My Time Thinking About Dale Murphy and the Braves
Alright, so today I set aside some time to really think about Dale Murphy and his time with the Atlanta Braves. Just wanted to walk through my memories and what I kinda dug up in my head about him.
First thing that came to mind, almost instantly, was the back-to-back MVP awards. That was a huge deal. I started trying to place the years… yeah, had to think a sec… 1982 and 1983. Dominated those two seasons.
Then I got to thinking about what made him stick out for me. It wasn’t just the power, though he had plenty of that. He hit a ton of home runs. But it was also his image, you know? He was just this really solid, dependable guy. Seemed like a genuinely good dude, which felt important for the face of the franchise.
I remembered something else then – he didn’t start out where he ended up playing most. Didn’t he come up as a catcher? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s right. Then they moved him to the outfield. Making that switch and becoming a Gold Glove outfielder, that takes serious work and athleticism. Pretty impressive when you think about it.
Digging into the Team Vibe Back Then
Thinking about Murphy automatically brings up those Braves teams from the 80s. They weren’t always world-beaters, but they were always on TV thanks to TBS. Felt like everyone knew the Braves because of that.
Murphy was the centerpiece of it all. He was there for a long time, through thick and thin. What else stood out?
- Consistency: He just showed up and played hard every day.
- The Number: His jersey, number 3. That’s retired by the Braves, isn’t it? Yeah, pretty sure they did. Good for them.
- All-Star Games: Seemed like he was an All-Star pretty much every year during his prime.
Then there’s the whole Hall of Fame thing. It always bugs me a little. You look at his stats, the MVPs, the Gold Gloves, the Silver Sluggers… feels like he should be in Cooperstown. I know people debate the counting stats or whatever, but his peak was incredible, and he was THE guy for that team for so long. Just seems like a miss that he’s not in.
So, yeah, that was my little practice session for today. Just ran through the Dale Murphy years in my mind. A great player, represented Atlanta well. Definitely one of the iconic Braves. Good memories.
