Murtaugh receives another shot at the Hall

Sunday, November 29, 2009
By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

It might seem like a fairy tale if the late Danny Murtaugh were to be voted into baseball's Hall of Fame on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the world championship the Pirates won under him in 1960. But Bill Virdon, one of his pupils, doesn't put his candidacy in the realm of make-believe.

"He deserves it. I'm all for it. I wish I could vote," said Virdon, who played under Murtaugh on that 1960 team and later managed in four different organizations, winning division titles with the Pirates and the Astros.

"He was the best thing that ever happened to me in baseball. I played for him, and he set me up to manage. Any time he'd have a chance, he'd tell me why he did something. I observed him very closely. I thought of him as one of the best in the business," he added.

Post-Gazette archives

Clockwise from left, Danny Murtaugh in his rocking chair was a familiar clubhouse sight in the 1970s; the iconic shot of Murtaugh with Bill Mazeroski after Game 7 of the 1960 World Series; Murtaugh acknowledges the Three Rivers Stadium crowd on his final day as manager -- Oct. 4, 1976.

A 16-member veterans committee will meet next Sunday to consider the candidacy of Murtaugh, seven other managers and two umpires for the Hall of Fame. A minimum of 12 votes, or 75 percent of the total, are required for induction. Results will be announced on Dec. 7, at major league baseball's winter meetings in Indianapolis.

Murtaugh, whose No. 40 has been retired by the Pirates, previously was considered for enshrinement two years ago. He received six of 16 votes from the veterans' panel.

A native of Chester, Pa., Murtaugh managed the Pirates in four separate stints over 15 seasons while dealing with health issues such as ulcers in a high-stress post. His teams had a winning percentage of .540 (1,115 wins against 950 losses), and the Pirates won the National League pennant and World Series under him in 1960 and 1971. He died on Dec. 2, 1976, at age 59.

Like others who played under Murtaugh, Virdon said there were simple commandments to be obeyed -- work hard, hustle and be alert.

"He wasn't arrogant. He wasn't looking for accolades. He wasn't one to try to take credit. He just wanted to do well," Virdon said.

The Pirates have lobbied on Murtaugh's behalf, putting together an information packet that was sent to the Hall of Fame committee. Included are endorsement letters from former players and team executives, including letters from Virdon and Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski.

Mazeroski's career sputtered under Bobby Bragan but flourished under Murtaugh, who took over the Pirates during the 1957 season. A second baseman during his big league career, Murtaugh put Mazeroski's name in the everyday lineup and kept it there. From then on, Maz didn't have to worry about who might be pinch-hitting for him early in a game.

During Murtaugh's tenure, which included the transition from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates twice won championships over powerhouse organizations skippered by managers who are in the Hall of Fame -- the 1960 Yankees of Casey Stengel and the 1971 Baltimore Orioles managed by Earl Weaver.

"Nothing illustrates Murtaugh's managerial career better than his two World Series wins over two Hall of Fame managers in two different decades," Mazeroski said.

In the days when baseball was indisputably the national pastime, Murtaugh was known as a player's manager.

"He was great to play for," said Roy Face, who pioneered the role of the relief pitcher under Murtaugh's guidance. "If you did your job, he left you alone. If you didn't, he'd want to know why. He knew what was going on, on and off the field."

For Steve Blass, who pitched a complete game to beat the Orioles in Baltimore in the 1971 World Series, Murtaugh was the ideal manager.

"I loved the man. He was never unprepared. He knew the game inside and out. When any kind of situation came up, he was able to deal with it quietly and effectively," Blass said. "You can never have too many Danny Murtaughs in the Hall of Fame."

The timing couldn't be better, according to Joe Garagiola, a former big league catcher who made it to the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster. But sentiment goes only so far in Hall of Fame votes.

"I really don't think you get to the Hall of Fame on numbers and awards alone. It's the contributions above the numbers. Danny has that covered with the teams he played for and managed," Garagiola wrote in his endorsement letter.

Murtaugh is on the ballot with managers Charlie Grimm, Whitey Herzog, Davey Johnson, Tom Kelly, Billy Martin, Gene Mauch and Steve O'Neill, and umpires Dough Harvey and Hank O'Day.

The voters include Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Al Kaline, Tom Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Tony Perez, Billy Williams and Dick Williams, along with media members Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated and Jack O'Connell of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Hall arguments for Murtaugh

• His 1,115 wins are more than Hall of Famers Harry Wright (1,000) and Billy Southworth (1,044).

• His .540 winning percentage ranks higher than the following managers who are already in Cooperstown: Ned Hanlon (.530), Bucky Harris (.493), Tommy Lasorda (.526), Connie Mack (.486), Bill McKechnie (.526), Wilbert Robinson (.500), Dick Williams (.520) and Casey Stengel (.508).

• Hall of Fame managers Leo Durocher (1), Earl Weaver (1), Ned Hanlon (1), Al Lopez (0), Wilbert Robinson (0), Frank Selee (0) did not win as many World Series as Murtaugh's two.

• Only seven managers in the Hall have more than Murtaugh's two World Series titles.

-- Pittsburgh Pirates

Robert Dvorchak can be reached at bdvorchak@post-gazette.com.

First published on November 29, 2009 at 12:00 am