The case for the Murph

Joe Torre once said, "If you're a coach, you want him as a player. If you're a father, you want him as a son. If you're a woman, you want him as a husband. If you're a kid, you want him as a father. What else can you say about the guy?"

This man is Dale Bryan Murphy. He is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Braves uniform. He accomplished so much in his baseball career on and off the field, yet he is still not in the Hall of Fame. What's wrong with this picture?

The first thing many people think about when they hear Dale Murphy is the back-to-back MVP awards he won in 1982 and 1983. (It's ironic that the same people who elected him for those awards haven't elected him into Cooperstown yet.) He was The Sporting News' NL Player of the Year both of those years.

Murphy was a seven-time All-Star (1980, 1982-1987). He received 1.4 million votes from the fans in 1985, the most that year. He also won five consecutive Gold Gloves (1982-1986) and four consecutive Silver Slugger awards (1982-1985). This all makes for a pretty good resume.

Let's dig a little deeper into his "traditional" statistics. Murphy collected 2,111 hits in 2,180 games over his 18-year career, with 398 of those hits being home runs. He had a .346 on-base percentage and a .469 slugging percentage, which makes for a .815 OPS. He batted in 1,266 runs and scored 1,197. He compiled 3,733 total bases. He struck out 1,748 times, but he walked 986 times. He did all of this while playing five different positions: catcher, first base, center field (his most-played position), left field and right field.

While the Atlanta Braves floundered during the 1980s, Murphy shined. He had his best years during that decade.

In 1982, his first MVP year, he hit .281 with 36 home runs (second in the NL) and had a league-leading 109 RBIs. He scored 113 runs (second), walked 93 times (fourth) and got 303 total bases (third). He also had a .885 OPS (seventh).

Then in his other MVP year, 1983, he improved, with a career-high .302 BA (sixth), 36 homers and the NL's most RBIs, 121. He scored 131 times (second), got 90 walks (fourth) and collected 318 total bases (second). His OPS was a NL high of .933.

In 1984, Murphy finished ninth in the MVP voting, but he still played excellently. He hit .290, with a NL-leading 36 home runs and 100 RBIs (third). He scored 94 runs (seventh), walked 79 times (sixth) and led the NL with 332 total bases. His OPS was .919 (second).

The 1985 season was also a terrific year for the Murph, even though he finished only seventh in the MVP voting. That year he hit .300 (tenth), with a NL high 37 homers and 111 RBIs (second). His 118 runs were the most, as were his 90 walks. He got 332 total bases (second) and a .927 OPS (second).

The celebrated baseball statistician Bill James has created many tools for determining how valuable a player really is. Baseball-reference.com has taken some of these and altered them a little bit.

The Black-Ink Test measures how often a player led his league in important stats. It got its name because league leaders are usually in bold ink. Murphy has a 31, which is pretty good considering that the average Hall of Famer has a 27. Many have much lower scores, like Robin Yount (14), Joe Morgan (15), Willie Stargell (17) and Johnny Bench (20), just to name a few.

The Gray-Ink Test takes any top 10 finish into consideration. The average for the HOF is 144. Murphy has a 147. He is again higher than many greats, including Yount (120), Jackie Robinson (121), Stargell (125), Morgan (131) and Yogi Berra (138).

Another is called Hall of Fame Career Standards. It compares a player's entire career rather than a few peak years. Murphy's score of 34.3 is lower than most because he had troubles at the beginning of his career. But, three other Hall of Famers have the same score, so there's still hope.

Hall of Fame Monitor is used to determine factors that get players elected to the Hall. A 100 gives a player a good chance of being elected, and a 130 means the player is a lock. Murphy has a 115.5, which should give him a good shot. Even celebrated players like Robinson and Stargell had lower scores (98 and 108 respectively).

Not only was Murphy a great baseball player, but he was also a great person. He has served as a spokesperson and/or honorary chairman for a long list of charities. He also has won the Bart Giamatti award recognizing his charitable efforts.

Murphy converted to Mormonism in 1975, and he has been very involved in the church ever since. He donates 10 percent of his salary to the church, and he recently served as a Mission President in Boston.

In 1985, he won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. It is given to the player that best fits the character of the Hall of Famer. In 1987, Sports Illustrated named him one of the eight athletes in the entire world "who care the most." In 1988, he won the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the most charitable major leaguer.

Look at his character. Look at his statistics. Look at them again. Now tell me why Dale Murphy isn't in the Hall.

For more information on Dale Murphy's life, check out "Forever a Brave -- A Tribute to Dale Murphy."