Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy is one of the big-swinging members of the National League All-Stars. He is one of the top players in the game and sports a whopping 909 power rating. By virtue of his being a bench player in the game, he gets a 64 point power boost in his first at-bat (to 973). This places him as the third highest power hitter in the game for that single at-bat behind fellow bench players Mark McGwire (1006) and Tony Armas (982). He is usually subbed into the game the first time Benito Santiago comes to the plate, the third spot in the NL All-Star batting order. And while you might think it is strange, remember that Murphy started his career as a catcher (although it makes no difference since all RBI players have identical defensive abilities).
RBI Stats
- Right-handed hitter
- .295 Batting Average
- 44 Home Runs
- 909 Power Rating
- 17 Contact Rating
- 132 Speed Rating
The Basics
- Born: March 12, 1956
- Height: 6'5"
- Playing Weight: 215 lbs
Playing Career
- Atlanta Braves: 1976 - 1990
- Philadelphia Phillies: 1990 - 1992
- Colorado Rockies: 1993
Statistics
Career Statistics:
Hitting
| G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2,180 | 7,960 | 2,111 | 350 | 39 | 398 | 1,197 | 1,266 | 986 | 1,748 | .265 | .346 | .469 | .815 |
Biography
The Murph is included in the game by virtue of his inclusion on the 1987 NL All-Star team. He was a seven-time all-star and back-to-back winner of the NL MVP award in '82 and '83. Other awards include five consecutive gold gloves and four consecutive silver sluggers. Murphy is generally regarded as one of the premier players to play in Major League Baseball during the 1980s.
Murphy was drafted by Atlanta in 1974 as a catcher but was later converted to first baseman and then outfielder due to difficulties throwing the baseball to second base on steal attempts. Several publicatications have made mention of his propensity for hitting pitchers as they would attempt to duck or dive out of the way.
He finished his career with 398 home runs and a .265 batting average. But despite his career accomplishments, Murphy is typically not considered a viable candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame. A primary reason for this is the lack of success of the teams Murphy played on. He reached the playoffs only once, in 1982, where the Braves were eliminated in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
According to Baseball-Reference.com Murphy's career was most similar to that of fellow 80's stud and RBI machine Joe Carter.
Murphy's squeaky-clean image off the baseball diamond stood out in a league racked by illegal drugs and salary controversies. A devout Latter-day Saint, or "Mormon", Murphy did not drink alcohol, would not allow women to be photographed embracing him, and paid his teammates' dinner checks (as long as alcohol was not on the tab). In a scene reminiscent of The Babe Ruth Story, Murphy once promised a disabled girl in the stands he'd hit a home run for her -- and actually knocked out two. In 1987, he shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year" award with seven others, characterized as "Athletes Who Care," for his work with numerous charities, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Georgia March of Dimes, and the American Heart Association.
Current MLB star Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees chose #3 for his jersey when he played for the Texas Rangers as a tribute to Murphy (he currently wears #13 due to the fact that the Yankees have retired the #3 jersey (some guy named Babe Ruth).
Upon leaving baseball, Murphy spent three years directing his Mormon temple in Boston. In 2005 Murphy released a book entitled "The Scouting Report", designed to give advice for pro athletes and pro athletes-to-be on choosing an agent, on managing finances, on balancing career and family, on coping with retirement.
