John Shearer: Dale Murphy Praises Braves, Scouting While Here

Former Atlanta Braves star hitter and outfielder Dale Murphy has always been made to feel at home when in Chattanooga amongst the many local Braves fans.

That has included when he has been a speaker here, such as Monday, when he keynoted the 21st annual Friends of Scouting Luncheon in front of over 500 people at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The event raised $171,412.

He also once made himself feel at home by reaching home on a towering hit – although it did not count. As he recalled with a laugh during an interview prior to the luncheon, that occurred in 1976 when he was playing for the Savannah Braves against the Chattanooga Lookouts at Engel Stadium.

“I remember in left field there was a big scoreboard the year I played, and in batting practice I hit one off the scoreboard,” he recalled. “That was the first time I hit one that far, but it was just batting practice.”

Such hits and potential made baseball scouts once look at him as a likely can’t-miss star when he was coming up, but on Monday Mr. Murphy was here to focus on a different kind of scouting.

He said before his speech to the Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America that activities like scouting are very important for youth in today’s culture.

“Nancy, my wife, and I really believe and know that it has become more critical as time has gone on for kids to be able to experience some things outside of the classroom, and whether that is sports or dance or drama or music,” he said. “And scouting is one of the premier organizations to give kids experiences. It’s one of the best things you can do for your kids, one of the best things you can do for your community.”

He said he was not involved in scouting as a youth while participating in sports growing up in Portland, Or., but he was involved in a similar group through the YMCA. And his children were involved in scouting at times, he said.

“I love scouting,” he said, adding that he had been on some related hikes. “It gives kids so many experiences. And they say it’s very important to get out for your mental health and wellbeing to exercise.”

Mr. Murphy is also high on the Braves this year. Although the team did have several critical injuries last year in still reaching the playoffs, and have experienced some off-season pitching departures, he still thinks they can be competitive.

“I think they are going to be great,” he said. “They lost two pitchers – Charlie Morton and Max Fried – but they’ve got some really good young pitchers who are going to, I’m sure, step up. And their offense is amazing. They really play good defense. And I really like (new outfielder) Jurickson Profar. I think they are going to be amazing.”

He bases his hope not just on the fact he is a former Brave, but also because he said he was just down with them in spring training for several days as a guest instructor.

Once upon a time, Mr. Murphy was usually at the top of the list when expectations for Braves’ teams were discussed. After starting out at several positions, he eventually moved to outfield, where he blossomed and became the National League MVP in 1982 and 1983 with the Braves before closing out his career with Philadelphia and Colorado.

“It seems like yesterday in ways and a million years ago in other ways,” he said of his playing days that included a memorable National League divisional crown in 1982 for the Braves. “I have just some great memories. We were competitive for a few years when I had my best years and when probably everybody had their best years. It was just so fun.

“We experienced the low point, and then we got better and then kind of sunk down (in the mid-to-late 1980s), and now the organization is continually competitive.”

He added it is fun to reconnect with all the fans, many of whom remember him from seeing him on TBS TV in the first decade of cable TV around the country.

His 398 home runs, 2,111 hits and .265 career average were fairly impressive, but so far, he has not quite garnered enough support to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That has been frustrating to longtime Braves fans who remember his two MVP seasons and his friendly manner and community service as a player. But he said he does not worry a lot about it.

“I think about it, and obviously people ask the question and that is fine. I am eligible again this December, so we will see what happens,” he said of his Hall of Fame chances. “I didn’t have any thought when I retired that something would happen instantly. It’s a hard place to get into and should be a hard place to get into.”

Chattanooga, on the other hand, has continued to welcome him back for various events. As he sat and talked, he remembered also staying in the Chattanooga Choo Choo one time and wondered if that is still there.

He was also told that Engel Stadium is still standing, but that it has been empty and that owner UTC is trying to figure out what to do with it or how much of it can be preserved as it looks to expand some of its intercollegiate sports facilities.

Mr. Murphy said he has heard about the new Lookouts stadium going up near the Tennessee River and Interstate 24 but is not familiar with the current abandoned state of Engel Stadium. He said he understands economic decisions are made about old stadiums based on land needs and other factors but thinks it might be a good stadium to preserve amid the popularity of youth sports.

“It would be cool to see it refurbished if possible,” he said.

Mr. Murphy, who will turn 69 in March, is trying to keep himself active and rejuvenated as well. Although now a little more gray-haired and admittedly having to wear hearing aids, his friendly manner is still obviously apparent.

He also still mirrors his days of being able to get to a lot of balls in the outfield despite his tall frame by covering plenty of ground geographically. He said he spends a good part of his time in Utah but about four months a year are in Atlanta, where he has a restaurant called Murph’s at the Cobb Galleria Centre just outside Truist Park.

There he is still one of the most popular former Atlanta Braves, just as he apparently is when he makes appearances in Chattanooga.

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Jcshearer2@comcast.net