Tim Murnane

Biography

Tim Murnane was long thought to have been born in 1851 in Naugatuck, Connecticut, but later research determined he was likely born on June 4, 1850, in Ireland, arriving in the United States with his immigrant parents around 1855. Current baseball reference sources list his birthplace as Lisfornane, County Tipperary, Ireland. Not much is known about his early years. His original surname was "Murnan," as it appeared in newspapers during his playing days; the "e" was added when he started working as a newspaperman.

Playing career

Murnane began his baseball career as a catcher for the Stratford Osceolas in 1869. Some old-timers referred to the club as the Savannah Seniors, but the official name seems to have been Osceolas, since the uniforms featured a large "O" on the chest. He stayed behind the plate for two seasons with that team, then moved to center field after joining the Middletown Mansfields of Middletown, Connecticut, midway through the 1871 season. The Mansfields entered the professional National Association in 1872, which marks the start of Murnane's major league career in records that recognize the NA as a major league.

He became the Mansfields' regular first baseman, his most common position, though he only played a few full seasons as an everyday player. After the 1872 Mansfields, Murnane played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1873–74), Philadelphia White Stockings (1875), Boston Red Caps (1876–77), Providence Grays (1878)—where he was the first player signed by the new club—and finally the Boston Reds (1884), whom he also managed. Over eight major league seasons, he batted .261 with five home runs and 127 RBIs.

His playing highlights include finishing fifth in the National Association batting race with a .359 average in 1872 and leading the NA with 30 stolen bases in 1875. Providence won the championship in its second season, but by then the 27-year-old Murnane was no longer with the team or in the league. In 1879 and 1880, he played part-time for Capital City (in Albany, New York), Rochester, and Albany, before retiring to open a saloon and billiard hall in Boston.

Did You Know?

• He died of a heart attack at age 65 while attending the opera at the Schubert Theatre in Boston, about 30 minutes after writing his daily sports column for the Globe.
• A benefit game at Fenway Park on September 27, 1917, featuring Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Shoeless Joe Jackson, raised at least $13,000 for Murnane's family.