Professional Career
A hard fastball thrower, Murphy posted a minuscule 0.72 ERA in 34 relief appearances in 1986. He had a 6-0 record allowing only 26 hits in 50.1 innings. His 0.72 ERA was the lowest in Major League history for any pitcher with 50 or more innings in a single season. The record still stands in the National League.
In 1987, he followed with another superb year as the busiest left-handed reliever in major league history. His 87 relief appearances were the most ever by a lefty, as he pitched 100.2 innings and struck out 99 batters. Used as a setup man for closer John Franco, Murphy collected seven saves for Cincinnati during four seasons.
1988 saw Murphy lead the National League with 76 games pitched. After the season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
In Boston in 1989, Murphy collected career-highs with nine saves and 105.0 innings pitched behind closer Lee Smith in the Boston bullpen. He was named the Red Sox Fireman of the Year(best reliever) by the Boston area Baseball Writers.
In an eleven-season career, Murphy, a valuable set-up man and left-handed specialist, compiled a 32–38 record with thirty saves and a 3.64 ERA in 597 games. At his retirement, he ranked eighteenth in the history of baseball for left-handed relief appearances, and had pitched longer in the Major Leagues than any pitcher in Gator history with almost twice as many appearances as the next closest .
Cincinnati Reds Minor League System 1981 - 1985
1981 - Collected 6 wins for the Florida State League Northern Division champions, Tampa Tarpons.
1983 - Led Cedar Rapids Reds in strikeouts on the way to being Central Division champs.
1984 - Led the Eastern League in saves and captured the win in the championship game for the Eastern League title. Murphy was named Vermont Reds' Fireman of the Year.
1985 - Led the Denver Zephyrs in ERA on their way to the Western Division title of the American Association.
Cincinnati Reds 1985-1988
1986 – 6-0 record - 0.72 ERA lowest ERA in National League history, 2nd lowest in MLB history with min. 50 innings pitched.
1987 – 87 appearances sets MLB mark for relief appearances by left-handed pitcher.
1988 – Led National League with 76 appearances.
Boston Red Sox 1989-1990
1989 – Red Sox Fireman of the Year; 74 appearances sets Red Sox mark for appearances by a left-handed pitcher.
1990 – set MLB record for consecutive errorless games at start of career (332), previous record (175); Red Sox won the Eastern Division of the American League.
Houston Astros 1992
1992 – set MLB mark for consecutive games without a win (146).
Murphy also pitched for the Mariners, Cardinals, Yankees, Dodgers and Marlins, retiring at the end of the 1995 season.
Read more about this topic: Rob Murphy
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