Eddie Murray

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Murray began his playing career with the Orioles in 1977 after being drafted in 1973. In his rookie season, he batted .283 in 160 games with 27 home runs and 173 hits as he was awarded the American League Rookie of the Year. The following season saw him named to the All-Star team for the first time ever as he batted .285 with 27 home runs in 161 games. Murray went to the World Series twice with the Orioles in 1979 and 1983; in the decisive Game 5 of the latter, Murray hit two home runs in the 5–0 victory for his first and only championship. In his first twelve seasons, Murray had eleven 20-HR seasons (leading the league in 1981 with 22) and topped 100 RBIs in five times in a six season span while winning two Silver Slugger Awards. A stormy relationship with the front office led to him being traded in the 1988 offseason to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played three seasons and batted .278 with them while winning his third (and final) Silver Slugger Award in 1990. He then went to the New York Mets in 1992 and served as a bright spot for teams that finished in the division cellar. He then joined the Cleveland Indians in free agency for 1994, where he would serve primarily as their designated hitter. He had 17 home runs in the strike-shortened season before belting 21 for the 1995 team that saw him collect his 3,000th career hit. In the first postseason run for the team in 41 years, Murray batted .232 with three home runs and a walk off hit in the 1995 World Series, although the team lost in six games. The following year saw him get traded to the Orioles midway through his final season of 20+ home runs, and it was with Baltimore that he collected his 500th career home run. He became a free agent after the year and played the 1997 season with the Anaheim Angels and the Dodgers, hitting three home runs in 55 total games. After his playing career, Murray coached for the Orioles, Indians and Dodgers.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Murray's Orioles career occurred during Game 5 of the 1983 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. In a decisive 5–0 victory that clinched the title, Murray hit two home runs, securing his first and only championship ring. Earlier in his career, he faced heartbreak in the 1979 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates; after going 4-for-5 with a home run in the first two games, he slid into second base in Game 2 and injured his wrist. For the remainder of that series, he went 0-for-21 with four strikeouts, ending with a bases-loaded groundout. His 1983 season saw him hit .306 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs, earning his first Silver Slugger Award and a second consecutive Gold Glove. He also led the league in home runs in 1981 with 22 during the strike-shortened season.

Reader's Guide

Murray is one of just seven MLB players to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs and one of just two switch-hitters in each club. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 in his first year of eligibility. In the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (2001), Murray is described as the fifth-best first baseman in major league history. He was 77th on the list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players by The Sporting News (1998).

Did You Know?

• Murray was the eighth child of 12 and still has nine living siblings: five sisters and four brothers.
• He played Little League baseball under coach Clifford Prelow, an ex-Dodger minor leaguer.
• Murray attended Locke High School in Los Angeles, where he batted .500 as a senior and was a teammate of Ozzie Smith.
• In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Murray thanked Prelow for teaching him not just the game of baseball, but love for the game as well.