and taught it in a way that passed along his love for baseball.
“He was the best I’d ever seen at combining learning the game, teaching a respect of the game, and having fun with the game,” Hoose said. “There are a lot of coaches who win. Who cares? It’s youth baseball. The thing that was so great about him was that the kids had fun. They loved baseball.”
Current players on Northampton High School’s varsity team developed their skills with Molaghan. Senior Andy Grygorcewicz played for Molaghan for two years in middle school. Both teams went undefeated locally and played in the state tournament.
“It was one of the best times throughout middle school with my teammates that I have now,” Grygorcewicz said. “He always had a smile on his face no matter what.”
He was as popular with parents as he was with the kids.
“If your kid was playing for Tim, your kid was a happy kid,” Mike Goggins said. “He didn’t complain to anyone except umpires.”
Goggins’ son Rob played for Molaghan in the 90s.
“He never tore kids down, he’d always build them up,” Mike Goggins said. “I think he gave kids a lot of self confidence.”
When Hoose, Mike Laga and others formed Mike Laga Youth Baseball in 2002, they knew who they wanted to coach their Koufax Division team: Molaghan. He had retired from coaching, but Hoose lured him back in 2006. They engaged in “epic” conversations at board meetings, over the phone and in Hoose’s driveway.
“We never talked for less than an hour,” Hoose said. “He was so devoted to that program.”
Molaghan didn’t plan on coaching this year, Hoose said. He was going to spend more time hitting golf balls and a few less baseballs. Molaghan still joined the board of Mike Laga Youth Baseball, Hoose said.
“This is such a tremendous loss for this community,” Hoose said. “I can’t believe that he’s gone.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com