Tuesday, September 14, 2010

My favorite players from all 30 Big League teams...Vol. #6...Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves

There's just something about certain players that makes them catch your eye. The way they stand up at the plate, the way they play the field, the way they run, or throw, or maybe just the way they approach the game.




All the above statements can be said of Dale Murphy, my favorite player to ever wear the uniform of the Atlanta Braves.







I know, a lot of people will be asking hey, what about Hank Aaron?




Yes, there is no doubt Aaron is the greatest Brave off All-Time, and I respect that, but I got to watch Murphy much more than Aaron, who was ending his career as I was starting to really understand baseball.





Dale Murphy could do it all, a fantastic five tool player who patrolled center field for the Braves in the 1980's, winning 5 straight Gold Gloves from 1982-1986, and was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1983.










From 1981 to 1990,  Murphy led the entire Major Leagues in Home Runs and RBIs.





Murphy also lead the National League in runs, games, at bats, hits, extra base hits, RBIs, runs created, total bases, and plate appearances during the decade of the '80's.








Not bad for a guy who began his big league career as a catcher before moving to 1st base, and then to the outfield.






With all the accolades that Murphy collected for his play in the big leagues, he's also  considered as one of the good guys in baseball, a player who thinks about the game first, and not himself.





Dale Murphy, simply put, was the best player in baseball for most of the 1980's, and, in my opinion, he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.










Play Ball!

3 comments:

  1. I feel the exact same way about Dale Murphy. He's always been the Brave that I remember growing up.

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  2. Thanks for becoming a follower Steve. To me, Murphy is one of the best power hitters of the pre-steroid era. He was a terrific all-around player.

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  3. Murphy is one of the most underated players of my generation as a kid. Nice blog by the way.

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