Dale Murphy

Dale Bryan Murphy (born March 12, 1956, in Portland, Oregon) is a former outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball. He was twice the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP), playing for the Atlanta Braves, in 1982 and 1983, and he won the Silver Slugger award in the National League outfield four times.

Murphy was outstanding in the outfield, winning the National League Gold Glove award five consecutive baseball seasons as a center fielder.

Murphy is regarded by many as one of the premier players during the 1980s. His best years were with the Atlanta Braves, appearing in the All-Star Game seven times, and leading the National League in home runs and RBI twice; he also led the major leagues in home runs and runs batted in over the 10-year span from 1981 to 1990. He led the National League in games, at bats, runs, hits, extra base hits, RBI, runs created, total bases, and plate appearances in the 1980s. He also accomplished a 30-30 season in 1983, at the time only the 6th player since 1922 to do so. His 1983 MVP year is the only time in major-league history a player has compiled a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 120 runs batted in, 130 runs scored, 90 bases on balls, and 30 stolen bases - with fewer than 10 times caught stealing.

In addition, Murphy also won five consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and won two consecutive MVP awards in 1982 and 1983, making him one of only four outfielders in major league history with consecutive MVP years, and the youngest ever to do so at the time. Also, between 1981 and 1986, Murphy played in 740 consecutive games, at the time the 11th longest such streak in baseball history (since then passed by Miguel Tejada and Cal Ripken).

Murphy did not begin his Major League career as an outfielder - though in the minor leagues, he had always played either the outfield or first base. He began in an ill-conceived attempt to conversion into a catcher, but he supposedly had difficulties throwing out runners attempting stolen bases. Also, his knees were taking a good amount of pounding from trying to catch his teammate Phil Niekro's knuckleballs behind the plate, and other pitchers, too.

Murphy also suffered a serious knee injury in a collision with a base-runner at home plate. Murphy was moved briefly to first base, where he led all National League first basemen in errors with 23 in 1978, and left field, before reaching the peak of his success playing center field, his true natural position, where he won the Golden Glove award for five consecutive baseball seasons. By many sports reporters and observers, Murphy was considered to be the best all-around player in the Major Leagues for the six-year span between 1982-1987.

His professional baseball career began in 1976 and ended in 1993. He also played some for the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies franchises. He finished his career with 398 home runs (19th in MLB history at the time of his retirement) and a .265 batting average. He reached the playoffs only once, in 1982, where the Braves were eliminated in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals. His jersey number "3" was retired by the Atlanta Braves on June 13, 1994.