Murray Gage-Cole

Murray T. Gage-Cole

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.

• Born July 19, 1949 in Vancouver, BC CAN

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Murray Gage-Cole pitched for Team Canada and in the minors.

He debuted in the 1965 Vancouver Industrial League, playing for CYO. He was with Burnaby in the Lower Mainland League in 1967, then the Independents in the Victoria Senior League in 1968. He returned to the Vancouver Industrial League in 1969, now with Villa. He was 2-7 with a 5.13 ERA for the 1970 Sturgis Titans in the Basin League. He pitched for Canada in the 1970 Amateur World Series.

Turning pro, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was 3-1 with 9 saves, a 2.40 ERA and .97 WHIP for the 1971 Walla Walla Phillies. He tied Juan Jiménez and Ron Diorio for 4th in the Phillies chain in saves and was one shy of the Northwest League lead. He struck out 71 in 64 innings for the 1972 Spartanburg Phillies, going 7-6 with 17 saves and a 2.25 ERA. He led Phillies farmhands with 55 appearances, three more than Diorio. He also led in saves, almost double runner-up Ed Sukla's 9. In the Western Carolinas League, he easily led in appearances (15 more than the next hurler), while he had 7 more saves than #2 Emiliano Rivera.

He was 6-10 with 8 saves and a 2.81 ERA in 46 games for the 1973 Rocky Mount Phillies. He tied for 4th in the Carolina League in losses, tied Tom Johnson for 6th in appearances and tied Johnson and Pat McCoy for 6th in saves. Among Philly minor leaguers, he was 3rd in losses, second to Earl Stephenson in games pitched and tied McCoy for 7th in saves. Back with Rocky Mount in 1974, he was involved in a tragic play; his fly ball against the Salem Pirates led to a fatal collision in which Alfredo Edmead lost his life. He was 5-1 with 4 saves and a 1.71 ERA that summer. He was 5th in Philadelphia's farm chain in games pitched (43); no one with over 25 games pitched for them had a lower ERA. He was 6th in the Carolina League in appearances.

Despite a 2.24 ERA in their chain, the Phillies let him go. He moved on to the Mexican League. He remained a standout reliever with the 1975 Saraperos de Saltillo, going 7-3 with 12 saves and a 2.01 ERA. He tied Juan Suby and Alfredo Meza for 8th in the LMB in games pitched (45) and was second in saves, 11 behind Aurelio López. He went 2-3 with a save and a 3.46 ERA for the 1976 Saraperos, ending his career with a 2.33 ERA as a pro.