View source for Danny Murtaugh

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1917–1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Danny Murtaugh
|image=Danny Murtaugh 1960s.jpg
|position=[[Second baseman]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1917|10|8}}
|birth_place=[[Chester, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1976|12|2|1917|10|8}}
|death_place=[[Upland, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=July 3
|debutyear=1941
|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=September 6
|finalyear=1951
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.254
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=8
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=219
|stat4label=Managerial record
|stat4value=1,115–950
|stat5label=Winning %
|stat5value=.540
|teams=
;As player
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1941}}–{{mlby|1943}}, {{mlby|1946}})
* [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] ({{mlby|1947}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1948}}–{{mlby|1951}})
;As manager
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1957}}–{{mlby|1964}}, {{mlby|1967}}, {{mlby|1970}}–{{mlby|1971}}, {{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1976}})
;As coach
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1956}}–{{mlby|1957}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1960}}, {{wsy|1971}})
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders|NL stolen base leader]] (1941)
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Pirates No. 40]] retired
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates#Pirates Hall of Fame|Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame]]
}}

'''Daniel Edward Murtaugh''' (October 8, 1917 – December 2, 1976) was an American [[second baseman]], [[Manager (baseball)|manager]], front-office executive, and [[Coach (baseball)|coach]] in [[Major League Baseball]] ([[MLB]]). Murtaugh is best known for his 29-year association with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], with whom he won two [[World Series]] as field manager (in {{baseball year|1960}} and {{baseball year |1971}}). He also played 416 of his 767 career MLB [[games played|games]] with the Pirates as their second baseman.

==Life and career==
===As player===
Murtaugh appeared in all or parts of nine big-league seasons, initially for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] (1941–43, 1946) and [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] (1947) before joining the Pirates (1948–51). He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as {{convert|5|ft|9|in}} tall and {{convert|165|lb}}.

[[File:Danny Murtaugh 1949 Bowman.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Murtaugh's 1949 [[Bowman Gum]] baseball card]]
A native of [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], Murtaugh was working with his father at [[Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.]] after he graduated from [[Chester High School (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Chester High School]] when he took a pay cut to start his [[professional baseball]] career  at age 19 in 1937. After signing with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], he joined the Redbirds' extensive [[farm system]], initially as a member of the [[Cambridge Cardinals|Cambridge (Maryland) Cardinals]] of the Class D [[Eastern Shore League]]. In June 1941, in the midst of Murtaugh's second consecutive stellar season with the [[Houston Buffaloes]] of the [[Texas League]], the Phillies purchased his contract; he then made his MLB debut on July 3 as a defensive replacement for [[Hal Marnie]] against Boston at [[Braves Field]].<ref>[[Retrosheet]] [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1941/B07030BSN1941.htm box score: 1941-07-03]</ref> The following day he started both ends of a July 4 [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] and essentially took over as the Phils' regular second baseman.

As a [[rookie]], Murtaugh led the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in [[stolen base]]s with 18, even though he played only 85 games after his acquisition from Houston in late June. In 1942–43 he got into 257 [[games played|games]] before joining the [[United States Army]] in August 1943 for [[World War II]] service. He declined the opportunity to play baseball in the United States and served in combat with the [[97th Infantry Division (United States)|97th Infantry]] in [[Germany]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/d9cd13bd |title=Danny Murtaugh |website=sabr.org |access-date=August 12, 2017 }}</ref>

Returning to baseball in {{mlby|1946}}, he played in only six games for Philadelphia before he was sold back to the Cardinals' organization. At [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[Rochester Red Wings|Rochester]], Murtaugh [[batting average (baseball)|hit]] .322 and his 174 [[hit (baseball)|hits]] were tied for first in the [[International League]]. The Braves then selected him in the 1946 [[Rule 5 draft]], but Murtaugh played in only three early-season games for them before he was again sent to Triple-A. At 29, he had another good offensive season, hitting .302 for [[Milwaukee Brewers (American Association)|Milwaukee]]. Although his performance did not earn Murtaugh a return to the Braves, it led to perhaps his biggest break when, on November 18, Boston included him in a five-player trade to the Pirates, where he spent the rest of his big-league career. 
 
His most productive season came in his first year with the Bucs, {{mlby|1948}}, when he hit .290 and posted career highs in hits (149), [[runs batted in]] (71), [[run (baseball)|runs scored]] (56), [[double (baseball)|doubles]] (21), [[triple (baseball)|triples]] (5) and [[games played]] (146). He started a career-high 145 games as the Pirates' second baseman. After a subpar {{baseball year|1949}}, Murtaugh rebounded by hitting a personal-best .294 in {{mlby|1950}}.  Overall, Murtaugh was a .254 career lifetime batter with 661 hits, eight [[home run]]s and 219 RBI in 767 games.

===As manager===
After retiring as a player, Murtaugh managed the [[New Orleans Pelicans (baseball)|New Orleans Pelicans]] (1952–54), the Pirates' [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] farm club, and the unaffiliated Triple-A [[Charleston Senators]] (April 19–July 16, 1955). In 1956 he returned to the Pirates as a coach under [[Bobby Bragan]]. In his second year in the job, on [[1957 in baseball|August 4, 1957]], he succeeded Bragan as skipper with the Bucs 36–67 and one game out of last place; under Murtaugh, they perked up to win 26 of their final 51 games. In his first full season, {{mlby|1958}}, Murtaugh led the Pirates to a surprise second-place finish in the National League. He went on to hold the Pittsburgh job for all or parts of fifteen seasons over four different terms (1957–64, 1967, 1970–71, 1973–76).

In {{mlby|1960}}, his third full season as their manager, Murtaugh guided the Bucs to the first of the two [[World Series]] championships they won under his command. After they captured the National League [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] by seven full games over the [[Milwaukee Braves]], they stunned the heavy-hitting [[1960 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in the [[1960 World Series]]—won in Pittsburgh's last [[at bat]] by [[Bill Mazeroski]]'s [[walk-off home run]] in the [[inning (baseball)|ninth inning]] of Game 7. The Yankees outscored Pittsburgh 55–27, and administered three thrashings (16–3, 10–0 and 12–0), but the resilient Pirates took the other four contests by a run differential of only +7 (6–4, 3–2, 5–2 and 10–9).

[[File:Danny Murtaugh 1964.jpg|thumb|Murtaugh, circa 1964]]
From 1961 to 1964, his Pirates had only one over-.500 season and, after the conclusion of the {{mlby|1964}} campaign, Murtaugh stepped down as manager just before his 47th birthday. He had been battling health problems, sometimes reported as a [[heart disease|heart ailment]].<ref name="buc407">{{cite web|author=The Associated Press|author-link=The Associated Press|title=Danny Murtaugh is Dead at 59; Won 2 Series as Pirate Manager|date=December 2, 1976|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/03/archives/danny-murtaugh-is-dead-at-59-won-2-series-as-pirate-manager.html?_r=0|access-date=2017-10-09}}</ref> He moved up to the Pirate front office as a key assistant in charge of evaluating players for [[general manager (baseball)|general manager]] [[Joe L. Brown]]. After the 1965 season, he turned down feelers from the [[Boston Red Sox]] to join their organization as vice president, player personnel. Then, in {{mlby|1967}}, when his immediate successor as the Pirates' manager, [[Harry Walker]], was fired July 17, Murtaugh returned as interim pilot for the remainder of the 1967 season, after which he returned to the front office.

Well aware of the abundance of talent in the Pittsburgh system, Murtaugh asked to reclaim the managing job after [[Larry Shepard]] was fired in the last week of the {{Baseball year|1969}} season. Once medically cleared, he began his third term as skipper of the Pirates on October 9, 1969; hours after Murtaugh's re-hiring, [[Don Hoak]], 41, his third baseman on the 1960 World Series champions and a manager in the Pirates' [[farm system]], died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] after believing he was a leading contender to manage the parent club.

Murtaugh's first two clubs won the 1970–71 [[National League East Division]] titles. Although the {{mlby|1970}} squad fell in that season's [[1970 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] to the [[Cincinnati Reds]], Murtaugh's [[1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1971 Pirates]] would bounce back. On September 1, 1971, Murtaugh was the first manager in major league history to field a starting lineup consisting of nine black players (including both African Americans and Afro-Latin Americans); the Pirates beat the Phillies 10–7 in that game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/the-day-the-pirates-fielded-the-first-all-black-and-latino-lineup |title=The Pirates Lineup That Changed Baseball |last=Alonso |first=Nathalie |date=September 1, 2022 |website=mlb.com |publisher= |access-date=September 14, 2022 |quote=}}</ref> The next month, they defeated the [[San Francisco Giants]] in the [[1971 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] and then captured the [[1971 World Series]] with a memorable comeback from a two-games-to-none deficit against the favored [[Baltimore Orioles]]. That World Series was marked by the brilliant performance of future [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]r [[Roberto Clemente]], who batted .414 with twelve hits to lead his team to the championship.

Citing renewed health concerns — he had been hospitalized for chest pain during the 1971 season<ref name="buc407"/> — Murtaugh again resigned as manager after the world title. He moved back into the Pittsburgh front office, and his hand-picked successor, [[Bill Virdon]] (center fielder for his 1960 champions), took over for {{mlby|1972}} — although Murtaugh, as manager of the reigning World Series champs, did return to uniform to manage the National League entry in the [[1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] in [[Atlanta]], a 4–3 triumph for the Senior Circuit.

With the {{mlby|1973}} Pirates scuffling with a 67–69 mark on September 5, Brown fired Virdon and asked Murtaugh to take command of the team. Murtaugh reluctantly returned to managing, his fourth term in the post, and stayed through the {{Baseball year|1976}} season, winning NL East titles in {{mlby|1974}} and {{mlby|1975}} but falling to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and the Reds in the NLCS in successive years.  After a second-place finish in {{baseball year|1976}}, both Murtaugh and Brown announced their retirements during the final week of the season.

==Death and legacy==
Murtaugh suffered a [[stroke]] on November 30, 1976, just two months after retiring. After falling into a coma, he died at age 59 on December 2 at Crozier-Chester Medical Center in [[Upland, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Danny Murtaugh Dies in Coma After Stroke |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123580407/murtaugh-stroke-december-3-1976/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=The Daily American |date=December 3, 1976 |location=[[Somerset, Pennsylvania]] |page=12|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> His funeral occurred on December&nbsp;6 at Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church in [[Folsom, Pennsylvania]], attended by over 800&nbsp;people, including multiple members of the Pirates organization: [[Willie Stargell]], [[Bill Robinson (outfielder)|Bill Robinson]], [[Bruce Kison]], [[Dave Giusti]], [[Larry Demery]], [[Jim Rooker]], [[Al Oliver]], and [[Bob Robertson]]. Coaches [[Don Leppert]] and [[José Pagán]] also attended, along with [[Steve Blass]] and [[Manny Sanguillen]]. Afterwards, a 70-car procession led Murtaugh's body to its resting place at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in [[Marple Township, Pennsylvania|Marple Township]].<ref>{{cite news |title="Civilized World Love Murtaugh," Says His Eulogy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123581130/murtaugh-funeral-december-7-1976/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=December 7, 1976 |page=20|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>  The number 40 he wore as the Bucs' manager was retired by the Pirates on April 7, 1977.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bucs Face Cards at Home |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123582212/murtaugh-40-april-7-1977/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |work=The Salem News |date=April 7, 1977 |location=[[Salem, Ohio]] |page=10|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

Murtaugh was a two-time winner (1960 and 1971) of [[The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award|''The Sporting News'' Manager of the Year Award]]. He compiled a 1,115–950–3 record in 2,068 games (.540),<ref name="managerial record">{{cite web|title=Danny Murtaugh|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/murtada01.shtml|website=Baseball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=October 3, 2015}}</ref> second in Pirates history behind only [[Fred Clarke]]. In addition to his two National League [[pennant (sports)|pennants]] and world championships, he won four Eastern Division titles (1970–1971-1974–1975), and no Pirates manager has won more division titles in their tenure since his death. In twelve full seasons as manager, he led the Pirates to a winning record nine times; his five postseason appearances with the Pirates is still the most by any manager in team history.

==Managerial record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
![[1957 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1957}}
||51||{{WinLossPct|26|25}}|| 7th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1958 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1958}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|84|70}}|| 2nd in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1959 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1959}}
||155||{{WinLossPct|78|76}}|| 4th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1960}}
||155||{{WinLossPct|95|59}}|| '''1st in NL''' || 4 || 3 || .571 || '''Won [[1960 World Series|World Series]] ([[1960 New York Yankees season|NYY]])'''
|-
![[1961 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1961}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|75|79}}|| 6th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1962 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1962}}
||161||{{WinLossPct|93|68}}|| 4th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1963 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1963}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|74|88}}|| 8th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1964 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1964}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|80|82}}|| 6th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
!colspan="11"|
|-
![[1967 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1967}}
||79||{{WinLossPct|39|39}}|| 6th in NL || – || – || – || –
|-
!colspan="11"|
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1970 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1970}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|89|73}}|| '''1st in NL East''' || 0 || 3 || .000 || Lost [[1970 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] ([[1970 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]])
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1971}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|97|65}}|| '''1st in NL East''' || 7 || 4 || .636 || '''Won [[1971 World Series|World Series]] ([[1971 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]])'''
|-
!colspan="11"|
|-
![[1973 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1973}}
||26||{{WinLossPct|13|13}}|| 3rd in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1974 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1974}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|88|74}}|| '''1st in NL East''' || 1 || 3 || .250 || Lost [[1974 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] ([[1974 Los Angeles Dodgers season|LAD]])
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1975 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1975}}
||161||{{WinLossPct|92|69}}|| '''1st in NL East''' || 0 || 3 || .000 || Lost [[1975 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] ([[1975 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]])
|-
![[1976 Pittsburgh Pirates season|PIT]]|| {{mlby|1976}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|92|70}}|| 2nd in NL East || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|Total<ref name="managerial record"/> ||2,068 {{efn|Murtaugh also managed in three games that ended in a tie}}||{{WinLossPct|1115|950}}|| || {{WinLossPct|12|16}} || 
|}

== Highlights ==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Pirates_40.png
|Name   = Danny Murtaugh
|Number = 40
|Team   = Pittsburgh Pirates
|Year   = 1977
|}}
* Led NL in stolen bases (1941)
* Led NL second basemen in [[putout]]s, [[assist (baseball)|assists]] and [[double play]]s (1948)
* Finished 9th in the NL [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] selection (1948)
* Selected "Man of the Year" by ''[[Sport (US magazine)|Sport]]'' magazine (1960)
* Twice received [[Sporting News Manager of the Year Award|''The Sporting News'' Manager of the Year Award]] (1960, 1970)
* Three-time [[Dapper Dan Charities#Dapper Dan awards|Dapper Dan Award]]-winner (1958, 1970, 1971)
* One of 65 managers in major league history to win 1,000 or more games, and one of only twelve  to win 1,000 games while also not losing 1,000 games

== See also ==
* [[List of Major League Baseball retired numbers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins]]
* [[Tim Murtaugh]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
**"A great manager, a great man" Hroncich, Colleen, [[Columbia University|Columbia]], (KofC, New Haven, CT, July 2016)

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== External links ==
*{{baseballstats|mlb=119599|espn=25640|br=m/murtada01|fangraphs=1009402|brm=murtau001dan|retro=M/Pmurtd101}}
*{{baseball-reference manager|id=murtada01}}
*Danny Murtaugh at [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=murtada01 Baseball Almanac]
* [http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071128&content_id=5637&vkey=hof_news Baseball Hall of Fame – 2008 Veterans Committee candidate profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130142620/http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071128&content_id=5637&vkey=hof_news |date=2007-11-30 }}
* {{Find a Grave}}
* {{SABR Baseball Biography Project|d9cd13bd}}

{{Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates managers}}
{{1960 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{1971 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates retired numbers}}
{{NL stolen base champions}}
{{Sporting News Manager of the Year Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murtaugh, Danny}}
[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Chester, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Boston Braves players]]
[[Category:Cambridge Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Chester High School alumni]]
[[Category:Columbus Red Birds players]]
[[Category:Houston Buffaloes players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball managers with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball second basemen]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Minor league baseball managers]]
[[Category:National League stolen base champions]]
[[Category:New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates coaches]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates managers]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates scouts]]
[[Category:Rochester Red Wings players]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:World Series–winning managers|Mu]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]