Murray & Carter Enter Hall

by Lou Parrotta  

The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown increased its membership by two when the Baseball Writers Association of America announced its vote last week.  Switch-hitting slugger Eddie Murray and National League catching star Gary Carter both earned enshrinement; Murray on his first try, Carter on his sixth.

It was a bittersweet moment for Murray, who is only the third person in history to amass 500 or more home runs and over 3,000 hits in a career; Hank Aaron and Willie Mays are the others.  Murray was unable to truly celebrate as he was attending the funeral of his younger sister, Tanya, who died on January 2nd as a result of diabetes and kidney failure. 

Murray burst onto the scene in 1977 winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award with the Baltimore Orioles when he belted 27 home runs and drove in 88 more.  Murray earned eight All-Star berths and won three Gold Glove Awards for excellence in fielding.  While never being overly dominant in any of the offensive categories, he only led the league once in home runs (the 1981 strike-shortened season); Murray was a true measure of consistency in his production.  He had ten or more home runs in every season he played except his last, and he hit 30 or more homers five times.  He was a steady run producer, knocking in 100 or more five times and scoring 90 or more six times.  He smashed 560 doubles and finished with 3,255 total hits while appearing in 3,026 games with more than 11,000 at bats in a career that spanned 21 seasons.  He was very instrumental in leading the Orioles to the World Series in 1979 and 1983, winning the title in 1983 over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Carter, affectionately known as "The Kid," was simply the National League version of Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.  While Fisk dominated the position in the American League Carter set the barometer in the National League.  Beginning his career in Montreal, Carter quickly became a fan favorite.  He led the Expos to their only playoff berth, 1981, and when he was a key part of the New York Mets' 1986 World Championship over the Boston Red Sox.  He is the 13th catcher to earn enshrinement to the Hall of Fame and deservedly so.  In his 19-year-career, Carter won a Gold Glove three times, smashed 324 home runs, had 11,785 career putouts (a record), and 12,988 total chances by a catcher (another record).  Chosen for 11 All-Star teams, Carter was Most Valuable Player of the contest twice and nearly won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1980, losing out to another Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt.  Carter amassed over 2,000 hits, 371 doubles, and 1,225 runs batted in.  He was as dominant at his position as one could be, and his induction took much too long.

Many people did not come close this year for induction, including all relievers on the ballot once again.  Jim Kaat, in his last year of eligibility by the BBWAA, Tommy John, and Bert Blyleven, the three pitchers with the most wins yet not in the Hall of Fame, and position players Jim Rice, Andre Dawson, and newcomer Ryne Sandberg, all offensive powerhouses in their playing days, were also denied entrance.

Joining Carter and Murray, though, will be Cincinnati Reds beat writer Hal McCoy, who won this year's J.G. Taylor Spink Award for "meritorious contributions to baseball writing," and any members selected by the newly revised Hall of Fame Veterans Committee who will announce their decisions on February 26th.   

There is one twist to this year's Hall of Fame Weekend, however.  The annual Hall of Fame Game will not be held the Monday after the Sunday inductions.  It will now move from weekend to weekend depending on when teams are available.  Blame the new labor deal for the disruption.  This year's game will be the Monday after Father's Day (June 16th).