Murphy, Dale B.
Baseball
b. March 12, 1956, Portland, OR
Nolan Ryan once said of Murphy, "I can't imagine that Joe DiMaggio was a better all-around player than Dale." The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Murphy was with the NL's Atlanta Braves as a catcher for brief periods in 1976 and 1977. He became a regular first baseman in 1978 and was moved to center field because of his speed in 1980.
Murphy was named the league's most valuable player in 1982, when he batted .281 with 36 home runs, 113 runs scored, and a league-leading 109 RBI. He led the league in RBI again, with 121, and in slugging with a .540 percentage in 1983 to win the MVP award again. Murphy hit .302 that season with 36 home runs, 131 runs scored, and a career high 30 stolen bases.
In 1984 and 1985, Murphy won titles with 36 and 37 home runs, respectively. He also led the league in slugging with a .547 percentage in 1984, in runs with 118 and walks with 90 in 1985.
Murphy's best home run year was 1987, when he hit 44 but failed to lead the league. During the 1990 season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. After missing most of the 1992 season with an injury, he was traded to the expansion Colorado Rockies. He retired on May 27, 1993.
In 2,180 games, Murphy had 2,111 hits, including 350 doubles, 39 triples, and 398 home runs, with 1,266 RBI, 1,197 runs scored, and 161 stolen bases. He won five consecutive Gold Glove Awards, from 1982 through 1986.