Danny Murtaugh Stories and Quotes
When voters decide on whom to admit to the Hall of Fame, it appears as if longevity is given far more consideration than character and contributions to the game. As mentioned in other sections, Danny Murtaugh is only lacking in longevity and only because of his health. His character and contributions to the game are unparalleled and it is truly an injustice for him not to be in the Hall of Fame. The intent of this section is to include a few stories about him, list some quotes, and some thoughts about him by other players and managers. His daughter and granddaughter are writing a book that contains stories about him as a tribute to his contributions to the game.
Please stop by their webpage: http://www.dannymurtaughmemories.com/Submit.htmlto contact them to show your support or to submit your memory.
My Memories of Danny Murtaugh
I grew up in the 1960s. We did not have computers or video games and had no idea what the internet was. We played baseball day in and day out whenever the weather would permit. Rarely would a Pirates game be played that we would not either watch or listen to on the radio. It was just impossible for us to get too much baseball. In those days the World Series was played during the day. We would take radios to school and listen between classes to get the score and rush out of school to see the end of the game. We would even stop at a friend’s house who lived closer to the school so we could see more of the game and it did not matter who played.
The Pirates had several managers during the 60s, but Danny Murtaugh always stood out to me. I was happy when he decided to return to the team as a manager and extremely sad when he would retire. We did not know he was retiring because he was in bad health; remember in the 60s, press coverage for teams was not even close to the way it is now. There was just something special about him and now I am learning just how special he was as he loved his family first and then he loved his players and loved the game. That was always very clear to any Pirate fan.
My Meeting With Danny
In 1976, I was a senior at Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and president of my fraternity (Phi Theta Phi). Each year we would do a walkathon for the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and would try to get Pirates and Steelers to help at some point during the route. Thiel College has beautiful scenery, especially during the autumn months and on one October day I saw a man walking two small children. He spoke to me and I continued on to the fraternity house. When I got there I said “I just saw a man who looked a lot like Danny Murtaugh.” One person then told me that his daughter lived just down the street. I did not want to bother him, but the opportunity was just too great to pass up, so I, and the walkathon director, knocked on his door. He answered the door and I explained our cause and invited him to appear along the route at a location of his choice. He said he heard of us and that he would normally be honored to help, but he would be at the Winter Baseball Meetings at the same time.
The season just ended and he had recently announced his retirement and that he would remain with the team as an advisor. We talked about the 75 season and prospects for 76. I tried to get out of him who his replacement would be, and he just laughed and said “I am sure we will get a good one.” I thanked him for his time and departed. Two weeks later Manager Chuck Tanner was traded to the Pirates for Manny Sanguillen and cash in one of the unique trades in baseball history. Five weeks later, Danny Murtaugh died on 2 December, 1976, and never quite made it to the baseball meetings.
When I heard the news of his death, I just could not believe it. I learned that he retired because of his poor health, but what I remembered the most was that I was standing on the porch of Danny Murtaugh talking to him about baseball and Danny made me feel that he had nothing he would rather be doing than talking to be about the Pirates. The truth was that he was in bad health, which is why he retired, and he just wanted to spend some time with his grandchildren after the season. As I learned, that was the essence of Danny Murtaugh – he gained people’s respect by respecting them first. That was his secret to his success and to how he could always get the most out of his players.
Press Evaluation of Danny
The following is an excerpt from an article by Bruce Markusen in Cooperstown Confidential. http://www.oaklandfans.com/coopconf2.html
Danny Murtaugh: One of the most underrated managers of the 20th century. Self-effacing and non-analytical in his communication with the media, Murtaugh extracted the most from his over-achieving teams in Pittsburgh. Because of his placid demeanor, he was often accused of "sleeping" in the dugout during games, but he brilliantly maneuvered and platooned role players with both his 1960 and 1971 world championship teams. In ’71, he refused to panic after the Pirates lost the first two games of the Series to the heavily favored Orioles. Instead, he pointed to a derogatory headline in one of the Baltimore newspapers, using it to both anger and motivate his players. The Pirates proceeded to win four of the next five games and take the title. Managerial successes aside, Murtaugh was wonderfully down-to-earth and loved by players and front office staff alike.
Danny Murtaugh - Racial Equality Pinoeer
On 1 September, 1971, Danny Murtaugh quietly, and without fanfare, fielded Major League Baseball’s first all-minority lineup vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at Three Rivers Stadium. When asked about it, he played it down in typical Murtaugh style and said that he did not notice he was doing it and said 'I put the nine best athletes out there. The best nine I put out there tonight happened to be black. No big deal. Next question." Did he really not know what he was doing when he penciled in the lineup that night? Players like Dock Ellis, Al Oliver, and Steve Blass feel he did not know as he only saw a player and what contributions they could make to winning and he never saw color. I recently learned that a similar event happened in spring training in 1963 in Asheville, North Carolina, also against the Phillies. Murtaugh handed in the starting lineup with all minorities and the representative from the
Chamber of Commerce came on the field and told Murtaugh he could not do that. There was a major argument in which Murtaugh refused to change the lineup, but finally he gave in and put Bill Mazeroski back at second base. He was trying to keep him out as he was nursing an injury. He took him out after one inning and then played an all-minority lineup in the second inning. Again, when asked, Murtaugh said he had no idea he was fielding an all-minority lineup; he was just putting the best lineup he could on the field. If he was telling the truth, and it appears as if he was, it showed how far ahead he was at that stage in U.S. history. He truly did not see color or race when he looked at someone; he only saw how they could help the team. Not many people could say that; especially in 1963. The Pirates, led by Murtaugh were the first team to try to develop minority players throughout their farm systems; especially at the key positions of pitcher and catcher. This was noticed by Al Oliver as he saw the Pirates had many more minority players at those positions than the other teams as Oliver went through his first spring training in 1963.
Player's Tribute
Smokey Burgess: “There are a lot of great managers around, but I’ve never seen a manager in the same category as Danny Murtaugh. He studied everything and got the most talent out of his players. You had to treat a Dick Stuart or a Dick Groat or myself differently. Danny Did (Reisler p51).”
Don Hoak: Hoak, the third baseman during the 60s admired Murtaugh as a manager. He said “As long as you’re doing okay, he doesn’t touch you. If you’re messing up, he’s just over your shoulder showing you the right way (Reisler p55).”
Tony LaRussa: In an article by Richard Justice in the Houston Chronicle, Justice mentioned in passing that he heard St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa talking to Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland and that LaRussa referred to Leyland as “Sparky Murtaugh,” since Leyland managed both the Tigers and Pirates. Justice went on to explain that Murtaugh of the Pirates and Anderson of the Tigers were two of their franchises greatest managers. This also shows the respect that LaRussa must have for Danny Murtaugh. Justice referred to Murtaugh as one of the Pirates greatest managers and the Pirates have been in existence for more than 120 years now. That is how almost all people feel about Danny Murtaugh and therefore how can he not already be in the Hall of Fame?
Dock Ellis: Dock Ellis was a flamboyant and controversial pitcher for the Pirates in the 1970s. He was very outspoken about the lack of racial equality in baseball but not when it came to discussing Danny Murtaugh. Ellis referred to Danny as "Murtaugh's a beautiful dude. “Beautiful. Winning. That's all he cares about. Nothing else." And what he meant by that is that race never entered his mind when it came to his players.
Murtaugh - The Optimist
One of the biggest upsets in baseball history was when the Pirates defeated the Yankees four games to three in the 1960 World Series. The Yankees were managed by future Hall of Fame Manager Casey Stengel and led by Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford. The Yankees’ three wins were blow outs and the Pirates’ three wins were close games; a tribute to the managerial skills of Murtaugh. After being blown out in game six, reporters asked how they could possible come back for game seven. He then said “The last time I checked the rule book, they were settling the series on games won and lost and not on total runs. The standings show the Yankees have been beaten three times too (Reisler p14).” This type of attitude gave the players a calming effect that allowed them to come back and win a thrilling 10-9 game seven win that ended on Bill Mazeroski’s home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Murtaugh - The Players' Manager
- Murtaugh’s great advantage was that he had a way with people and solid baseball knowledge. He dealt with everyone on the level, drilled his players on fundamentals, and played the game by the book. Murtaugh’s teams excelled at bunting and were superb fielders. Anchored by a self-deprecating sense of humor, Murtaugh was never flashy and put his players at ease. He even asked about the families of sportswriters, which was so much different than other baseball men. When he addressed his team for the first time in 1957, he told the players “I don’t want you to respect me just becaue I’m manager, I want to earn your respect (Reisler, p52-53).”
- Murtaugh once noticed his star second baseman, Bill Mazeroski, eying the attractive young assistant to scout Rex Bowen, but Maz was too shy to approach her. Murtaugh ordered Maz to call her for a date and joked that they send players to the minor leagues who don’t follow orders. Maz made the call and he married Milene Nicholson in 1958. Murtaugh’s confidence in Mazeroski allowed him to excel as opposed to the previous manager who would often bat him in the 9th position and take him out of games if he was not hitting well. Murtaugh made it clear to Bill that he was his starting second baseman and that took the pressure off of him and allowed him to concentrate on his game (Reisler, p55).
- Danny Murtaugh put the players first even in the biggest of games. During game seven of the 1960 World Series he took out Vernon Law to prevent him from injuring his ankle even more so he did not hurt his future. He said “You have a lot of years left in baseball, and I don’t want you to risk your arm because you have a bad ankle. Dizzy Dean did it and I don’t want it to happen to you (Reisler p152-153).” Imagine, thinking of the player first with the entire World Series on the line. How many managers would do that?
- The day Murtaugh was hired to be the manager in 1957, Roy Face was the scheduled starter. The first move Murtaugh made was to scratch him from the starting lineup and send him to the bullpen. Face went on to become one of the greatest relievers in Pirate history (Reisler p156).
Murtaugh - The Disciplinarian and Humanitarian
- Murtaugh would levy small fines on players for bad language or being late for meetings or the team bus. On one occasions, Vernon Law, an ordained Mormon lay minister, was late for a spring training bus, but his name was not posted on the travel list until late. Law automatically paid Danny the $25, but Danny did not take it because he had a reason for being late. Law said that if he was not going to accept it, then he should give the money to his church. Murtaugh did just that and also, although Murtaugh was a Catholic, donated $25 of his own money to Law’s church (Reisler p53-54).
- Again with Vernon Law, Murtaugh once ordered him to throw a knockdown pitch at the first batter after a Pirate had been hit the previous inning. Law said “Skip, it’s against my religion. The Bible, after all, says, ‘Turn the other check.’ “ Murtaugh then said “It’ll cost you $500 if you don’t knock him down.” Law then said “The Bible also says “He who lives by the sword shall also die by the sword,’” and he knocked him down (Reisler p113-114).
The Murtaugh Sense of Humor
- Danny Murtaugh was a true family man. He dutifully went home to his family every night, did not drink alcohol, and preferred milk to toast Pirate wins. Once a reported asked him with all that clean living, why did he look so old? Murtaugh replied “Have you ever looked up my batting average? (Reisler, p55).
- He always downplayed his role as a manager in the success of the team. He often stated “It is the players, not the manager.” But when pressed he would joke that it was “Dumb Irish luck (Reisler p59).”
- Danny was a family man like no other major league manager and his wife, Kate, said she never saw him so happy as he was after the 60 World Series win. They were not supposed to win and in fact were supposed to be soundly defeated by the Yankees. All four Pirate wins were nerve wracking for a manager and each thrilled with drama and the need for sound managerial decisions in which one wrong move would cost them the game. After Kate commented on how happy he was, Danny agreed and said “If you had been standing on one side of me and Mazeroski on the other side, and I had to kiss one or the other, it wouldn’t have been you (Reisler p224).”
- Danny Murtaugh commenting on fans criticizing the players: "Why certainly I'd like to have that fellow who hits a home run every time at bat, who strikes out every opposing batter when he's pitching, who throws strikes to any base or the plate when he's playing outfield and who's always thinking about two innings ahead just what he'll do to baffle the other team. Any manager would want a guy like that playing for him. The only trouble is to get him to put down his cup of beer and come down out of the stands and do those things."
- Danny Murtaugh commenting on his First Baseman Dick Stuart who was always criticized for his poor fielding skills: When the public-address announcer at Pirates training camp once told the spectators, ''Anyone who interferes with the ball in play will be ejected from the ballpark,'' Danny Murtaugh, the Pirates' manager at the time, said, ''I hope Stuart doesn't think he means him.''
