Major League Baseball legend—and Latter-day Saint—Dale Murphy threw the first pitch at Sunday night’s playoff game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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The game’s commentator called Murphy “one of the all-time greats.” Watch the video of his first pitch and read more about Murphy’s take on faith and family below:
.@DaleMurphy3 believes in the power of Joctober!@yungjoc650 | #BattleATL pic.twitter.com/wsHnHNoSQj
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 18, 2021
Murphy joined the Church in 1975 during his career playing Major League Baseball. Aside from all his awards for excellence in his sport, he also won several awards based on integrity, character, and sportsmanship, including the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award and the Roberto Clemente Award. Murphy retired from the sport in 1993, and he and his wife Nancy were called to preside over the Massachusetts Boston Mission in 1997.
Murphy told milb.com, “My faith and the teachings of the church have been a blessing in so many ways to me and my family. The Savior teaches us to respect others, that family comes first, and that the most important things in our lives don’t happen on the ball field or in the work that we do. Our most important work happens within our families. Our relationships with our spouses and children are eternal. It helped me throughout my career to keep that perspective and not get to wrapped up in the adulation and popularity of being a professional baseball player.”
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And in 2018, ESPN detailed how that devotion to his family has come back full circle for Murphy. During his last year of eligibility for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Murphy‘s family rallied to get him inducted, flooding the media and fans. His son Chad wrote an open letter to Hall of Fame voters titled “Making the HOF Case for Dale Murphy, or, The Guy Who Changed My Diapers.” His son Tyson wrote, “When I was younger, my dad brought cities to their feet. He inspired millions. He was a hero.” His son Taylor started an online petition encouraging fans to vote their dad in and got thousands of signatures.
“What the kids did, it was the most emotionally moving time for me as a father,” Murphy told ESPN. “All those years of saying our family comes first.”
“It was about the Hall of Fame,” his wife Nancy said, “but it was more about how much they loved him.”
Read the full feature story from ESPN here.
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