Dale Murphy
Born: 3/12/1956 in Portland, OR, USA
MLB Debut: 1976-09-13 | Final Game: 1993-05-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 210 lbs
Full name: Dale Bryan Murphy
Biography
Dale Murphy was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1976 to 1993. Known for his formidable presence as a position player, Murphy played in a total of 2,180 games, accumulating 2,111 hits and 398 home runs. His impressive offensive output also included 1,266 RBIs and a batting average of .265, alongside 161 stolen bases. Murphy's playing style combined power with speed, making him a dual threat on the field and a fan favorite during his tenure.
A two-time National League MVP and a seven-time All-Star selection, Murphy played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Braves, where he became synonymous with the franchise in the 1980s. His contributions were particularly significant during an era marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively driven game, as he showcased his ability to excel in both hitting and base-running. Dale Murphy's legacy endures as one of the game's greats, and he remains a beloved figure in baseball history, celebrated for his sportsmanship and community involvement beyond the diamond.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2180 | 7960 | 1197 | 2111 | 350 | 39 | 398 | 1266 | 161 | 986 | 1748 | 0.265 | 0.346 | 0.469 | 0.815 | 24221.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | ATL | NL | 19 | 65 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0.262 | 15.6 |
| 1977 | ATL | NL | 18 | 76 | 5 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.316 | 145.1 |
| 1978 | ATL | NL | 151 | 530 | 66 | 120 | 14 | 3 | 23 | 79 | 11 | 42 | 145 | 0.226 | -485.6 |
| 1979 | ATL | NL | 104 | 384 | 53 | 106 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 57 | 6 | 38 | 67 | 0.276 | 802.4 |
| 1980 | ATL | NL | 156 | 569 | 98 | 160 | 27 | 2 | 33 | 89 | 9 | 59 | 133 | 0.281 | 2282.0 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 104 | 369 | 43 | 91 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 50 | 14 | 44 | 72 | 0.247 | 307.6 |
| 1982 | ATL | NL | 162 | 598 | 113 | 168 | 23 | 2 | 36 | 109 | 23 | 93 | 134 | 0.281 | 3181.4 |
| 1983 | ATL | NL | 162 | 589 | 131 | 178 | 24 | 4 | 36 | 121 | 30 | 90 | 110 | 0.302 | 3878.9 |
| 1984 | ATL | NL | 162 | 607 | 94 | 176 | 32 | 8 | 36 | 100 | 19 | 79 | 134 | 0.290 | 3673.4 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 162 | 616 | 118 | 185 | 32 | 2 | 37 | 111 | 10 | 90 | 141 | 0.300 | 3898.1 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 160 | 614 | 89 | 163 | 29 | 7 | 29 | 83 | 7 | 75 | 141 | 0.265 | 1808.8 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | 159 | 566 | 115 | 167 | 27 | 1 | 44 | 105 | 16 | 115 | 136 | 0.295 | 4446.4 |
| 1988 | ATL | NL | 156 | 592 | 77 | 134 | 35 | 4 | 24 | 77 | 3 | 74 | 125 | 0.226 | 611.9 |
| 1989 | ATL | NL | 154 | 574 | 60 | 131 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 84 | 3 | 65 | 142 | 0.228 | -412.2 |
| 1990 | ATL | NL | 97 | 349 | 38 | 81 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 55 | 9 | 41 | 84 | 0.232 | 170.1 |
| 1990 | PHI | NL | 57 | 214 | 22 | 57 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 20 | 46 | 0.266 | 170.1 |
| 1991 | PHI | NL | 153 | 544 | 66 | 137 | 33 | 1 | 18 | 81 | 1 | 48 | 93 | 0.252 | 100.3 |
| 1992 | PHI | NL | 18 | 62 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.161 | -368.8 |
| 1993 | COL | NL | 26 | 42 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.273 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | NLCS | ATL | 3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.273 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 209 | 201 | 1842 | 135 | 35 | 146 |
| C | 85 | 77 | 424 | 52 | 17 | 4 |
| OF | 1853 | 1829 | 4053 | 113 | 71 | 22 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | ATL | C | 19 | 17 | 100 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | ATL | C | 18 | 17 | 114 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| 1978 | ATL | C | 21 | 16 | 83 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 1978 | ATL | 1B | 129 | 125 | 1137 | 92 | 20 | 84 |
| 1979 | ATL | C | 27 | 27 | 127 | 15 | 5 | 2 |
| 1979 | ATL | 1B | 76 | 75 | 685 | 42 | 15 | 61 |
| 1980 | ATL | 1B | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | ATL | OF | 154 | 150 | 374 | 14 | 6 | 4 |
| 1981 | ATL | 1B | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | ATL | OF | 103 | 99 | 254 | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| 1982 | ATL | OF | 162 | 161 | 407 | 6 | 9 | 2 |
| 1983 | ATL | OF | 160 | 158 | 373 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 1984 | ATL | OF | 160 | 160 | 369 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 1985 | ATL | OF | 161 | 161 | 334 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 1986 | ATL | OF | 159 | 159 | 303 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| 1987 | ATL | OF | 159 | 159 | 325 | 14 | 8 | 1 |
| 1988 | ATL | OF | 156 | 155 | 340 | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 1989 | ATL | OF | 151 | 151 | 331 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1990 | ATL | OF | 97 | 94 | 208 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1990 | PHI | OF | 55 | 53 | 113 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | PHI | OF | 147 | 141 | 287 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992 | PHI | OF | 16 | 17 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | COL | OF | 13 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 85 |
| First Base | 209 |
| Left Field | 101 |
| Center Field | 1041 |
| Right Field | 749 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Roberto Clemente Award | |
| 1986 | Gold Glove | OF |
| 1986 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1985 | Gold Glove | OF |
| 1985 | Lou Gehrig Memorial Award | |
| 1985 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1985 | Player of the Week | Week of 1985-04-12 |
| 1985 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1985 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1984 | Gold Glove | OF |
| 1984 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1984 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1984 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1983 | Gold Glove | OF |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1983 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1983 | Player of the Week | Week of 1983-09-02 |
| 1983 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1983 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1983 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1982 | Gold Glove | OF |
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1982 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-06-11 |
| 1982 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1982 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1982 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1980 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-05-18 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | COL | NL | $200,000 |
| 1992 | PHI | NL | $2,500,000 |
| 1991 | PHI | NL | $2,500,000 |
| 1990 | ATL | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 1989 | ATL | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 1988 | ATL | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | $1,925,000 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $1,825,000 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | $1,625,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $16,575,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 11th | 34.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1986 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1985 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 7th | 63.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1984 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 9th | 52.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 318.0 | 336 | 21 |
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 283.0 | 336 | 14 |
| 1980 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 23.0 | 336 | 0 |