From nationalpastime.com:
January 14, 1970 "After seeing his upstart team win the World Series three months ago, Mets general manager Johnny Murphy dies after suffering a massive heart attack. The 61-year-old baseball executive, a talented reliever for the Yankees in the 1930s and early '40s, will be succeeded by Bob Scheffing, the team's special assignment scout."
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Johnny Murphy
https://www.baseball-reference.com/b.../Johnny_Murphy
Excerpts from the www.baseball-reference.com article:
"One of the best relief pitchers of his era, Johnny Murphy played thirteen seasons in the majors, primarily with the New York Yankees prior to World War II. He later was the General Manager of the New York Mets."
"A New York City native, Murphy attended Fordham University before beginning his pro career with the Scottdale Scotties in 1928. He reached the majors with the Yankees in 1932, appearing in two games, but spent most of that year with the Newark Bears. After spending the entire 1933 campaign with Newark, he was back with New York for good in 1934. He split his rookie season between the rotation and bullpen, going 14-10 with a 3.10 ERA. Following that season, he was primarily a reliever. From 1936 to 1943, he appeared in six World Series, going 2-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 8 games, and was a three-time All-Star. He went on the voluntarily retired list in April 1944 to remain in war work and ended up missing two seasons. He was back with the Yankees in 1946 and ended his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1947."
"Murphy was one of the ten best relievers according to The Relief Pitcher for being the most dominant reliever of his era."
"After his playing career, Murphy was a scout for the Red Sox in 1948, and was the farm director of the team from 1948 to 1960. He then signed on with the New York Mets as chief scout in 1961, moving to assistant GM from 1962 to 1967. He was General Manager of the club from 1968 until his death in early 1970, and saw the "Miracle Mets" win the World Series in 1969. He also filled as a coach for the Mets in 1968."
"Notable Achievements
3-time AL All-Star (1937-1939)
4-time AL Saves Leader (1938, 1939, 1941 & 1942)
200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1934)
Won six World Series with the New York Yankees (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941 & 1943)"
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No game today, so let's remember a forgotten Yankee: Grandma Johnny Murphy!
https://www.reddit.com/r/NYYankees/c...gotten_yankee/
Excerpts from the www.reddit.com article:
"...Johnny Murphy, the great Yankee reliever of the 1930s and 40s, who later became the American League's first player representative, then became the architect of the 1969 Miracle Mets!"
"A local kid, Murphy was born July 14, 1908, in New York City, and was still in high school when he first caught the attention of legendary Yankee scout Paul Krichell, the man who signed Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, and many others. (Krichell also discovered Hank Greenberg, offering him $10,000 to sign with the Yankees in 1929; Greenberg, astutely noting the Yankees already had Gehrig at first base, turned it down and instead signed with the Tigers for $9,000.)"
"McCarthy frequently called on Murphy not just to finish games but in all kinds of pitching emergencies, leading to another nickname: "The Fireman." A glimpse of how good he was under pressure: In eight World Series games, Murphy was 2-0 with 4 saves, giving up just 2 runs in 16.1 IP (1.10 ERA) and 11 hits and four walks (0.918 WHIP), while striking out eight. The Yankees won all six World Series he pitched in. (He also was briefly on the '32 team that beat the Cubs.)"
"But his most famous, and enigmatic, nickname was Grandma. There's two origin stories for how he acquired the unique moniker. The first, and most often cited story, was that Murphy's slow, easy delivery on the mound was reminiscent of an old grandma in her rocking chair."
"However, baseball historian Richard Tofel said Yankees teammate Pat Malone had dubbed the pitcher Grandma because of his constant complaining about the quality of the meals and lodging while on the road."
"Murphy would miss the 1944 and 1945 seasons due to World War 2. The 35-year-old Murphy didn't see combat, however. It's unknown exactly what he did, but apparently he put his Fordham University degree to use working on a secret project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. After the war, a newspaper reported that the Yankees were welcoming back their "atomic specialist."
"In 1946, Murphy and Dixie Walker were named baseball's first player representatives, with Murphy representing the American League and Walker, an outfielder with the Dodgers, the National League."
"...in 1967, he became the Mets' general manager."
"He steadily turned the team from a joke into a contender. He is credited with reversing the Mets' early strategy of acquiring past-their-prime veterans as quick fixes, and instead patiently built a winner through the farm system. Under his watch, the Mets developed Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Cleon Jones, Tug McGraw, Bud Harrelson, Gary Gentry, Ron Swoboda, Jim McAndrew, and Ed Kranepool."
"He also got Gil Hodges as the team's manager in 1968."
=============================================================================================================
Johnny Murphy
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/johnny-murphy/
Excerpts from the sabr.org article:
"John Joseph Murphy was born July 14, 1908 in New York City. He attended Our Lady of Mercy elementary school and Fordham Prep, located in the Bronx."
"The save was years away from becoming an official statistic, but applying it retroactively, Murphy led the American League in that category four times in five seasons. His 19 saves in 1939 were the second highest total in baseball history, trailing only Firpo Marberry’s 22 for the 1926 Washington Senators. Two years earlier in 1937, Murphy notched 12 wins in relief; he matched that number again in 1943."
"Part of the greatest generation, Murphy voluntarily left baseball in 1944 and worked on a special defense project. On March 7, 1946, fans read the curveballer was re-upping with Joe McCarthy and crew. The Washington Post reported, “Baseball’s Bronx Bombers will have an atomic specialist in their ranks this year…Johnny Murphy had come to terms…on the retired list the past two seasons while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.”
"He had...helped turn the game’s biggest loser into world champions—the first expansion team to ever win the World Series."
"On December 30, 1969, Murphy was felled by a heart attack at his home in Yonkers, New York. He was taken to New York’s Roosevelt Hospital, where he died on January 14, 1970, following another massive heart attack. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. He was 61.
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Firpo Marberry
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/firpo-marberry/
Excerpts from the sabr.org article:
"Fred Marberry, one of the best pitchers in baseball for a decade, was the first great hurler to be used primarily as a relief pitcher. He played a large role in Washington’s only World Series triumph, and set many records for relievers that would not be bested for many years. Almost forgotten today, he has been denied larger fame by splitting his career between starting and relieving —had he done one or the other, he might be in baseball’s Hall of Fame today."
=============================================================================================================
Johnny Murphy Stats
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/pla...hp?p=murphjo04
Excerpts from the www.baseball-almanac.com article:
"...columnist Red Smith in To Absent Friends (Signet, 07/01/1986, Page 86) once wrote of him, "Those were the days of beer and laughter, and nobody laughed it up like the incomparable Lefty Gomez. To hear Lefty tell it, he couldn't have crossed Fifth Avenue without (Johnny) Murphy to hold him up. Actually, there isn't a pitcher working today who wouldn't envy Gomez's record for throwing complete games, but when Lefty did falter it was almost always Murphy who picked him up. To Gomez, Murphy was the beloved St. Bernard plowing through the Alpine blizzards with a case of rum and lemon peel on the side."
"...Johnny Murphy was on seven World Series winning teams (1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943), the most of any pitcher in Major League history"
January 14, 1970 "After seeing his upstart team win the World Series three months ago, Mets general manager Johnny Murphy dies after suffering a massive heart attack. The 61-year-old baseball executive, a talented reliever for the Yankees in the 1930s and early '40s, will be succeeded by Bob Scheffing, the team's special assignment scout."
=============================================================================================================
Johnny Murphy
https://www.baseball-reference.com/b.../Johnny_Murphy
Excerpts from the www.baseball-reference.com article:
"One of the best relief pitchers of his era, Johnny Murphy played thirteen seasons in the majors, primarily with the New York Yankees prior to World War II. He later was the General Manager of the New York Mets."
"A New York City native, Murphy attended Fordham University before beginning his pro career with the Scottdale Scotties in 1928. He reached the majors with the Yankees in 1932, appearing in two games, but spent most of that year with the Newark Bears. After spending the entire 1933 campaign with Newark, he was back with New York for good in 1934. He split his rookie season between the rotation and bullpen, going 14-10 with a 3.10 ERA. Following that season, he was primarily a reliever. From 1936 to 1943, he appeared in six World Series, going 2-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 8 games, and was a three-time All-Star. He went on the voluntarily retired list in April 1944 to remain in war work and ended up missing two seasons. He was back with the Yankees in 1946 and ended his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1947."
"Murphy was one of the ten best relievers according to The Relief Pitcher for being the most dominant reliever of his era."
"After his playing career, Murphy was a scout for the Red Sox in 1948, and was the farm director of the team from 1948 to 1960. He then signed on with the New York Mets as chief scout in 1961, moving to assistant GM from 1962 to 1967. He was General Manager of the club from 1968 until his death in early 1970, and saw the "Miracle Mets" win the World Series in 1969. He also filled as a coach for the Mets in 1968."
"Notable Achievements
3-time AL All-Star (1937-1939)
4-time AL Saves Leader (1938, 1939, 1941 & 1942)
200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1934)
Won six World Series with the New York Yankees (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941 & 1943)"
=============================================================================================================
No game today, so let's remember a forgotten Yankee: Grandma Johnny Murphy!
https://www.reddit.com/r/NYYankees/c...gotten_yankee/
Excerpts from the www.reddit.com article:
"...Johnny Murphy, the great Yankee reliever of the 1930s and 40s, who later became the American League's first player representative, then became the architect of the 1969 Miracle Mets!"
"A local kid, Murphy was born July 14, 1908, in New York City, and was still in high school when he first caught the attention of legendary Yankee scout Paul Krichell, the man who signed Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, and many others. (Krichell also discovered Hank Greenberg, offering him $10,000 to sign with the Yankees in 1929; Greenberg, astutely noting the Yankees already had Gehrig at first base, turned it down and instead signed with the Tigers for $9,000.)"
"McCarthy frequently called on Murphy not just to finish games but in all kinds of pitching emergencies, leading to another nickname: "The Fireman." A glimpse of how good he was under pressure: In eight World Series games, Murphy was 2-0 with 4 saves, giving up just 2 runs in 16.1 IP (1.10 ERA) and 11 hits and four walks (0.918 WHIP), while striking out eight. The Yankees won all six World Series he pitched in. (He also was briefly on the '32 team that beat the Cubs.)"
"But his most famous, and enigmatic, nickname was Grandma. There's two origin stories for how he acquired the unique moniker. The first, and most often cited story, was that Murphy's slow, easy delivery on the mound was reminiscent of an old grandma in her rocking chair."
"However, baseball historian Richard Tofel said Yankees teammate Pat Malone had dubbed the pitcher Grandma because of his constant complaining about the quality of the meals and lodging while on the road."
"Murphy would miss the 1944 and 1945 seasons due to World War 2. The 35-year-old Murphy didn't see combat, however. It's unknown exactly what he did, but apparently he put his Fordham University degree to use working on a secret project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. After the war, a newspaper reported that the Yankees were welcoming back their "atomic specialist."
"In 1946, Murphy and Dixie Walker were named baseball's first player representatives, with Murphy representing the American League and Walker, an outfielder with the Dodgers, the National League."
"...in 1967, he became the Mets' general manager."
"He steadily turned the team from a joke into a contender. He is credited with reversing the Mets' early strategy of acquiring past-their-prime veterans as quick fixes, and instead patiently built a winner through the farm system. Under his watch, the Mets developed Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Cleon Jones, Tug McGraw, Bud Harrelson, Gary Gentry, Ron Swoboda, Jim McAndrew, and Ed Kranepool."
"He also got Gil Hodges as the team's manager in 1968."
=============================================================================================================
Johnny Murphy
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/johnny-murphy/
Excerpts from the sabr.org article:
"John Joseph Murphy was born July 14, 1908 in New York City. He attended Our Lady of Mercy elementary school and Fordham Prep, located in the Bronx."
"The save was years away from becoming an official statistic, but applying it retroactively, Murphy led the American League in that category four times in five seasons. His 19 saves in 1939 were the second highest total in baseball history, trailing only Firpo Marberry’s 22 for the 1926 Washington Senators. Two years earlier in 1937, Murphy notched 12 wins in relief; he matched that number again in 1943."
"Part of the greatest generation, Murphy voluntarily left baseball in 1944 and worked on a special defense project. On March 7, 1946, fans read the curveballer was re-upping with Joe McCarthy and crew. The Washington Post reported, “Baseball’s Bronx Bombers will have an atomic specialist in their ranks this year…Johnny Murphy had come to terms…on the retired list the past two seasons while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.”
"He had...helped turn the game’s biggest loser into world champions—the first expansion team to ever win the World Series."
"On December 30, 1969, Murphy was felled by a heart attack at his home in Yonkers, New York. He was taken to New York’s Roosevelt Hospital, where he died on January 14, 1970, following another massive heart attack. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. He was 61.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Firpo Marberry
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/firpo-marberry/
Excerpts from the sabr.org article:
"Fred Marberry, one of the best pitchers in baseball for a decade, was the first great hurler to be used primarily as a relief pitcher. He played a large role in Washington’s only World Series triumph, and set many records for relievers that would not be bested for many years. Almost forgotten today, he has been denied larger fame by splitting his career between starting and relieving —had he done one or the other, he might be in baseball’s Hall of Fame today."
=============================================================================================================
Johnny Murphy Stats
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/pla...hp?p=murphjo04
Excerpts from the www.baseball-almanac.com article:
"...columnist Red Smith in To Absent Friends (Signet, 07/01/1986, Page 86) once wrote of him, "Those were the days of beer and laughter, and nobody laughed it up like the incomparable Lefty Gomez. To hear Lefty tell it, he couldn't have crossed Fifth Avenue without (Johnny) Murphy to hold him up. Actually, there isn't a pitcher working today who wouldn't envy Gomez's record for throwing complete games, but when Lefty did falter it was almost always Murphy who picked him up. To Gomez, Murphy was the beloved St. Bernard plowing through the Alpine blizzards with a case of rum and lemon peel on the side."
"...Johnny Murphy was on seven World Series winning teams (1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943), the most of any pitcher in Major League history"
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