Murray Wall

Murray Wesley Wall

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Texas at Austin
• High School Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas)
• Debut July 4, 1950
• Final Game September 25, 1959
• Born September 19, 1926 in Dallas, TX USA
• Died October 8, 1971 in Rains County, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Murray Wall, a 6' 3" right-hander who went directly to the Boston Braves in 1950 after helping lead the University of Texas to the championship of the College World Series, made it into just one game in relief before spending the next several years in the minor leagues. He spent the remainder of 1950 with the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association, going 2-5 in 13 appearances with a 3.91 ERA.

Wall had several good years before making it back to the big leagues. He won 15 and lost 5 in his 1951 season, again with the Milwaukee Brewers and repeated this kind of effort, again with Milwaukee, in 1952, going 16-10 with a 4.08 ERA. The New York Giants acquired him in December of 1955 in a multi-player deal. He showed up with the Dallas Eagles in the Texas League in 1956, going 16-7 with a 3.59 ERA. He came right back with the Texas League squad in 1957 and duplicated his won-loss record but with an even stronger 1.79 ERA. On August 1, 1957 he was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Giants and finished up the year going 3-0 for the team from Fenway Park.

Wall was the Red Sox's top reliever in 1958, winning eight games and saving 10 in 52 appearances. After a slow start in 1959, Wall was traded to the Washington Senators for reliever Dick Hyde, but was returned to Boston after appearing in just one game for the Senators because Hyde was unable to pitch due to a sore arm. It was Wall's last year in the major leagues and he finished overall at 13-14 plus 14 saves in 91 games with a 4.20 ERA.

Murray had spent eleven seasons in pro baseball (1950-1961) and had seen a lot of that time in the minor leagues. He built a very decent won-lost record, going 102-76 in 289 appearances with a 3.71 ERA. After baseball, Wall became vice-president of a savings and loan corporation in his native Dallas, TX when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on October 8, 1971 at age 45 in Lone Oak, TX.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• Murray Wall at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page