Dwayne Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwayne Murphy |
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Murphy as Blue Jays first base coach, 2009.
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: March 18, 1955 Merced, California, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: April 8, 1978, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| NPB: April 7, 1990, for the Yakult Swallows | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 1, 1989, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| NPB: May 24, 1990, for the Yakult Swallows | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .246 | ||
| Home runs | 166 | ||
| Runs batted in | 609 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .229 | ||
| Home runs | 5 | ||
| Runs batted in | 22 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dwayne Keith Murphy (born March 18, 1955) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He spent most of his career playing as an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Dwayne Murphy was known for his amazing defense in the outfield. He won six Gold Gloves in a row from 1980 to 1985. He often batted second in the lineup for the Athletics, right after baseball legend Rickey Henderson. After his playing days, Murphy became a coach for several teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays. He is currently a coach for the Texas Rangers.
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Dwayne Murphy's Baseball Journey
Playing Baseball
Starting with the Oakland Athletics (1978–1987)
Dwayne Murphy was born in Merced, California. He was picked by the Oakland Athletics in the 1973 draft. He joined the major leagues in 1978 when he was 23 years old. Most of his playing career was with the Athletics.
In his first year, Murphy played in 60 games. He worked hard to improve his hitting and became the team's everyday center fielder. In the early 1980s, the Athletics had a very strong outfield with Murphy, Rickey Henderson, and Tony Armas. Many people thought they were the best young outfield in baseball.
The Athletics made it to the playoffs in 1981. They played against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Murphy played well in those playoffs, hitting .421 with one home run. His best year for hitting was 1984. That season, he hit .256, blasted 33 home runs, and brought in 88 runs (RBI). Murphy was also good at getting walks, which helped him get on base often. He was fast too, stealing 26 bases in both 1980 and 1982.
Murphy was one of the best defensive players in baseball. He won an amazing six straight Gold Gloves from 1980 to 1985. A funny thing about his playing was that his hat would often fly off his head when he ran to catch a ball!
He usually batted second for the A's, right after Rickey Henderson. Henderson gave Murphy credit for helping him set a record of 130 stolen bases in 1982. Henderson once said, "If I could break this base in half, I'd give the other half to Dwayne Murphy." Murphy also said that Henderson helped his career. He would take pitches, allowing Henderson to steal bases, which then put Murphy in a good spot to hit him in.
During his nine years with the Athletics, Murphy played for managers Billy Martin and Tony La Russa.
Later Teams: Tigers, Phillies, and Japan
After playing for the Athletics for ten seasons, Murphy played his last two years in MLB with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies. In 1988, he played 49 games for the Tigers, hitting .250 with four home runs. In 1989, his final MLB season with the Phillies, he hit nine home runs.
In 1990, Murphy went to Japan to play for the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball. However, injuries limited his playing time, and he left the team in August.
Coaching After Playing
After his playing career, Dwayne Murphy became a baseball coach. He coached for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998 to 2003. In 2001, he was the hitting coach when the Diamondbacks won the World Series.
In 2005, the Toronto Blue Jays hired him as a hitting coach. He first worked with their minor league team, the Syracuse SkyChiefs. Later, he became a "roving" instructor, visiting all the Blue Jays' minor league teams to help players with their hitting.
On June 20, 2008, Murphy became the Blue Jays' first base coach. Blue Jays' outfielder Adam Lind said that Murphy helped him stay relaxed and have fun. Lind said, "He talks about how good he was, and I tell him how bad he is. Yeah, he had a good career. At least that's what he keeps telling me."
On October 30, 2009, Murphy became the Blue Jays' hitting coach. He and manager Cito Gaston were praised for helping José Bautista become a superstar by changing his batting swing. In 2012, Murphy was named the Blue Jays' first base coach and outfield coach again.
Murphy announced he was retiring after the 2013 season. But on January 13, 2015, he was hired by the Texas Rangers. He now works as their minor league assistant hitting coach and outfield coordinator.
Off the Field
Dwayne Murphy enjoys playing the bass guitar. He even helped fund MC Hammer's first music label, "Bust It Records," and his first album, Feel My Power.
His brother, Rod Murphy, also played minor league baseball for several teams, including the Victoria Mussels and Modesto A’s.
