Robert Allan Murphy (September 19, 1924 – August 3, 2004) was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. He was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003. He was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award in 1994.

Early life

Murphy was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1924.

Broadcasting career

Murphy made his first appearance in a baseball broadcast booth with the minor league Muskogee Reds. His first major league job was with the Boston Red Sox in , working alongside Curt Gowdy. In , he moved to the Baltimore Orioles for two seasons, replacing Ernie Harwell.

New York Mets

Murphy's call of Roger Maris' record-tying 60th home run of the season became an audition tape that landed him a job with the expansion New York Mets in .

Murphy, despite his long association with the Mets, never openly rooted for the team from the booth. Listeners knew that he was happier when the Mets won, as evidenced by his mention of a "happy recap" after a Mets win and a "recap" after a Mets loss, but he never referred to the Mets as "we" and, reflecting his love of the game, he would sound equally excited when a good play was made against the Mets as he would when the Mets made a similar play.

Murphy was well known for his sunny outlook. He opened games saying "the sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's a beautiful day for baseball.” Because of this, an unprecedented display of crankiness on his part received much attention. On July 25, 1990, in Philadelphia, the Mets took a 10–3 lead into the ninth inning. But the rival Phillies opened the inning with seven consecutive singles, followed by a walk, and scored six runs to narrow the Mets lead to one run before the Mets were able to turn a double-play and get a line drive out. Murphy's patience was apparently worn thin by the long inning. When the game finally ended, he famously exclaimed, "A line drive caught. The game is over. The Mets win it. A line drive to Mario Díaz. And the Mets win the ballgame! They win the damn thing by a score of 10 to 9!"

Murphy also broadcast several Orange Bowl games in the 1980s on network radio. In addition, from September 17, 1973, through April 5, 1974, Murphy hosted the New York City edition of Bowling for Dollars, on WOR-TV.

Retirement and death

In his later years, Murphy (a smoker) began having trouble calling games due to persistent throat inflammation. After the season, he left the broadcast booth and retired to Florida. He died of lung cancer August 3, 2004 in West Palm Beach. After his death, the Mets honored Murphy's memory by wearing a patch on the left sleeve of their uniforms for the rest of the season.

Awards and honors

Murphy, along with Nelson and Kiner, was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1994 he was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame as a recipient of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. He was voted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2002. He was honored with "Bob Murphy Night" at Shea Stadium on September 25, 2003.

In April 2023, the Mets honored Murphy with a large plaque adorning the outfield wall of Citi Field, next to that of his long-time broadcast partner Ralph Kiner.

Personal life

Murphy married Joye in 1972, and they had six children.

References

  • Bob Murphy Ford C. Frick Award biography at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
  • New York Mets tribute page