Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy (born March 12, 1956) is a former center fielder for the Atlanta Braves.
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[hide]Career
Dale Murphy's professional baseball career began in 1976 and ended in 1993. He made the All-Star team seven times from 1980–87, claimed rare back-to-back MVP awards in 1982–83. He finished his career with 398 home runs and a .265 batting average. He played in 2,180 games and collected 2,111 hits. He won five Gold Gloves in center field and four Silver Sluggers. He stole bases 161 times and joined the 30-30 club (30 home runs, 30 stolen bases) in 1983 when he became the sixth player since 1922 to accomplish the feat. He reached the playoffs only once, in 1982, where the Braves were eliminated in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a seven-time All-Star and two-time National League MVP. He has more MVP trophies than Pete Rose and Jackie Robinson. He hit more home runs than Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench. He won several awards based on integrity, character, and sportsmanship, including the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award and the prestigious Roberto Clemente award in 1988. He had his jersey number, No. 3, retired by one of the most storied franchises in sports (1994). Despite all these accomplishments, he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame, which angers many of his fans.
For the 2012 season, Murphy was part of the Atlanta Braves TV broadcasting crew.
He opened Murph’s in 2017, a sports-themed eatery located close by the home of the Braves, Truist Park, located in the Cobb Galleria Centre.
Conversion
Murphy was converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ by a teammate in the minor leagues by the name of Barry Bonnell. The two played for the Spartanburg Phillies (South Carolina). Murphy's habits off the diamond were conspicuous in a league racked by illegal drugs and salary controversies. A devout Latter-day Saint, commonly known as a "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).
For several years, the Atlanta Constitution ran a popular weekly column, where Murphy responded to young fans' questions and letters. Murphy's TV commercials usually had him advertising milk, ice cream, and Canon cameras. In a scene reminiscent of The Pride of the Yankees, Murphy once promised a disabled girl in the stands he'd hit a home run for her—and actually knocked out two.
After his baseball career ended, Murphy became more active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From 1997 to 2000, he served as president of the Church's Massachusetts Boston Mission. Murphy was at one point said to be considering a run for Utah governor in 2004, but he failed to generate enough interest within the Republican Party. He and his wife, Nancy, have eight children and live in Alpine, Utah. Their son Jake played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and Denver Broncos before retiring. Their son Shawn played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, and Denver Broncos before retiring.
Charitable Work
In 2005, Murphy started a non-profit organization called the iWontCheat foundation to promote ethical behavior and to deter steroid use and cheating in youth athletics. Since 2008, all players from participating teams at the Little League World Series wear “iWon’t Cheat!” patches above their Little League Baseball logos on their sleeves.
In 2008, he was appointed to the National Advisory Board for Operation Kids, a national children’s charity.
He is also a National Advisor to ASCEND: A Humanitarian Alliance.
Author
Murphy is the author of The Scouting Report on Professional Athletics, Murph, and The Scouting Report for Youth Athletics.
Hall of Fame
Despite his career accomplishments, Murphy has become a highly debated candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Murphy was eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot from 1999-2013 but he never received more than 23.2% of the vote. He was again denied election by the Era/Veterans Committee ballot in 2024.
Updates
October 17, 2021, Murphy threw the first pitch at the playoff game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
