Murray debuted in the Majors in 1977 with the Orioles, where he had 27 Home Runs in a Rookie of the Year winning season. Power and hits would become the First Baseman’s calling card, and from 1977 to 1985, he would have at least 20 or more Home Runs, with three of those years seeing him exceed 30. He would win the Home Run title with 22 in the strike-shortened year in 1981, and he also won the RBI title.
The first half of the 1980s was the best half-decade of his career. In that period, he would finish in the top five in MVP voting each year (he was second in both 1983 and 1984) and was an All-Star annually from '81 to '86. Murray was also recognized for his defensive prowess, capturing Gold Gloves in 1982, 1983 & 1984. Also earning two Silver Sluggers, Murray was the power man Baltimore's third World Series win in 1983.
He would play with Baltimore until he was traded after the 1987 season to the Dodgers.
Overall with the Orioles, Murray accrued, 2,080 Hits, 343 Home Runs, 1,224 RBIs, with a .498 Slugging Percentage. He played 11 more years with stops in L.A., the Mets, Cleveland, and Anaheim, with one return year in 1996. The first half of his career as an Oriole is what got him into Cooperstown.
Murray’s number 33 was retired in 1998, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 in his first year of eligibility. As for the Orioles, they retired Murray's number 33 in 1998, and he was inducted to the Orioles Hall of Fame the year after.
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