Dale Murphy

Highlights

He is one of the all-time great Atlanta Braves players; His number 3 jersey is retired by the Atlanta Braves

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Dale Murphy is regarded by many as one of the premier players during the 1980s. His best years were with the Atlanta Braves, appearing in the All-Star Game seven times, and leading the National League in home runs and RBI twice; he also led the major leagues in home runs and runs batted in over the 10-year span from 1981 to 1990. He led the National League in games, at bats, runs, hits, extra base hits, RBI, runs created, total bases, and plate appearances in the 1980s. He also accomplished a 30-30 season in 1983, at the time only the 6th player since 1922 to do so. His 1983 MVP year is the only time in major-league history a player has compiled a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 120 runs batted in, 130 runs scored, 90 bases on balls, and 30 stolen bases with fewer than 10 times caught stealing.

In addition, Murphy also won five consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and won two consecutive MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, making him one of only four outfielders in major league history with consecutive MVP years, and the youngest ever to do so at the time.

Murphy did not begin his career as an outfielder. He began as a catcher, but had difficulties throwing out runners attempting stolen bases. Also, his knees were taking a good amount of pounding from trying to catch teammate Phil Niekro's knuckleballs behind the plate. He was moved briefly to first base (he led all National League first basemen in errors with 23 in 1978) and left field, before reaching the peak of his success playing center field and eventually right field, being widely considered the best all-around player in the major leagues for the 6-year span between 1982-1987.

His professional baseball career began in 1976 and ended in 1993; he also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies franchises. He finished his career with 398 home runs (19th in MLB history at the time of his retirement) and a .265 batting average. He reached the playoffs only once, in 1982, where the Braves were eliminated in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals. His jersey number "3" was retired by the Atlanta Braves on June 13, 1994.

Murphy's clean-living habits off the diamond were conspicuous in a league wracked by illegal drugs and salary controversies. A devout Latter-day Saint, or Mormon, Murphy did not drink alcoholic beverages, would not allow women to be photographed embracing him and paid his teammates' dinner checks (as long as alcoholic beverages were not on the tab). He also refused to give television interviews unless he was fully dressed. Murphy had been introduced to the church by Barry Bonnell, a teammate early in his career.

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 ended up hitting two in the game. 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.

Murphy has recently come out as one of the more vocal critics of Barry Bonds' home run record chase and steroid allegations. On August 6, 2007, Murphy called Sports Radio AM 1280 The Zone in Salt Lake City to offer the following sentiments:

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 Massachusetts Boston Mission of the church. Murphy was at one point said to be considering a run for Utah governor in 2004, but failed to generate enough interest within the Republican Party.

In 1997, Dale was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. In 2008, he was appointed to the National Advisory Board for the national children's charity Operation Kids. He currently lives in Alpine, Utah. Dale serves as a National Advisor to ASCEND, a Humanitarian Alliance.

Dale Murphy has written three books. The first, The Scouting Report on Professional Athletics, elaborates details of the professional athlete's lifestyle. Murphy discusses balancing career and family, working with agents, business management, giving back, and preparing for retirement. The book has been a success among young athletes who desire a career in sports. The list of well-known figures who offered endorsements for the book includes Joe Torre, Jason Kidd, Steve Young, Wayne Gretzky, Cal Ripken, Jr., Bobby Bowden, Bill Walton, and Mike Krzyzewski.

His second book was an autobiography titled Murph. Murphy talked about his faith and why he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He discussed the struggles of his early baseball career and how he overcame problems. It wasn't a major success; the target reader was a young LDS male, a limited demographic.

His third book, released in 2007, is titled The Scouting Report for Youth Athletics. This book contains valuable information for coaches, parents, and players involved in youth sports.

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