Murphy: Steroid users don’t belong in Hall (but he does)
Dale Murphy's best chance to get into the Hall of Fame after this year will be via the Veteran's Committee.
Dale Murphy gets a ballot in the mail every year. Well, not a real ballot, just a sample one, although somebody with a more devious mind than his probably would’ve orchestrated a ballot-box-stuffing or “dirty tricks” campaign by now. Where’s Charles Colson when you need him?
This is year No. 15 for Murphy on the Hall of Fame ballot. He will fall off after this season because 15 is the ceiling. The chance of leaping from 14.5 percent of the vote (which he received last season) to 75 percent (which is required for induction) is infinitesimal.
I don’t know if it’s sad irony or a cruel joke that Murphy’s final year of eligibility coincides with the first appearance on the ballot for three cover boys from baseball’s steroid era: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa. But it would be nice to see a player who never consumed anything stronger than a “Dodger Dog” on game day (Murphy: “I ate two before the game. I could smell the hot dog stand from the dugout.”) at least draw more votes than the aforementioned juicers.
Back to the sample ballot. It’s the last year. If you’re Murphy, don’t you at least try to fill it out, mail it back and pass it off as the real thing?
“That’s a novel idea,” he said by phone from his Utah home. “I should do that. Maybe make a few hundred copies.”
Murphy has strong opinions on the Hall. While he is not the greatest self-promoter in the world, he believes he deserves to be in Cooperstown. He also thinks any player who used performance-enhancing drugs during their career artificially enhanced their accomplishements and therefore aren’t worthy of the honor.
“I have a problem with guys who said they were on [drugs],” he said. “I respect them for admitting it, but I agree with what the voters have been doing, keeping those guys out. It’s a problem for me because the real issue is the integrity of the game and the numbers.”
Murphy won two MVP awards, two home run titles, seven All-Star honors and five Gold Gloves in an eight-year span.
So if he had a real ballot, would he vote for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa (who haven’t admitted PED use but have been connected to it with circumstantial evidence)?
“No.”
Murphy retired after the 1993 season. For the next five years, before he was on the ballot, he would make appearances, give speeches and often was introduced as, “Future Hall of Famer …” He called it, “Flattering.”
“You start to think, ‘Hey. that’s a good possibility,’” he said. “Then eventually, reality sets in.”
But he peaked at 23.2 percent of the vote in 2000, his second year of eligibility, and dropped to as low as 8.5 in 2004. Last season, he was named on 83 ballots (including mine), but that placed him only 12th overall (14.5 percent of voters).
“It’s a tough place to get into, I understand that,” he said. “But to get in, you ought to think you should be in, and I think there should be a spot for me.”
His children are running his campaign now. It started when his daughter, Madison, took a picture of the sample ballot and sent it out on Twitter with the message, “Put my dad in the Hall!” Son Chad wrote a long letter with statistical data that was emailed to Hall voters. Another son, Taylor, posted a petition on Change.org. And everybody is Tweeting.
“It hasn’t gone viral world-wide but it’s viral in our family,” Murphy said, laughing.
He knows it won’t get him in the Hall but he’s hoping it gets him “a bump” in voting. There’s also a chance he could be voted in the Hall one day by the Veterans Committee.
There is no doubt in this corner he belongs in. Murphy had an eight-year span in his career (1980-87) when he won two Most Valuable Player Awards, two home run titles, two RBI titles, led the league in runs scored, had a 30-30 season, won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and played in seven All-Star Games.
There has been too much weight given by some voters to the lesser seasons surrounding those years, and not enough given to the fact Murphy did all of this drug free and was one of the game’s greatest ambassadors.
“I’m hopeful,” Murphy said. “Maybe something will come around one day with the Veterans Committee. But I’m thankful for those who’ve supported me, and I’ve really been touched by what my kids have done.”
Cooperstown should have a spot for him.
• The Hall of Fame voting results from Dale Murphy’s previous 14 years on the ballot, with year, total votes (where he placed) and percentage of vote. Year Votes (Place) Pct. 1999 96 (11) 19.3 2000 116 (10) 23.2 2001 93 (13) 18.1 2002 70 (15) 14.8 2003 58 (16) 11.7 2004 43 (17) 8.5 2005 54 (16) 10.4 2006 56 (15) 10.8 2007 50 (16) 9.2 2008 75 (14) 13.8 2009 62 (13) 11.5 2010 63 (14) 11.7 2011 73 (15) 12.6 2012 83 (12) 14.5•
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
157 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
December 11th, 2012
10:28 pm
Taylor — Thanks for checking in. I’m sure a lot of the Dale Murphy fans here will be checking out your petition. http://t.co/ppG00zMZ
Lou Skunt
December 11th, 2012
10:30 pm
No doubt Murph belongs. Look at Joe Morgan. The only thing he has on Murph is he played on good teams. A .268 lifetime average with 268 home runs yet they rolled out the red carpet for him. Unbelievable.
Mike
December 11th, 2012
10:36 pm
Murph deserves to be in the HOF but because he played on the lowly Braves teams when he won those awards the writers and players will not vote for him. I think he should be in just because he won those awards while playing on a cellar team like the braves.
Powder Blue
December 11th, 2012
10:42 pm
Bill Mazeroski, in the Hall of Fame:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mazerbi01.shtml
Powder Blue
December 11th, 2012
10:43 pm
Ron Santo, in the Hall of Fame:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santoro01.shtml
Pella
December 11th, 2012
10:51 pm
No.
Boo Boo
December 11th, 2012
11:39 pm
Murph is a Braves HOFer, but not one for all baseball. When he came up he was a catcher that threw the ball into centerfield on steal attempts. He was so bad catching, but so good hitting, they moved him to first base. He was a bad first baseman also. He moved to centerfield and became an All-Star. He could have been in the Cooper’s Town IF he had played 15 years in the position in which he excelled. In addition, he retired at 299 HRs, after playing in Colorado, where popouts become home runs. He also suffered from the same disease that got Andruw Jones late in his career in Atlanta. Neither could keep from swinging and striking out on bad curve, way outside and in the dirt. Murph is a good man and a good ex-baseball major leaguer. Looks like he stands a better chance of being 100% elected into the Murphy family Hall of Fame. For as many kids as he has, that’s the best award he can get.
LawDawg 2002
December 11th, 2012
11:43 pm
Without knowing what will happen with Bonds, this travesty will make Murphy the only back-to-back MVP not in the HOF
Mike A
December 11th, 2012
11:46 pm
Santo was a substantially better player than Murphy (67 WAR to 43), and Joe Morgan (97 WAR) was one of the best players ever.
Mazeroski was simply a bad selection. You can’t compare current eligible players with bottom of the barrel HoFers like Maz (and to a lesser extent, Jim Rice). I mean, I could argue that Brian Jordan and Reggie Sanders deserve to be in because Maz is in, but that’s kinda silly. You put every player better than Maz in, and you’d have a thousand player Hall.
The character argument is a tricky one, and very subjective. I mean, is Murphy that much better a guy than, say, Alan Trammell? Should he get more credit than Trammell? Why? And do we really know? Sportswriters told me for years Kirby Puckett was a great guy. He was not. We’re better off leaving the character aspect as a minor part of the criteria, and going mostly with the stats instead.
I cannot my love for Murph cloud objective judgment. Bottom line is Murphy was a great player, but unfortunately fell short of a Hall of Fame career. That said, I think he’ll be a VC selection someday.
Oh, LawDawg, Roger Maris is a back-to-back MVP not in the Hall. In many ways, he’s similar to Dale.
Boo Boo
December 11th, 2012
11:48 pm
ooops. 398 HRs I meant.
Rob
December 12th, 2012
7:06 am
I absolutely agree Jeff. He should be in as he represented the game they way it’s supposed to be played. He was always my favorite.
Big Dawg
December 12th, 2012
7:10 am
Each year I am shocked when Mr. Murphy is passed up. He deserves the nomination and induction into the Hall Of Fame!!!!!
Reality
December 12th, 2012
7:12 am
This is so cute that there are not one but two AJC articles about a Braves historical artifact that should be enshrined. HOF, yippee! How does that enhance his achievements? Braves fans already know and appreciate Murphy, nobody else really cares. In the meantime while the Brave reminisce, Cleveland and Cincinnati just traded a current player (choo-choo?) for a couple of mediocre players. I would think the current Braves could have gotten that deal done and improved the CURRENT team to relevance.
SuperB
December 12th, 2012
7:19 am
I like Dale Murphy– but he does NOT belong in the Hall of Fame. The Hall should not lower it’s standards to induct marginally deserving players. The talent level in MLB has subsided tremendously in the last 40 years. Admittance should not be lowered just to put in players every year.
Call It Like It Is
December 12th, 2012
7:23 am
@Murphy, who cares brother. You played the game and you played it well. No arrests, no shame, you represented yourself and the Braves with great pride. If you don’t get in does it mean anything, no. All of these so called hall of fames are a joke anyway. Heck just look at the rock and roll hall of fame, took them 30 years to put in Rush, and that only happen because the fans were allowed to vote. The people that matter the Atlanta fans know who you are and what you did for us.
Thomas Brown
December 12th, 2012
8:09 am
So, we are supposed to vote for him because he refused to take steroids before they became commonplace, watching his batting average drop for his last 6 of only 18 years in the Major Leagues to
.226 Atlanta
.228 Atlanta
.245 Philadelphia and Atlanta
.252 Philadelphia
.161 Philadelphia
.143 Colorado
He was a fine defensive center fielder with speed, and a good Mormon who won MVP twice, and did absolutely NOTHING, as ALL Atlanta Braves in the
POST SEASON.
In fact, you could say that Dale Murphy is the quintessential
ATLANTA LOSERVILLE POST-SEASON PLAYER ALL-TIME.
For this, we are to make him Hall of Fame either ?
Then, why not Roger Maris for hitting his home runs into the short seats in Detroit’s left field, Boston’s left field short fence, and New York’s infinitesimally small short left field fence too ? I was a Yankees fan during those years, and Roger Maris was not a favorite of the New York team and was NEVER considered an equal to Mickey Mantle who later would drink himself into oblivion out on I-20 East.
Let’s be realistic here, ok Jeff ?
What are you asking for without pointing out any of this ?
Nice guy ?
Good Church-goer ?
Non-Steroid user, before the Steroid years ?
Defensive Player with speed ?
For these, you lobby for his inclusion 19 years after he last played and nearly 25 years since he last played here, and when he did, he did not only NOTHING EVER in the post-season, but had declining skills long before then too even here.
A career .265 hitter who hit 398 home runs and 161 stolen bases, played wonderful defense, and only played 18 years. He should have played another 10 years, only he was non-competitive for the last 6 as it was.
12-year Career in Baseball does not put you in the Hall of Fame.
Just as hitting 61 home runs in one season, did not for Roger Maris, when back in those days here, we had the Atlanta Crackers winning post-season games – I know, I was here for all this every night at the games.
Thomas Brown
December 12th, 2012
8:26 am
296 feet to right field fence Yankee Stadium, 302 feet to right field fence Boston Fenway Park and 325 Tiger Stadium Detroit, to name just 3 short porches all which I saw as a kid going to those stadiums. I actually remember them being even shorter than that in right field.
Whiskey Breath
December 12th, 2012
8:32 am
Jeff, we could have probably used this article years ago. Shame on the entire media. Murph deserved the vote and the promotion by you media types years ago. One of his problems is the Hall doesn’t think a Brave is worthy. Basically, we haven’t won enough.
DIT
December 12th, 2012
8:38 am
I know this might ruffle some feathers out there, however as much as I respect Dale Murphy as a person AND as a ball player, he lacks the credentials to be in the H.O.F. The Hall is about an entire career. Murphy entire career was not this calibur. The middle of his carrer he played well and had about 3 to 4 years worth of H.O.F. credentials.
The get in the Hall it’s all about consistancy. Sorry Murph, great man, but just not good enough for the Hall!
Mister Frisky
December 12th, 2012
9:57 am
The fact that it has gotten to this point proves Dale Murphy does not belong in the HOF.Great Brave,great man but a severe drop off the last few years.Im more concerned about LF this year,not CF twenty five years ago.
Infield Fly
December 12th, 2012
10:00 am
If Murphy had played for the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox or Cubs, he would’ve gone in first ballot, no questions asked.
Flo-Ri-Duh
December 12th, 2012
10:46 am
If Murphy had been on a decent team he would have hit for a higher average…… mostly he had worn out over the hill guys that USED to be good batting behind him. Unfortunately there is no stat or consideration given for being a good citizen free from drugs. Had he been in NY or LA he would have gotten more votes and if the Braves had be relevant at that time he would be in. To bad.
Sanjeev
December 12th, 2012
10:50 am
Murph wont’ come close to getting in, and I don’t think the Veterans committee will vote him in either. The problem was the last few years of his career. Didn’t he hit sub .200 at Coors Field and have almost no HR’s?
BMChristianCoonservative
December 12th, 2012
11:00 am
Couldn’t get pass the cheapie at Chuck Colson, someone who made his share of mistakes and yet ended up doing more good for society than 99% of us.Guess when the oppurtunity comes for Jeff to take shots at openly Christian people, Jeff will surely take them! Sad to say it kept me from reading the rest of the story of another fine human being!
don
December 12th, 2012
11:06 am
I love Murphy. You love Murphy. Everyone loves Murphy. This country desperately needs more people like Murphy.
Murphy is worthy of many accolades. However, Murphy is not worthy of election into the Hall. His numbers don’t measure up. The Hall has too many mediocre members. It needs less, not more.
Hey Jeff Schultz
December 12th, 2012
11:09 am
How’s that crow tasting d-bag?????
“The players suspensions have been vacated”
- Paul Tagliabu
sam
December 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
If some players with otherwise acceptable credentials aren’t voted in to the Hall of Fame because of character issues, why shouldn’t a player with outstanding character get voted in even if his credentials are borderline? Seems it should work both ways, and Murph belongs in the Hall.
Thomas Brown
December 12th, 2012
12:57 pm
Dale Murphy was never the same after playing catcher, which is hard on anyone. 12 year career of good stats and 6 years of really bad stats.
philip
December 12th, 2012
1:59 pm
It’s sad that baseball players have to depend on baseball writers to elect them into the HOF. They probably have never strapped on a pair of cleats or caught a line drive, but they know enough to keep a decent player out. I think that the players should elect who goes into the HOF. They know what it takes to be able to compile the numbers required.
Carl
December 12th, 2012
3:27 pm
When will he be eligible from a veterans committee perspective?
Sparks
December 12th, 2012
4:46 pm
Murphy represents all the good things I imagined about baseball when I was a kid back in the 50’s. He played hard, played well and represented his team with the highest level of integrity, and never waivered from that after he retired. That’s a baseball hero to me, maybe the the rest is just business.
Bone
December 12th, 2012
6:48 pm
Where were all of these writers the last 14 years screaming that Murph should be in the HOF? Always the last minute for folks in this town to respond.
DawgDad
December 12th, 2012
7:04 pm
I didn’t live in Atlanta during Murphy’s career but he belongs in the Hall and I would vote for him.
Pete Rose does NOT belong in the Hall.
What will ever be done about players in the Hall who are discovered to have cheated in a material performance-enhancing manner? I mean, I have serious reservations about whether or not Gaylord Perry belongs, but he is in. What if it becomes apparent someone in the Hall was doing PEDs (or isn’t it already)?
Vermont 39
December 12th, 2012
7:22 pm
He could have easily won 3 MVPs
Andre Dawson did NOT have a better MVP year than Murphy when he won the award!!!
Big Al
December 12th, 2012
8:29 pm
If Murphy is never inducted into the HOF, then the sport of baseball will no longer deserve to be called, “the Great American Pasttime,” anymore!
Vince
December 12th, 2012
8:40 pm
Dale Murphy doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. He was a very good player throughout his career and great for a few seasons, but his numbers simply don’t stack up. And I’m not talking about to Bonds, Sosa, etc, but to the peers of his era. He just wasn’t good enough, long enough. I wish he was, b/c he’s a great guy, but I wouldn’t vote for him. The HOF is about stats, not whether or not you’re a great guy.
JSS
December 12th, 2012
9:38 pm
@ Thomas Brown…
Did you mean “right field” in Tiger Stadium? By the way, he hit only 10 home runs there in his prime years for power at that stadium… In 61, he only hit 5 homers there…
DC Brave
December 12th, 2012
10:04 pm
When I was about six, my dad and I were walking down the street in downtown Atlanta. My dad-who wasnt a huge baseball fan–grabbed my arm in mid-stride, pulled me aside and pointed at this mountain of a man standing on the sidewalk: “That’s George Foster,” he said. “He hit 50 home runs last year.” That was the summer of 1978.
Foster was the only player to hit 50 home runs from 1965 (Willie Mays) to 1990 (Cecil Fielder). A lot of very good hitters played in that quarter century, many who made the Hall.
In 1996, Brady Anderson hit 50 home runs — BRADY ANDERSON! It should have been obvious then that a distorting disease had infected Major League Baseball, basically destroying the rough constancy that had linked generations from the late 1920s to the mid 1990s. From 1928 to 1997 only one player hit 60 home runs. In 1998, two players beat 60 home runs by 10% and 17% respectively. Absurd. The MLB HR leaders in 1982 and 1983–Murphy’s MVP seasons–had 39 and 40 home runs. Even in the juiced ball year of 1987, the MLB leader only had 49 — Murphy had 44, by the way, on a team that lost 92 games.
It is impossible to legitimately compare the statistics of players who played before 1995 and those that played after. Therefore, players like Dale Murphy –whose cases for the Hall are admittedly not iron clad — can only be appropriately judged by how they fared relative to their contemporaries.
Murphy’s case has some holes — low batting average, massive drop off after 1987 — but the suggestion that Murphy was “never the best” is absurd. He was actually DEFINITIVELY the best player in the NL in 1982 and 1983 (one of only 10 players ever to win back to back MVPs in either league). Indeed, there is a VERY legitimate argument that Dale Murphy was the best player of the entire decade. He was second in MLB in home runs during the 1980s (five behind Mike Schmidt and about 30 ahead of Eddie Murray) and tied with Mike Schmidt for second in RBIs (behind Eddie Murray). He also won five gold gloves while playing most of his career on terrible Braves teams.
Five players dominated the decade: Mike Schmidt, Eddie Murray, George Brett, Andre Dawson and Dale Murphy. Four of those guys are in and Murphy can barely scrape together 15% of the vote. Its ridiculous.
The guy was absolutely the most feared hitter from 1981 through 1987. Its not Hank Aaron type longevity, but its not bad either. That he was an incredible class act and carried a pathetic franchise from 1984 to August of 1990–seasons Gerald Perry said would have been a good years to “paint the seats” should work in his favor.
He belongs. Vote him in.
DC Brave
December 12th, 2012
10:11 pm
Vince,
You are dead wrong that he doesnt stack up to his peers.
Dale Murphy hit 308 home runs in the decade of the 1980s, second only to Mike Schmidt (who hit 313) and about 30 ahead of Eddie Murray.
Dale Murphy had 929 RsBI in the decade of the 1980s, tied with Mike Schmidt for second behind only Eddie Murray.
Dale Murphy won five gold gloves.
Dale Murphy is only one of 10 players in the history of the game to win back-to-back MVPs.
Four players dominated the decade: Murray, Schmidt, Dawson and Murphy. All are in, but Murphy, who cant manage more than 15% of the vote. That is absurd.
His case has holes–the apex of his career was only about 7 seasons, his batting average was low (.270, I think) and his drop off after 1987 was dramatic and sustained–but one of those holes is NOT that he doesnt stand up well against his peers. No player was more dominant over the course of the decade than was Dale Murphy.
John
December 13th, 2012
8:50 am
Most people posting here have the right idea. He doesn’t deserve to be in the HOF just because he was a “nice” guy. With regards to the “cheaters” with steroids that they are not voting in, don’t people realize that the HOF already has cheaters in the HOF???
JCL
December 13th, 2012
10:01 am
Murphy is right where his numbers suggest he should be. He has borderline numbers that don’t present an overwhelming case for getting into the hall. There are players with similar numbers who got in & players with similar numbers who got left out.
In all categories not related to the numbers Murph is a shoe in. He was a great ambassador & played the game the right way. He was a 5 tool player not just a big bomber. He was respected by fans & peers alike. These are not the only reasons one should get in but it is called the hall of “Fame” & he was a big star in the game & was good for the reputation of the game. That should mean something.
In areas related to numbers he’s borderline because his 8 years of dominance are clouded by the mediocre years. Again, borderline. He won’t get in this year but I think the veterans committee will put him in which, with all due respect to Mr Shultz & other writers, should be more meaningful. If the other HOF players think he deserves to be in then he will be…..I’m betting he gets in.
nc82
December 13th, 2012
11:12 am
Is it me or am I the only one that thinks that Dale Murphy shouldn’t be in the HOF?
Sparks
December 13th, 2012
11:15 am
So, the HOF is just all about stats…and character doesn’t matter. If that’s the case Pete Rose should already be in.
Skeptic
December 13th, 2012
12:10 pm
I’m late to the party, so someone may have already said this–Braves sucked during that time, and no one regards individual achievement anymore. The first thing they look at now is–man, his unis sure looked cheesy, and, let’s check out his tweets and facebook.
Shouldn't have done all that acid in the 70's
December 13th, 2012
3:49 pm
Skillett: Have you been in touch with Lindsay Lohan yet? I hear she’s connected.
Last white guy in Stone Mountain
December 13th, 2012
3:54 pm
Murph, I know what it’s like on the outside looking in. All I have to do is open my front door. Here’s some advice with the caveat that I’d sure as heck vote for you. Learn how to drink Bud Ice, smoke Kools and get on with life. You have accomplished much much more than 99 percent of the morons presently leaving carbon footprints on our fair planet. BTW: You son still in the NFL?
oldfart
December 13th, 2012
5:02 pm
For those that say it is all about the numbers you have to balance out how some of them achieved those numbers. No one that has dishonored the game by cheating should be allowed into the Hall. Period. Murphy’s only real damage to a stellar career was trying to hang on after he had clearly peaked but many other athletes have been guilty of trying to hang on too long. I’m not saying the Hall should just be reserved for choirboys because the Lord knows Ruth and Cobb were not but they didn’t cheat the game and neither did Murph.
For love of the game I would like for the Hall to treat the steroid boys just like Kenesaw Mountain Landis treated the Black Sox boys but this oldfart knows that won’t happen. Baseball should at least have the gumption to run Bud Selig out on a rail for allowing the game to be run into the ground.
DC in Gvegas
December 13th, 2012
8:19 pm
Murph played his butt off…..in a 14 year stretch he played at least 151 games in 12 of those years, at one point playing in 740 straight. How many of today overpaid softies could put up numbers like these? HOFer Dale Murphy
Hoyal
December 14th, 2012
1:05 am
Dale Murphy carried the Braves during his tenure there. He had no protection from the batters hitting in front of him and only briefly with Horner behind him. Someone commented that Pete Rose was a lowlife. Just because he had a gambling problem doesn’t make him a lowlife. They both belong in the HOF because of their playing ability. There are plenty oput ‘em in!f players in the HOF that have less character and less athletic ability than these two guys. I say
John
December 14th, 2012
7:50 am
hey schultz, why don’t you opine about the idiot black guy on espn who said those vitriolic things against rgIII? Funny you’re so silent. His words were disgusting and worthy of every paper in this country to condemn it. Sadly, you always bash conservatives but never attack leftist racist b s like this.