Baltimore Orioles Throwback Thursday: Eddie Murray

Contributor Joe Chambers spends a little time reflecting on former Baltimore Orioles great, Eddie Murray, on this “Throwback Thursday” piece.

Eddie Murray was a great home run hitter, one of the greatest in the history of Major League Baseball, to be exact. Murray had such a smooth swing, sending baseballs deep into the stands as fans watched in awe on a nightly basis.

When the Baltimore Orioles won the World Series in 1983, Murray had 33 homers (the most for him in any season), 111 RBIs, a .306 batting average, .536 slugging percentage, and .930 OPS%. Murray was a key component in the success of the Baltimore Orioles that season and for the franchise during his time with the ball-club.

Playing the majority of his career in Baltimore, Murray won two American League East Division titles for the Orioles (1979 and 1983). Murray was a tremendous hitter and considered one of the better clutch hitters when he played for the Orioles. He was also a man who displayed lots of class while at the plate. According to his Baseball Hall of Fame website, Cal Ripken Jr. thanked Eddie Murray for leading by example of how to play the game day in and day out.

Eddie Murray is one of those players who you looked up too. I have a bobblehead of Murray in my room and whenever I walk in there, his bobblehead is one of the first things I see. I continue to watch many Orioles clips and highlights of Murray, always in amazement of how he was able to contribute to the ballclub. Without a doubt, he’s one of the best players in franchise history.

Some cool facts about Eddie Murray:

• 8x- All-Star
• 1,917 RBI
• 504 HRs
• 3,255 hits
• 3,026 games played
• 3x- Silver Slugger winner
• 3x- Gold Glove Award winner
• 1977 Rookie of the Year

As a kid, I dreamed of playing a professional sport when I grew up. I was never the tallest, fastest, or strongest player, but I played the game the way that I learned growing up watching some of the greats in Orioles history. Watching Murray’s swing was just poetry in motion. The way he could swing the bat so smoothly was tremendous and something I wish I could do in real life.

Thanks Eddie for being you and for being such a special part of Orioles history.