Larry Murray (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Larry Murray is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, two for the New York Yankees
and one for the Oakland Athletics
.
. He made his major league debut in , and played a handful of games in the majors in the next two seasons as well. His greatest asset was his speed, as evidenced by his use mostly as a pinch runner, though he did also play some outfield.
to the Yankees in exchange for Dock Ellis
, Marty Perez
, and Murray. While Ellis was fairly quickly shipped off himself to the Texas Rangers
, Murray was given a chance to establish himself with Oakland. In 90 games, however, Murray batted just .179, with just 9 RBI in 179 at bat
s. He did steal
12 bases.
After spending most of back in the minor league
s, Murray got another chance in , but fared little better, batting a paltry .186. Even his speed seemed to desert him, as he stole just 6 bases in 12 tries, and he was soon benched in favor of Tony Armas
. That would be the end of Murray's major league career.
Murray played one more season of professional baseball with the Ogden A's
in , then retired.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, two for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and one for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
Yankees
Murray was drafted by the Yankees out of high school in the 3rd round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft1971 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The June 1971 draft was a productive one, even though none of its top ten choices yielded players who would have memorable major league careers...
. He made his major league debut in , and played a handful of games in the majors in the next two seasons as well. His greatest asset was his speed, as evidenced by his use mostly as a pinch runner, though he did also play some outfield.
A's
Murray's big break came during the early part of the season. With Charlie Finley's dismantling of the team in full swing, the A's shipped Mike TorrezMike Torrez
Michael Augustine Torrez is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Torrez had an 18-year career from 1967 to 1984. He played for the St...
to the Yankees in exchange for Dock Ellis
Dock Ellis
Dock Phillip Ellis, Jr. was a professional baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, among other teams in Major League Baseball. His best season was 1971, when he won 19 games for the World Series champion Pirates and was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star...
, Marty Perez
Marty Perez
Martin Roman Perez Jr. was a shortstop and second baseman for the California Angels , Atlanta Braves , San Francisco Giants , New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics ....
, and Murray. While Ellis was fairly quickly shipped off himself to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, Murray was given a chance to establish himself with Oakland. In 90 games, however, Murray batted just .179, with just 9 RBI in 179 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. He did steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
12 bases.
After spending most of back in the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
s, Murray got another chance in , but fared little better, batting a paltry .186. Even his speed seemed to desert him, as he stole just 6 bases in 12 tries, and he was soon benched in favor of Tony Armas
Tony Armas
Antonio Rafael Armas Machado is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was one of the top sluggers in the American League in the early 1980s. Twice Armas led the league in home runs, and led all of Major League Baseball in RBIs in...
. That would be the end of Murray's major league career.
Murray played one more season of professional baseball with the Ogden A's
Ogden A's
The Ogden A's were a former minor league baseball team located in Ogden, Utah. They played as the Triple-A farm club of the Oakland Athletics. The team only played for two seasons, and...
in , then retired.