Danny Murtaugh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danny Murtaugh
Second baseman / Manager
Born: (1917-10-08)October 8, 1917 Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: December 2, 1976(1976-12-02) (aged 59) Upland, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
July 3, 1941, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last appearance
September 6, 1951, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.254
Home runs	8
Runs batted in	219
Managerial record	1,115–950
Winning %	.540
Teams
As player Philadelphia Phillies (1941–1943, 1946) Boston Braves (1947) Pittsburgh Pirates (1948–1951) As manager Pittsburgh Pirates (1957–1964, 1967, 1970–1971, 1973–1976) As coach Pittsburgh Pirates (1956–1957)
Career highlights and awards
2× World Series champion (1960, 1971) NL stolen base leader (1941) Pittsburgh Pirates No. 40 retired Pirates Hall of Fame

Danny Murtaugh (born October 8, 1917 – died December 2, 1976) was an important person in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a second baseman (a player who covers second base), a manager (the team's head coach), and a coach. Danny Murtaugh is most famous for spending 29 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He led the Pirates to win two World Series championships as their manager, in 1960 and 1971. He also played 416 games as a second baseman for the Pirates.

Danny Murtaugh's Baseball Journey

As a Player

Danny Murtaugh played in the big leagues for nine seasons. He started with the Philadelphia Phillies (1941–43, 1946) and the Boston Braves (1947). Then, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates (1948–51). He was a right-handed batter and thrower. He stood 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 165 pounds.

Murtaugh's 1949 baseball card

Danny was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. After high school, he worked with his dad at a shipbuilding company. But he loved baseball so much that he took a pay cut to start his professional career at age 19 in 1937. He first played for a minor league team called the Cambridge Cardinals.

In June 1941, the Phillies bought his contract. He made his MLB debut on July 3, 1941. The next day, he became the Phillies' regular second baseman. As a rookie (a first-year player), Murtaugh led the National League in stolen bases with 18. This was impressive because he only played 85 games that season.

He played 257 games in 1942 and 1943. In August 1943, he joined the United States Army to serve in World War II. He chose to serve in combat in Germany instead of playing baseball in the U.S.

When he returned to baseball in 1946, he played a few games for the Phillies. He then played well in the minor leagues. In November 1946, he was traded to the Pirates. This was a big moment for his career.

His best season as a player was in 1948 with the Pirates. He hit for a .290 average. He also had career highs in hits (149) and runs batted in (71). Overall, Danny Murtaugh had a .254 career batting average. He had 661 hits, 8 home runs, and 219 RBIs in 767 games.

Leading the Team as Manager

After he stopped playing, Murtaugh became a manager for minor league teams. In 1956, he returned to the Pirates as a coach. On August 4, 1957, he became the Pirates' manager. The team was not doing well, but under Murtaugh, they started to improve.

In his first full season, 1958, Murtaugh led the Pirates to a surprising second-place finish. He managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for parts of fifteen seasons over four different periods (1957–64, 1967, 1970–71, 1973–76).

Winning the World Series in 1960

In 1960, Murtaugh led the Pirates to their first World Series championship under his leadership. They won the National League pennant (the league championship) by seven games. Then, they faced the powerful New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. The Pirates won in a thrilling Game 7. Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run (a home run that ends the game) in the ninth inning. Even though the Yankees scored many more runs overall, the Pirates won the close games and took home the trophy!

Murtaugh, around 1964

After 1960, the Pirates had some tougher seasons. In 1964, Murtaugh stepped down as manager. He had some health issues. He then worked in the Pirates' front office, helping to find new players. In 1967, he returned as a temporary manager for part of the season.

The Historic 1971 Season

Murtaugh returned as manager for his third time on October 9, 1969. He led the Pirates to win the National League East Division titles in 1970 and 1971. In 1970, they lost in the playoffs. But the 1971 Pirates bounced back.

On September 1, 1971, Murtaugh made history. He was the first manager in MLB to have a starting lineup with nine black players. This included both African American and Afro-Latin American players. The Pirates won that game 10–7. The next month, they won the National League Championship Series. Then, they won the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. The Pirates came back from being down two games to none. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was amazing in that series, hitting .414.

After winning the World Series in 1971, Murtaugh resigned again due to health concerns. He went back to the front office. However, he did manage the National League team in the 1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

In 1973, the Pirates were struggling. Murtaugh was asked to return as manager for a fourth time. He stayed until the 1976 season. He led the Pirates to win NL East titles in 1974 and 1975. After the 1976 season, Murtaugh announced his retirement.

His Last Years and Legacy

Danny Murtaugh became very ill shortly after retiring. He passed away on December 2, 1976, in Upland, Pennsylvania. Many people from the Pirates organization attended his funeral. This included famous players like Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente's teammate Manny Sanguillen.

To honor him, the Pirates retired his number 40 jersey on April 7, 1977. This means no other Pirates player will ever wear that number.

Murtaugh won "The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award" twice (1960 and 1971). He had a great record of 1,115 wins and 950 losses. This is the second-best record in Pirates history. He won two World Series and four division titles. No Pirates manager has won more division titles since he passed away. In his twelve full seasons as manager, the Pirates had a winning record nine times. He also led the Pirates to the postseason five times, which is the most by any manager in team history.

Danny's Managerial Record

Amazing Achievements

Danny Murtaugh's number 40 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977.

• Led the National League in stolen bases (1941).
• Was a top second baseman in 1948 for putouts, assists, and double plays.
• Finished 9th in the voting for the National League MVP in 1948.
• Named "Man of the Year" by Sport magazine in 1960.
• Won The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award twice (1960, 1970).
• Won the Dapper Dan Award three times (1958, 1970, 1971).
• Is one of only 65 managers in MLB history to win 1,000 or more games.
• He is also one of only twelve managers to win 1,000 games without losing 1,000 games.

Learn More

• List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
• List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
• List of Major League Baseball managers by wins
• Tim Murtaugh