Tim Murtaugh

From BR Bullpen

Timothy J. Murtaugh

BR Minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Catcher Tim Murtaugh, the son of Danny Murtaugh, played eight years in the minor leagues and managed for seven years in the minors. He briefly reached AAA as a player and managed at AAA for just over a season.

Tim debuted with the 1965 Salem Rebels and hit .333 with four home runs and 30 RBI. The next year, the backstop batted .259/~.357/.322 for the Clinton Pilots, led Midwest League catchers with 13 double plays, but also tied for the lead with 18 errors. Tim had a .229/~.350/.292 line for the 1967 Raleigh Pirates and had 17 errors, the most of any Carolina League man behind the mask.

In 1968, Murtaugh played for the York Pirates mostly, hitting .241/~.343/.298. In the Year of the Pitcher, though, that level of production was not bad - the Eastern League as a whole hit .219/~.301/.277. He went 1 for 4 with a walk and a run in his only five games as a player in AAA, all with the Columbus Jets.

Tim returned to York in 1969 and produced at a .274/~.388/.307 rate as offensive levels rose again. In his last year solely as a player, Murtaugh played mostly for the Gastonia Pirates and even pitched a couple games (3 hits, 4 walks, 4 unearned runs in 3 innings of work). In 36 games at the plate, he hit .377/~.455/.532. He also played 23 games with the Waterbury Pirates and put up a .197/~.391/.227 line.

After that, Murtaugh became a manager for the next 7 seasons; in 1972-1974, he made token appearances at the plate each year.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs Notes
1971 Salem Rebels Carolina League 65-71 6th Pittsburgh Pirates
1972 Salem Pirates Carolina League 79-58 1st Pittsburgh Pirates League Champs
1973 Sherbrooke Pirates Eastern League 76-63 3rd Pittsburgh Pirates
1974 Thetford Mines Pirates Eastern League 75-65 3rd Pittsburgh Pirates League Champs
1975 Shreveport Captains Texas League 76-52 2nd Pittsburgh Pirates
1976 Charleston Charlies International League 62-73 6th Pittsburgh Pirates
1977 Columbus Clippers International League 11-24 -- Pittsburgh Pirates replaced by Johnny Lipon
Shreveport Captains Texas League 39-52 5th (t) Pittsburgh Pirates replaced Johnny Lipon

Related Sites[edit]