Dale Murphy Interview on 1982 - Part Three
Dale Bryan Murphy was born on March 12, 1956 in Portland, Oregon. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as the fifth overall pick in the 1974 amateur draft.
Murphy first made the big leagues in 1976, mainly as a catcher. Murphy hit .262 with nine runs batted in. Then the next year, Murphy played in 18 games and hit .316 with two home runs and 14 RBI.
Then in 1978, Murphy mainly played first base and he thrived as a young hitter. Murphy led the National League in strikeouts, but he hit 23 home runs and drove in 79 runners.
He became an All-Star in 1980 as he hit .281 with 33 home runs and 89 RBI. Then in the strike-shortened season, Murphy struggled a bit with a .247 average, only 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 369 at bats.
It was the 1982 season when Murphy, challenged by new manager Joe Torre, broke out as a superstar. Murphy hit .281 with 36 home runs and 109 RBI. He won the NL Most Valuable Player award.
Then the next year, Murphy did it again. He hit .302 with 36 home runs and 121 RBI. Murphy became a back-to-back MVP award winner.
Murphy stayed with the Braves until 1990, when the team traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jeff Parrett, Jim Vatcher and Victor Rosario.
Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.