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. Most of his career was with the Baltimore Orioles. He is one of the top players in Orioles history for games played and hits.
Even though Eddie Murray never won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, he was often one of the top players considered for it. He had more runs batted in (RBIs) than any other player in the 1980s. He also played for other MLB teams, like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians. He got his 3,000th hit with the Indians in 1995. After he stopped playing, Murray became a coach for the Orioles, Cleveland, and the Dodgers.
Murray is one of only seven players in MLB history to have both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. He was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, in his very first year of being eligible. Many experts consider him one of the best first basemen ever.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Eddie Murray was the eighth of 12 children. He often joked that he never had to go far to find a baseball game. His older brothers made sure the games were tough, and they never let him win easily!
Murray played Little League baseball. His coach, Clifford Prelow, taught him a lot about the game. Eddie thanked Prelow in his Hall of Fame speech for teaching him to love baseball. Murray went to Locke High School in Los Angeles. He was a great player there, hitting .500 in his senior year.
Playing Career Highlights
Baltimore Orioles: A Strong Start (1977–1988)
Eddie Murray played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1977 to 1988. During this time, he hit about 28 home runs and had 99 RBIs each year. This made him a top candidate for the MVP award often. He finished second in the MVP voting twice.
The Baltimore Orioles picked Murray in the 1973 amateur draft. He played well in the minor leagues before joining the majors. He played his first MLB game on April 7, 1977. In his first season, he played in 160 games. He hit .283 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award that year.
In 1978, Murray was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He played in 161 games and improved his hitting, with 27 home runs and 95 RBIs. In 1979, he hit .295 with 25 home runs and 99 RBIs. He helped the Orioles reach the 1979 World Series, but they lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1980, Murray hit .300 for the first time in his career. He had 32 home runs and 116 RBIs. He even returned to play after a serious injury where a batted ball hit him in the eye.
All-Star Years and World Series Win (1981–1986)
In 1981, even though the season was shorter due to a player's strike, Murray led the American League with 78 RBIs and tied for the lead with 22 home runs. He was an All-Star again.
In 1982, Murray had a great season, hitting .316 with 32 home runs and 110 RBIs. He won his first Gold Glove Award for his excellent fielding. He finished second in MVP voting, his highest finish ever.
The 1983 season was special for Murray and the Orioles. He hit a career-high 33 home runs and had 111 RBIs. He won his second Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger Award for his hitting. The Orioles won the 1983 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Murray hit two home runs in the final game, helping his team win the championship. This was his only World Series win.
In 1984, Murray played in all 162 games, which was the only time in his career he did that. He continued to win awards, including his third straight Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger. He was an All-Star for the fourth year in a row. He continued to play well for the Orioles until 1988.
Moving to Los Angeles and New York (1989–1993)
In 1988, Murray was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1990, he had a fantastic year, hitting .330 with 26 home runs and 95 RBIs. He won his third and final Silver Slugger Award. He was the best hitter in all of Major League Baseball that year, even though he didn't win his league's batting title. He was an All-Star again in 1991.
In 1992, Murray signed with the New York Mets. On May 3, 1992, he hit his 400th career home run. In 1993, he had 100 RBIs, which was his first time reaching that mark since 1985.
Cleveland Indians and Milestones (1994–1996)
Murray joined the Cleveland Indians in 1994. On June 30, 1995, he reached a huge milestone: his 3,000th career hit! This made him one of the few players in baseball history to achieve this.
In 1995, Murray helped the Indians reach the 1995 World Series. He hit a game-winning single in Game 3 of the series. Even though the Indians lost the World Series, Murray showed he was still a clutch player.
Final Seasons and Historic Achievements (1996–1997)
In 1996, Murray was traded back to the Baltimore Orioles. On September 6, 1996, he hit his 500th career home run. This was a truly historic moment! He became only the third player ever to have both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, joining baseball legends Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
Murray played his last MLB home run with the Anaheim Angels in 1997. He retired after the 1997 season with 504 home runs. He is one of the greatest switch-hitters (meaning he could hit from both the left and right sides of the plate) in baseball history.
Coaching Career
After playing for 21 seasons, Eddie Murray became a baseball coach.
- He coached for the Baltimore Orioles from 1998 to 2001.
- He was the hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2002 to 2005.
- He also coached for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 and 2007.
Outside Baseball
In the 1980s, Eddie Murray made a generous donation to the Baltimore City Parks and Recreation Department. This led to the creation of the Carrie Murray Nature Center, which was named after his mother. In 2008, Murray released a special charity wine called "Eddie Murray 504 Cabernet." All the money he made from the wine went to the Baltimore Community Foundation, helping his community.
Legacy and Honors
In 1998, Eddie Murray was ranked number 77 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players.
On July 27, 2003, Eddie Murray was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. More than 30,000 people came to see him. He talked about how hard it was to reach the Hall of Fame and how important teamwork was to him. He thanked the fans and pointed to many young baseball players in the crowd, telling them that one day they could be there too.
A bronze statue of Eddie Murray hitting left-handed was unveiled at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on August 11, 2012. There's even a beer named "Steady Eddie" by Union Craft Brewery in Baltimore, honoring 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 |
Major 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)
- World Series champion (1983)
- AL Rookie of the Year (1977)
- 3-time Gold Glove Award winner (1982–1984)
- 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1983, 1984, 1990)
- Led the American League in home runs (1981)
- Led the American League in RBIs (1981)
- Has the most RBIs (1,917) among all switch-hitters in history.
- Has the most career sacrifice flies (128) in MLB history.
- One of only seven players to have both 3,000 career hits and 500 home runs. The others are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Rafael Palmeiro, and Miguel Cabrera.
- Ranks fourth all-time with 19 grand slams.
- Hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game 11 times.
- His number 33 is retired by the Baltimore Orioles.
- Inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Murray para niños
- 500 home run club
- 3,000-hit club
- List of MLB career home run leaders
- List of MLB career hits leaders
- List of MLB career runs batted in leaders
