Dale Murray
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Dale Albert Murray (born February 2, 1950) is an American former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
.


Career


Montreal Expos

He was drafted by the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
out of Blinn College in
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, in the eighteenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, and developed into one of the top relief pitchers in the National League in the mid 70s. Murray was used primarily in relief in Montreal's farm system. After going 11–5 with a 2.42 earned run average and eight saves in for the Eastern League's Quebec Carnavals, the Expos experimented with Murray as a starter. His record fell to 8–13 with a 4.26 ERA in for triple A Peninsula, and the idea was abandoned. He made his major league debut in against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, pitching three innings, and giving up one earned run. Though he started the season with the Memphis Blues of the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
, he emerged as the top pitcher in Montreal's bullpen by the end of the season, earning ten saves in the month of September while giving up just one earned run in 33
innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
. For the season, he was 1–1 with a 1.03 ERA. The Montreal Expos won just 75 games to finish fifth in the
National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for ...
in . Murray led the team with fifteen wins, and had ten saves, giving him a hand in one-third of the team's victories. He made a National League leading 81 relief appearances for the Expos in . Following the season, Murray and Woodie Fryman were dealt to the World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Tony Pérez and Will McEnaney.


Cincinnati Reds

was a typical season for Cincinnati's offense. George Foster had an MVP season, leading the major leagues with 52 home runs and 149
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
. Perennial All-Star Johnny Bench also drove in over 100 runs, while Joe Morgan scored over 100 runs. Pete Rose batted over .300, as did Pérez's replacement at first base, Dan Driessen. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the " Big Red Machine's" pitching staff. The Reds ended the season with a 4.21 team ERA – third highest in the NL. The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, had a league leading 3.22 staff ERA to take the division by ten games over the Reds. Murray finished with a 7–2 record and 4.94 ERA his first season in Cincinnati. With the starting rotation depleted, he made his one and only career start on July 28 against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He pitched a little over an inning, giving up six earned runs. A month into the season, he was dealt to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
for Ken Henderson.


New York Mets

Murray was tagged for five earned runs against the Philadelphia Phillies to take the loss in his first game as a Met. From there, Murray turned things around, going 8–4 with a 3.20 ERA the rest of the way for the last place club. In August , Murray's contract was sold to the Montreal Expos. Despite not finishing the season in New York, he led the Mets' bullpen with 58 appearances.


Return to Montreal

The Expos were in a tight division race with the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
when they purchased Murray's contract from the Mets just before the 1979 post-season roster deadline. Murray pitched well upon his return to Montreal, going 1–2 with a 2.70 ERA, however, the lone home run he gave up was an extra innings shot by Willie Stargell, which gave the Pirates a two-game lead in the division that they maintained for the rest of the season. Murray split the season between the Expos and their triple A farm team, the Denver Bears. On August 28, roughly a year after purchasing his contract, the Expos released Murray with a 0–1 record and 6.14 ERA at the major league level.


Toronto Blue Jays

In January , Murray signed a minor league contract with an invitation to
Spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
with the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
. He began the season in triple A, but after tearing up the
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
with a 1.85 ERA and sixteen saves for the Syracuse Chiefs, he earned a September call-up to the big league club. He was just as effective with the Jays, going 1–0 with a 1.17 ERA. Murray went 8–7 with a 3.16 ERA and a team leading eleven saves for the Blue Jays in . His eleven saves were also his highest season total since 1976. Following the season, he was dealt to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
with Tom Dodd for Dave Collins, Fred McGriff and Mike Morgan.
Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
Graig Nettles was also supposed to be included in the deal, but when the Jays refused to give him a hefty bonus, the Yankees included cash in the deal to compensate.


New York Yankees

Murray went 3–6 with a 4.58 ERA in his first two seasons as a Yankee. After giving up three earned runs with just two innings pitched in April , the Yanks released him. He signed with the Texas Rangers shortly afterwards, but made just one appearance with the club. After finishing out the season with their AAA affiliate, the Oklahoma City 89ers, Murray retired.


Career stats

Murray made only 79 plate appearances in his career, and had a career .077 batting average. His only career RBI came as a member of the Expos on September 1, 1975. His two out single drove in the deciding run in the Expos' 6–5 victory over Gene Garber and the Philadelphia Phillies.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Dale 1950 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from DeWitt County, Texas Blinn Buccaneers baseball players Blinn College alumni Cincinnati Reds players Columbus Clippers players Denver Bears players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Blues players Montreal Expos players New York Mets players New York Yankees players Oklahoma City 89ers players Peninsula Whips players Sportspeople from Cuero, Texas Québec Carnavals players Syracuse Chiefs players Texas Rangers players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Toronto Blue Jays players Watertown Expos players West Palm Beach Expos players 20th-century American sportsmen