That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Will these forgotten Phillies become Hall of Famers in 2022?

By Gabrielle Starr

PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1968: Dick Allen #15 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1968 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allen played for the Phillies from 1963-69 and 1975-76. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1968: Dick Allen #15 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1968 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allen played for the Phillies from 1963-69 and 1975-76. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Danny Murtaugh
PITTSBURGH, PA – CIRCA 1971: Manager Danny Murtaugh #40 of the Pittsburgh Pirates gives a line-up change to the home plate umpire during an Major League Baseball game circa 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Murtaugh managed the Pirates in 1957-64, 67, 1970-71, and 1973-76. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Danny Murtaugh (Phillies 1941-1943, 1946)

Danny Murtaugh was one of several players who missed a significant portion of his career due to military service. He played for the Phillies from 1941-1943, then missed two seasons fighting in World War II. He returned to the Phillies in 1946, and then spend the remaining years of his career with the then-Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he played 416 of 767 career games.

However, Murtaugh isn’t being considered for the Hall based on his playing career, which, aside from leading the NL in stolen bases in 1941, was mediocre, at best. When he decided that his playing days were over, Murtaugh got into coaching. In 1957, the Pirates hired their former player mid-season to staunch the bleeding of a 36-67 team. Once he took over, they played above-.500 baseball the rest of the season.

In 1960, Murtaugh’s Pirates won their first pennant since 1927. Then they won the World Series thanks to the only Game 7 walk-off home run in MLB history. It was a storybook moment, especially because it was a World Series rematch against their 1927 rivals, the New York Yankees.

Despite health problems, Murtaugh managed the Pirates on and off throughout the 60s and early 70s. When he wasn’t at the helm, he worked in the front office. In 1971, the Pirates again won the World Series with Murtaugh. Overall, he spent 12 full seasons as manager. In that time, the Pirates had nine winning seasons, five postseason appearances, four division titles, and pairs of pennants and championships.

Murtaugh also helped break color barriers in baseball. As Roberto Clemente Jr. noted in his heartfelt case for Murtaugh’s induction earlier this week, the manager was the first to use an all-minority starting nine in 1971. Ironically, the opposing team was Murtaugh’s old team, the Phillies.

Clemente also pointed out that Murtaugh managed two championship teams, which is more than nine current HOF managers, and tied with five others. He also had better managerial records than several HOF managers, including Joe Torre, Connie Mack, and Tommy Lasorda.

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