Front-office Boss of "Miracle Mets"
As one of his first tasks, Murphy secured the services of manager Gil Hodges, under contract to the Washington Senators, by acquiring Hodges in a November 27, 1967, trade for pitcher Bill Denehy. Murphy's promotion to the GM role also coincided with the Mets' unveiling of some of the best young pitching talent of the era — including Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, and others. The 1969 Miracle Mets stunned the baseball community by winning the NL East, sweeping Atlanta in the NLCS, then defeating a heavily favored Baltimore Orioles squad in five World Series games.
Murphy had won another world championship, and his first since 1943. However, Murphy would not live to see the Mets defend their title; he suffered a heart attack and died at age 61 early in 1970. He was succeeded by Bob Scheffing.
Read more about this topic: Johnny Murphy
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