Veteran infielder Daniel Murphy on declared his intention to retire from MLB.
On Friday, Murphy told SNY's Andy Martino that was he stepping away. Murphy said the following, per Martino:
"This is a beautiful game, and I really just feel humbled and blessed that it let me jump on the ride for a little bit. It's beautiful. It can teach you about so many things. And all I can say is, thank you."
Murphy, 35, spent parts of 12 seasons in the majors with the Mets, Nationals, Cubs and Rockies. Originally a 13th round choice out of Jacksonville University in 2006, Murphy went on to rack up 1,572 hit; 138 home runs; 371 doubles; and more than 7,000 defensive innings at second base. Murphy also made the All-Star team three times and with the Nationals in 2016 finished second in the NL MVP balloting. For his career, Murphy put up a slash line of .296/.341/.455 (113 OPS+) and authored a WAR of 19.6.
He's perhaps best known for his postseason heroics, particularly during their run to the pennant in 2015. In all Murphy played in 25 playoff games and over that span slashed .309/.398/.588 with eight home runs. In 2015, Murphy was named NLCS MVP for the Mets and at one point became the first player in MLB history to homer in six straight postseason games:
Not surprisingly, the Mets on Friday acknowledged Murphy's retirement and his contributions:
Congratulations on an Amazin’ career, Murph! 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/mgRUUe37is
— New York Mets (@Mets) January 29, 2021
Off the field, Murphy in 2015 was the source of controversy with the comments he made after meeting with former big leaguer and MLB's Ambassador of Inclusion, Billy Bean. At the time, Murphy said:
"I disagree with his lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn't mean I can't still invest in him and get to know him. I don't think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him. That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent."
...
"Maybe, as a Christian, that we haven't been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality," he said. "We love the people. We disagree about the lifestyle. That's the way I would describe it for me. It's the same way that there are aspects of my life that I'm trying to surrender to Christ in my own life. There's a great deal of many things, like my pride. I just think that as a believer trying to articulate it in a way that says just because I disagree with the lifestyle doesn't mean I'm just never going to speak to Billy Bean every time he walks through the door. That's not love. That's not love at all."
Both Bean and Murphy expressed mutual respect after the meeting, and they later developed a friendship.
As player, Murphy's career isn't particularly close to Hall of Fame consideration, but it was a good career with a number of memorable moments when his performances mattered the most.
