Danny Murtaugh, baseball player, 1941-1951

Danny Murtaugh

Born: 10/8/1917 in Chester, PA, USA

Died: 12/2/1976 in Chester, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-07-03 | Final Game: 1951-09-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Daniel Edward Murtaugh

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Biography

Danny Murtaugh was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1941 to 1951. Born in 1917, Murtaugh established himself as a versatile position player during a time marked by the challenges of World War II and the subsequent transition of Major League Baseball into a more competitive era. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 767 games, accumulating 661 hits and achieving a batting average of .254. Murtaugh demonstrated a well-rounded offensive skill set, contributing 8 home runs and 219 RBIs, while also showcasing his speed on the base paths with 49 stolen bases. Murtaugh's playing style was characterized by his ability to adapt to various positions on the field, which made him a valuable asset to his teams. His contributions were particularly significant during the early years of his career, when he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Murtaugh's legacy is not only defined by his individual statistics but also by his role in shaping the Pirates during a transformative period in baseball history. After retiring as a player, Murtaugh would go on to find success as a manager, further solidifying his impact on the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
767 2599 263 661 97 21 8 219 49 287 215 0.254 0.331 0.317 0.648 -3400.0

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .331 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .317 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — 14.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.648 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1941 PHI NL 85 347 34 76 8 1 0 11 18 26 31 0.219 .262 (-16%) .332 (-17%) .373 (-34%) .705 (-26%) -1607.6
1942 PHI NL 144 506 48 122 16 4 0 27 13 49 39 0.241 .253 (-5%) .323 (-4%) .349 (-17%) .672 (-11%) -996.6
1943 PHI NL 113 451 65 123 17 4 1 35 4 57 23 0.273 .255 (+7%) .324 (+10%) .346 (-3%) .671 (+3%) 409.7
1946 PHI NL 6 19 1 4 1 0 1 3 0 2 2 0.211 — — — — 0.0
1947 BSN NL 3 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1948 PIT NL 146 514 56 149 21 5 1 71 10 60 40 0.290 .263 (+10%) .340 (+7%) .379 (-6%) .719 (avg) 148.2
1949 PIT NL 75 236 16 48 7 2 2 24 2 29 17 0.203 .262 (-23%) .343 (-15%) .384 (-28%) .727 (-22%) -968.4
1950 PIT NL 118 367 34 108 20 5 2 37 2 47 42 0.294 .265 (+11%) .346 (+9%) .401 (-2%) .747 (+3%) 266.6
1951 PIT NL 77 151 9 30 7 0 1 11 0 16 19 0.199 .260 (-24%) .336 (-16%) .385 (-31%) .721 (-24%) -651.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 631 0 1620 1705 86 413
3B 58 0 84 107 16 14
SS 61 0 133 176 20 32

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1941 PHI 2B 85 0 233 247 11 49
1941 PHI SS 1 0 1 0 0 0
1942 PHI 2B 32 0 86 98 8 15
1942 PHI 3B 53 0 84 103 15 14
1942 PHI SS 60 0 132 176 20 32
1943 PHI 2B 113 0 321 345 18 76
1946 PHI 2B 6 0 13 10 1 0
1947 BSN 2B 2 0 7 6 0 1
1947 BSN 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1948 PIT 2B 146 0 375 412 17 95
1949 PIT 2B 74 0 202 182 10 58
1950 PIT 2B 108 0 273 292 14 84
1951 PIT 2B 65 0 110 113 7 35
1951 PIT 3B 3 0 0 4 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 630
Third Base 58
Shortstop 61

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 52.0 336 0