- Danny Murtaugh
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Danny Murtaugh Second baseman/Manager Born: October 8, 1917
Chester, PennsylvaniaDied: December 2, 1976 (aged 59)
Chester, PennsylvaniaBatted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut July 6, 1941 for the Philadelphia Phillies Last MLB appearance September 6, 1951 for the Pittsburgh Pirates Career statistics Batting average .254 Hits 661 Runs batted in 219 Teams As Player
- Philadelphia Phillies (1941-1943, 1946)
- Boston Braves (1947)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (1948-1951)
As Manager
- Pittsburgh Pirates (1957-1964, 1967, 1970-1971, 1973-1976)
Career highlights and awards - World Series champion: 1960, 1971
- Pittsburgh Pirates #40 retired
- National League stolen base champion: 1941
- Managerial record: 1115-950
- 5 postseason appearances as a manager
Daniel Edward Murtaugh (October 8, 1917 – December 2, 1976) was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager. He threw and batted right-handed.
Contents
Biography
Danny Murtaugh's number 40 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977. A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, Murtaugh played during nine seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies (1941–43, 1946), Boston Braves (1947) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1948–51).
In his rookie season Murtaugh led National League players in stolen bases (18). He was a .254 career hitter with eight home runs and 219 RBI in 767 games. His most productive season came in 1948, when he hit .290 and posted career highs in RBI (71), runs (56), doubles (21), triples (5) and games played (146). In 1950 he hit .294, also a career-high.
After retiring as a player, he managed the minor league New Orleans Pelicans and Charleston Senators before returning to the Pirates as a coach (1956 through August 4, 1957). He then succeeded Bobby Bragan as manager and would hold the job for all or parts of 15 seasons over four different terms (1957–64, 1967, 1970–71, 1973–76). Murtaugh guided the team to two World Series championships (1960, 1971) and four Eastern Division titles (1970–71, 1974–75). Murtuagh originally retired following the 1964 season, citing health problems. He took a front office job with the Pirates, evaluating players for general manager Joe L. Brown. Murtaugh was pressed into service as an interim manager when Harry Walker was fired during the 1967 season. He then returned to his front office role.
Murtaugh was well aware of the abundance of talent in the system, and asked to reclaim the managing job after Larry Shepard was fired in the last week of the 1969 season. Once he received medical clearance, Murtaugh returned to managing. (Only hours after this re-hiring on October 9, Don Hoak, his third baseman on the 1960 Pirates World Series champions and a manager in the Pirates farm system in 1969, died of a heart attack. Hoak had believed himself a leading contender for the Pirates' managerial job.) He led the Pirates to a National League East Division title in 1970 and 1971, and they won the 1971 World Series. Murtaugh stepped down after the 1971 season and his hand-picked successor, Bill Virdon (his center fielder on the 1960 World Series champions), took over. When Brown fired Virdon in September of 1973, Murtaugh reluctantly came back to managing. He stayed through the 1976 season. He and Brown announced their retirements during the final week of the 1976 season.
As a manager, he compiled a 1,115-950 record in 2068 games (.540), second in Pirates history behind only Fred Clarke.
Murtaugh died in his hometown of a stroke at age 59, two months after retiring. His number 40 was retired by the Pirates in 1977.
Highlights
- Led NL in stolen bases (1941)
- Led NL second basemen in putouts, assists and double plays (1948)
- Finished 9th in the NL MVP selection (1948)
- Selected "Man of the Year" by SPORT magazine (1960)
- Twice received The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award (1960, 1970)
- One of only 36 managers in major league history to win 1,000 or more games
See also
References
- "Baseball Pays Its Respects to Murtaugh at Funeral," New York Times, Dec. 7, 1976.
External links
- Baseball Reference.com - managing record and playing statistics
- Baseball Hall of Fame - 2008 Veterans Committee candidate profile
- Danny Murtaugh at Find a Grave
- [1]-Pittsburgh newspaper's tribute to Murtaugh as part of its 50 year anniversary of the 1960 Pirates team that won the World Series over the Yankees.
Preceded by
Lonny FreyNational League Stolen Base Champion
1941Succeeded by
Pete ReiserPreceded by
Bobby Bragan
Harry Walker
Alex Grammas
Bill VirdonPittsburgh Pirates Managers
1957–1964
1967
1970–1971
1973–1976Succeeded by
Harry Walker
Larry Shepard
Bill Virdon
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Championships (5)League Pennants (9) Division Titles (9) Media Root Sports Pittsburgh (Bob Walk · Steve Blass · Greg Brown) · Radio Network (WPGB-FM · Tim Neverett · John Wehner)Seasons (131) 1880s-1890s 1900s-1910s 1920s-1930s 1940s-1950s 1960s-1970s 1980s-1990s 2000s-2010s Pittsburgh Pirates managers Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1882–1889) Pittsburgh Pirates (1890–present) Hecker • McGunnigle • Hanlon • Burns • Buckenberger • Mack • Donovan • Watkins • Donovan • Clarke • Callahan • Wagner • Bezdek • Gibson • McKechnie • Bush • Ens • Gibson • Traynor • Frisch • Davis • Herman • Burwell • Meyer • Haney • Bragan • Murtaugh • Walker • Murtaugh • Shepard • Grammas • Murtaugh • Virdon • Murtaugh • Tanner • Leyland • Lamont • McClendon • Mackanin • Tracy • Russell • HurdlePittsburgh Pirates 1960 World Series Champions 2 Bob Oldis | 4 Bob Skinner | 5 Hal Smith | 6 Smoky Burgess | 7 Dick Stuart | 9 Bill Mazeroski | 11 Ducky Schofield | 12 Don Hoak | 14 Rocky Nelson | 16 Gene Baker | 18 Bill Virdon | 19 Bob Friend | 20 Gino Cimoli | 21 Roberto Clemente | 22 Joe Gibbon | 23 Joe Christopher | 24 Dick Groat | 26 Roy Face | 29 Clem Labine | 30 Wilmer Mizell | 31 Harvey Haddix | 32 Vern Law | 35 Fred Green | 39 George Witt | 48 Tom Cheney
Manager 40 Danny Murtaugh
Coaches: 41 Bill Burwell | 42 Mickey Vernon | 43 Sam Narron | 44 Frank Oceak | 45 Lenny Levy | Virgil TrucksPittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series Champions 2 Jackie Hernández | 4 Charlie Sands | 7 Bob Robertson | 8 Willie Stargell | 9 Bill Mazeroski | 11 José Pagán | 14 Gene Alley | 15 Gene Clines | 16 Al Oliver | 17 Dock Ellis | 18 Vic Davalillo | 20 Richie Hebner | 21 Roberto Clemente (World Series MVP) | 23 Luke Walker | 25 Bruce Kison | 27 Bob Johnson | 28 Steve Blass | 29 Milt May | 30 Dave Cash | 31 Dave Giusti | 32 Bob Miller | 34 Nelson Briles | 35 Manny Sanguillén | 38 Bob Moose | 39 Bob Veale
Manager 40 Danny Murtaugh
Coaches: 5 Dave Ricketts | 41 Bill Virdon | 42 Don Osborn | 43 Don Leppert | 44 Frank OceakPittsburgh Pirates retired numbers #1 Billy Meyer • #4 Ralph Kiner • #8 Willie Stargell • #9 Bill Mazeroski • #11 Paul Waner • #20 Pie Traynor • #21 Roberto Clemente • #33 Honus Wagner • #40 Danny MurtaughCategories:- 1917 births
- 1976 deaths
- People from Chester, Pennsylvania
- American people of Irish descent
- Major League Baseball managers
- Minor league baseball managers
- Boston Braves players
- Baseball players from Pennsylvania
- Major League Baseball second basemen
- National League stolen base champions
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- Pittsburgh Pirates managers
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Pittsburgh Pirates coaches
- Major League Baseball managers with retired numbers
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