Tom Murray

Note: This page is for 1890s infielder Tom Murray; for others with a similar name, click here.

Thomas Aloysius Murray
(Tommy)

• Bats Right, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 7", Weight 150 lb.

• Debut June 20, 1894
• Final Game June 20, 1894
• Born May 23, 1868 in Paterson, NJ USA
• Died June 26, 1939 in Columbus, OH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Tom Murray played one game at shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1894 going 0 for 2 and striking out in both of his plate appearances. Almost nothing else was known about him until researcher Peter Morris managed to identify him.

He was from Paterson, NJ - one of the few elements known about him - and the 1880 census shows him as the 13-year-old son of William Murray, a policeman who had immigrated from Ireland, and the oldest of five children. His mother, Mary Ann, was also born in Ireland. In the 1887 city directory, he is listed as a printer and other sources list him as working in the printing department of a local newspaper, the Paterson Morning Call. In 1890, he is listed as playing on the newspaper's baseball team as the second baseman. He also appeared during the early 1890s as a player for the local baseball club as Tommy Murray. In 1893, future major leaguers Jack Warner and Tuck Turner were brought in to play on the club as "ringers". Turner would make his debut with the Phillies that August, never having played professional baseball before that, in what was very similar to what would happen to Murray less than a year later. The Patersons played at a high level, facing off every Sunday against top Negro Leagues and professional teams from the area, so it was a good way for a young player to be noticed.

Murray's lone major league game came on June 20th in 1894. The notes from the game mention that he was from the Patersons and had to get into the game as a substitute after C Mike Grady turned his ankle while running the bases in the 4th inning, forcing Lave Cross to move over to take his position and the young Murray to step in at shortstop. It should be noted that his former Paterson teammate Tuck Turner was now the fourth outfielder on the team.

By early 1895, Murray had moved to Hoboken, NJ. He told a reporter that he had received several offers to play professionally but had not settled on one. He did sign for the Hoboken team later that spring. By then, he showed up in the city directory for Jersey City, NJ, next door to Hoboken, where he was still listed as a printer. The Paterson paper mentions his playing a game for Hoboken against Paterson that summer. It mentions in fact that he was the team captain. He was apparently courted by the Middletown Asylums after the season - a strong semi-pro team made up of members the staff of the Middletown, NJ Insane Asylum as well as some outsiders, for which Tuck Turner has played earlier. However, he was back with Hoboken in 1896 and for the next couple of seasons, retiring in 1898. He moved back to Paterson, but his retirement did not last as in 1899, he shows up with the New York Field Club. As of 1900, he was living in New York, NY according to city directories. In 1903, he was lured to Cincinnati, OH by the offer of a top job at a state-of-the-art printing facility and after some back and forth between the two states, eventually settled in Ohio, but in the state capital, Columbus, OH. He passed away there in 1939 but no obituary was published.

Further Reading

• "Tommy Murray Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, March-April 2020, pp. 1-4.