Hailing from Runnemede, New Jersey, “Jersey Joe” Beidler was a standout football and baseball player at Trinity but later made his biggest impact as a college and high school coach.

After Trinity, he served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant aboard a mine sweeper. After the war, he began his coaching career, first at Trinity College and then at Linfield College in Oregon.

“One of his proudest achievements”, according to his obituary in 2009, “was creating what became known as the ‘Hartford Connection.’ Between 1958 and 1967 Coach sent ten young and talented players [from Hartford] to Linfield College in Oregon. Coached believed in his players and inspired them to fulfill their potential.”

Beidler later returned to the Hartford area where he had a stellar coaching career at Weaver High and Conrad High. His 15-year run of coaching with McKee at Conrad was legendary, winning over 80% of games played.

He and his wife, Ruth, retired to Vero Beach, Florida, where “Jersey Joe” could be found volunteering at the Dodgers training camp, relishing “being the driver who talked ‘game’ all the way to the airport. He died in 2016 at the age of 97.