Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth in team history in both games played and hits. Though Murray never won a Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, he finished in the top ten in MVP voting several times. He had 996 runs batted in in the 1980s, more than any other player. After his playing career, Murray coached for the Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Murray is one of only seven players in MLB history to be in both the 3,000 hit club and the 500 home run club. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in . In the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (2001), Murray is described as the fifth-best first baseman in major league history. He was 77th on the list of the Baseball's 100 Greatest Players by The Sporting News (1998).
Early life
Murray was the eighth child of twelve and still has five sisters and four brothers. He has often quipped that as a child he did not have to go far for a pick-up baseball game. The games were quite fierce and his older brothers never let him win. Murray played Little League baseball under coach Clifford Prelow, an ex-Dodger minor leaguer. (In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Murray thanked Prelow for teaching him not just the game of baseball, but love for the game as well.) Prelow remembers that young Murray was a well behaved player. Murray attended Locke High School in Los Angeles, where he batted .500 as a senior and was a teammate of Ozzie Smith.
Playing career
Baltimore Orioles (1977–1988) Murray was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 1973 amateur draft and had several successful seasons in the minor leagues. He debuted at the major league level on April 7, 1977, and played in 160 games for the Orioles in his first season. In 160 games, he hit for .283 while contributing 88 RBIs, 27 home runs, 29 doubles, and 173 hits while also striking out 104 times during the season. This was the only season in which he struck out over 100 times. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award. In his next season, he played in 161 games while raising his totals, hitting for .285 along with having 95 RBIs, 27 home runs, 32 doubles, 174 hits along with being named to his first All-Star Game and finishing 8th in the MVP balloting. In the 1979 season, he hit .295 along with driving in 99 runs, 25 home runs, 30 doubles and 179 hits in 159 games. Though he was not named to the All-Star Game, he finished 11th in the MVP balloting. He participated in his first postseason. In the 1979 American League Championship Series, he hit 5-for-12 for a .417 batting average along with one home run and 5 RBIs as they beat the California Angels in four games. In the 1979 World Series, he hit 4-for-26 for a .154 average with one home run and 2 RBIs but also four strikeouts as the Orioles lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games.
With the Orioles from 1977 until 1988, Murray averaged 28 home runs and 99 RBI, making him a perennial candidate for the MVP award, twice finishing second in the voting. Murray's close-knit friendship with fellow Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. was highly publicized in Baltimore at the time. In fact, Ripken has credited Murray with teaching him his work ethic.
In the 1980 season, he hit .300 (a career first), having 116 RBIs, 32 home runs, 36 doubles, and 179 hits in 158 games. He finished 6th in the MVP balloting that year. While only playing in 99 games due to the player's strike, in 1981 Murray hit .294 along with 78 RBIs (which led the American League), 22 home runs (tied for the American League lead), 21 doubles and 111 hits while being named to the 1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and finishing 5th in the MVP balloting. He returned to full form the following year, hitting for .316 along with 110 RBIs, 32 home runs, 30 doubles, and 174 hits in 151 games. He was named to the 1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game along with being awarded his first-ever Gold Glove Award and finishing 2nd in the MVP balloting.