Dale Murphy was drafted in the first round of the 1974 draft by the Atlanta Braves. He played almost his entire career for the Braves (1974-1991) before finishing up with the Philadelphia Phillies (1991-1993) and Colorado Rockies (1993).
Dale (or “Murph” as he is known by teammates and fans) is the youngest player in MLB history to win back-to-back MVP awards (1982 and 1983). He won 2 consecutive NL Player of the Year Awards (The Sporting News, 1982, 1983) and was named to the National League All-Star Team 7 times, 5 as a starter. He won the Gillette Trophy for the highest number of All-Star votes submitted by fans in the National League in 1985.
Murph won 5 consecutive Gold Glove Awards and 4 Silver Slugger Awards. He was named National League Player of the Month a record 6 times and was named the most feared hitter in the NL in a survey of pitchers in 1985. In 1991, he won the Bart Giamatti Caring Award and was presented in 1985 with the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, recognizing him as the player who best fit the image and character of Lou Gehrig. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award in honor of his character and charitable contributions on and off the field.
His streak of 740 consecutive games (1981-1986) is one of the longest in baseball history.
In 1983, he became only the sixth player in Major League history to have at least 30 homeruns (36) and 30 stolen bases (30) in one season. This elite group is sometimes referred to as the “30-30 Club.”
During the decade spanning 1981-1990, he led the major leagues in home runs and RBI’s. He also led the National League in games, at bats, runs scored, hits, extra base hits, runs created, total bases and plate appearances.
He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated 3 times. In 1987 he was named one of Sports Illustrated’s 5 Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year, representing Major League Baseball as the athlete “Who Cared the Most.” He was honored with this award by President Ronald Regan in the Oval Office of the White House.
Known as one of the true gentlemen of the game, Dale leads by example. He has given his time and his name to numerous charities through the years. After his retirement, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
Dale was one of the most beloved athletes to ever play in Atlanta. He retired from baseball in 1993 after a long and very successful career.
His number (#3) was the fourth in the history of the Atlanta Braves’ organization to be retired. It hung for a time in Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium and Turner Field, and now takes its place in SunTrust Park.
Dale is a sought after business, collegiate, and motivational speaker and travels the country sharing his messages about leadership, resilience, integrity, and more. He is the author of Ask Dale Murphy, The Scouting Report: Professional Athletics, and The Scouting Report: Youth Athletics.
But that’s not all. What he did on the field is actually not the most important part of Murph’s life—as amazing as those things are. Dale and his wife of 40 years—Nancy—are the parents of 8 children (7 sons and 1 daughter) and grandparents to 12. His family, friends, and faith as well as his other accomplishments off the field are the things in life he treasures most.
