Eddie Murray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eddie Murray |
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Murray in 2017
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| First baseman / Designated hitter | |||
| Born: February 24, 1956 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 7, 1977, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 20, 1997, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .287 | ||
| Hits | 3,255 | ||
| Home runs | 504 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,917 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2003 | ||
| Vote | 85.3% (first ballot) | ||
Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), known as "Steady Eddie", is a famous American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and coach. He played as a first baseman and designated hitter. Eddie spent most of his amazing career with the Baltimore Orioles. He is one of only seven players in MLB history to have both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs!
Eddie Murray was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. This was his very first year of being eligible. Many experts consider him one of the best first basemen ever. He was even ranked 77th on the list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players by The Sporting News in 1998.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Eddie Murray grew up in Los Angeles, California. He was the eighth of twelve children. He often joked that he never had to go far to find a baseball game. His older brothers made sure the games were always competitive!
Eddie played Little League Baseball under a coach named Clifford Prelow. Prelow was a former minor league player for the Dodgers. Eddie thanked Prelow in his Hall of Fame speech. He said Prelow taught him to love the game. Eddie went to Locke High School in Los Angeles. He was a great player there, hitting .500 in his senior year.
Playing Career Highlights
Eddie Murray had a long and successful career in Major League Baseball. He played for several teams, but is best known for his time with the Baltimore Orioles.
Starting Strong with the Baltimore Orioles (1977–1988)
The Baltimore Orioles picked Eddie Murray in the 1973 amateur draft. He played well in the minor leagues before joining the big leagues. Eddie made his MLB debut on April 7, 1977. In his first season, he played in 160 games. He hit 27 home runs and had 88 RBIs. He also had 173 hits. This great start earned him the American League Rookie of the Year award.
The next year, Eddie played in 161 games. He improved his stats and was chosen for his first All-Star Game. In 1979, he helped the Orioles reach the 1979 World Series. They beat the California Angels in the playoffs. Even though the Orioles lost the World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Eddie showed he was a strong player.
From 1977 to 1988, Eddie was a consistent star for the Orioles. He usually hit around 28 home runs and had 99 RBIs each year. This made him a top candidate for the MVP award. He finished second in MVP voting twice. Eddie was also good friends with fellow Oriole Cal Ripken Jr.. Ripken has said that Eddie taught him how to work hard.
In 1980, Eddie hit .300 for the first time in his career. He had 116 RBIs and 32 home runs. In 1981, he led the American League in RBIs and tied for the lead in home runs. He also won his first Gold Glove Award in 1982. This award is given to the best defensive players.
Winning the World Series in 1983
The 1983 season was a fantastic year for Eddie. He hit 33 home runs, which was a career high. He also had 111 RBIs. He won his second Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger Award. This award is for the best offensive players at each position. Eddie finished second in MVP voting to his teammate, Cal Ripken Jr.
The Orioles made it to the 1983 World Series. Eddie hit well in the playoffs, helping his team win. In the World Series, the Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. This was Eddie's only World Series championship.
Consistent Performance (1984-1988)
Eddie continued to play at a high level. In 1984, he played in all 162 games of the season. He hit .306 and had 110 RBIs. He also won his third straight Gold Glove and second straight Silver Slugger Award. He was an All-Star for five years in a row, from 1981 to 1985. Eddie was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 1988.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1989–1991)
Eddie joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1989. In 1990, he had a great season, hitting .330 with 95 RBIs and 26 home runs. He won his third and final Silver Slugger Award that year. He was very close to winning the National League batting title. Eddie left the Dodgers as a free agent in 1991.
Time with the New York Mets (1992–1993)
In 1992, Eddie signed with the New York Mets. On May 3, he hit his 400th career home run. In 1993, he had 100 RBIs, which was his first time reaching that mark since 1985. He also hit 27 home runs. After two seasons, Eddie became a free agent again.
Joining the Cleveland Indians (1994–1996)
Eddie signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1993. In 1995, he reached a huge milestone. On June 30, he got his 3,000th career hit! This made him one of the few players in baseball history to reach this amazing achievement.
The Indians made it to the 1995 World Series that year. Eddie played well in the playoffs, hitting a key home run in Game 2 of the World Series. However, the Indians lost the series to the Atlanta Braves. In July 1996, Eddie was traded back to the Baltimore Orioles.
Final Seasons (1996–1997)
Back with the Orioles, Eddie made history again. On September 6, 1996, he hit his 500th career home run! This was a special moment because it happened exactly one year after Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive games played.
With 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, Eddie joined an exclusive club. At the time, only Willie Mays and Hank Aaron had reached both milestones. Later, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera also joined this group.
Eddie played his final season in 1997. He played for the Anaheim Angels and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired after the 1997 season with 504 career home runs. He was also known for hitting home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game 11 times.
Coaching Career
After playing for 21 seasons, Eddie Murray became a coach. He started with the Baltimore Orioles. He was their bench coach in 1998 and 1999, and then their first-base coach until 2001.
From 2002 to 2005, Eddie was the hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians. He was still coaching for the Indians when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 2006, he became the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He left that role in 2007.
Beyond Baseball
Eddie Murray has also done good things outside of baseball. In the 1980s, he made a donation to the Baltimore City Parks and Recreation Department. This led to the creation of the Carrie Murray Nature Center. It was named after Eddie's mother.
In 2008, Eddie released a special charity wine called "Eddie Murray 504 Cabernet." The "504" was a nod to his 504 career home runs. All the money he made from the wine was donated to the Baltimore Community Foundation.
Legacy and Honors
Eddie Murray is remembered as one of baseball's all-time greats.
In 1998, he was ranked number 77 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. He was also considered for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
On July 27, 2003, Eddie Murray was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside Gary Carter. More than 30,000 people came to hear his speech. Eddie talked about how hard it was to reach the Hall of Fame. He said that baseball was always about the team, not just one person. He thanked the fans and pointed to the kids in the crowd. He told them that one day, they could be there too.
Experts like Bill James have called Eddie Murray the fifth-best first baseman in major league history.
A bronze statue of Eddie Murray was put up at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 11, 2012. It shows him in his left-handed hitting stance. There's even a beer called "Steady Eddie" made by Union Craft Brewery in Baltimore, named after him!
Career Stats – Regular Season
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | TB | FLD% |
| 3,026 | 11,336 | 1,627 | 3,255 | 560 | 35 | 504 | 1,917 | 110 | 43 | 1,333 | 1,516 | .287 | .359 | .476 | 5,397 | .993 |
Amazing Accomplishments
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| Eddie Murray's number 33 was retired by the Baltimore Orioles in 1998. |
- 8-time All-Star (1978, 1981–86, 1991)
- Won the World Series in 1983
- Won AL Rookie of the Year in 1977
- Won 3 Gold Glove Awards (1982–1984)
- Won 3 Silver Slugger Awards (1983, 1984, 1990)
- Led the American League in home runs (1981)
- Led the American League in RBIs (1981)
- His number 33 was retired by the Baltimore Orioles
- Inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame
- Has the most RBIs (1,917) among all switch-hitters
- Holds the record for most sacrifice flies (128)
- Holds the record for most assists by a first baseman (1865)
- One of only seven players with both 3,000 career hits and 500 home runs
- Hit 19 grand slams (fourth all-time)
- Hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game 11 times
- Ranks fourth in hits for the Baltimore Orioles
- Ranks second in home runs for the Orioles
- Ranks fourth in games played for Baltimore
Images for kids
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Four kids from Baltimore's Northwood Baseball League at Eddie Murray's Hall of Fame induction.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Murray para niños
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- 500 home run club
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- 3,000 hit club
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
