The Phenomenal Dale Murray

There's been a lot of discussion about our friend Dale Murray on these boards. He is extremely popular, of course, having appeared in over 1180 leagues since his arrival with ATG 7. I thought I'd share some actuals for this work horse. Dale has hurled over 300 innings for 174 teams and over 200 innings for an additional 483 squads. Please note that these figures are for 60, 80 and 100M cap teams only.
Here's his top 20 in innings pitched. * = DH league

[list=]
IP W L Park Cap
418.3 37-5 Forbes Field '57 80*
415.3 30-9 Forbes Field '57 80*
415.3 22-17 Fenway Park '67 100*
409.3 28-7 Fenway Park '67 80*
406.7 31-15 Dunn Field '20 60*
400 25-4 Ameriquest Field '05 80*
393.3 31-13 Minute Maid Field 100*
392 30-8 Baker Bowl '11 80*
389 27-9 Hilltop Park '11 80*
388 19-21 Baker Bowl '11 60*
387.3 29-15 Baker Bowl '11 60*
384 40-12 Fulton Cnty Stdm 100*
383.7 23-12 Tiger Stadium '78 100*
382 31-8 Yankee Stadium '71 60*
381.7 23-11 Polo Grounds '41 100*
381 30-9 Yankee Stadium '71 80*
380.7 26-7 Wrigley Field '59 80*
380.3 18-16 Dunn Field '20 100*
377.3 34-9 Minute Maid Field 80*
376.3 24-4 Wrigley Field '78 100*
[/list]
I find this very remarkable for someone who pitched all of 69.7 innings during the year (1974) of his card.

Maxie

My memory of the Dale Murray card from 1974 is different from the ATG8. Can anybody confirm this and are the ATG cards different from the regular yearly sets?

Some are identical to the yearly sets and some are different. I remember when Lou Brock was added it was substantially different my original printed card which was different from what was on the CDROM which .....

Bottom line I am pretty sure some are/were customized for the online game.

Maxie: Thanks for posting this. The fact that Murray routinely pitches 300+ innings per season is not remarkable. It is a hole in the rules that allows this, but I can't fault managers for taking advantage of it. What is remarkable is that Strato hasn't rid the ATG series of the "super reliever" option, even though it has long had the capability to do so.

The ATG series isn't really about the all time greats. It long ago became about all time great seasons or all time great Strato cards. Let's be honest about it, Dale Murray was nothing more than a journeyman relief pitcher his entire career, who had a great partial season in 1974 and as a result, we got an ATG Strato card out of it. The fact of the matter is that Murray couldn't even carry the jock straps for true all time great relief pitchers like Gossage, Sutter, Eck, Wagner, Hoffman, Smith, Fingers, Lyle, etc. Maybe Strato should issue an ATG card for little known Francisco Carlos, who, in the heat of the 1967 pennant race, was 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA and .768 WHIP in 7 starts and 1 relief appearance as a late season call up for the White Sox.

The record for most relief innings in a season in the modern era (maybe even the all time record) is 208 in a record 106 appearances in 1974 by Dr. Mike Marshall, a PhD kinesiologist, who bragged at the time that, because of his training in kinesiology, he could pitch every day with no ill effect on his arm or effectiveness. History, however, says Marshall was wrong. He was plagued by a sore arm and pitched just 109 Innings in 1975. In his seven big league seasons after 1974, Marshall never came close to pitching 200 innings again and only topped 100 innings in a season twice and never again had a season in which his era was as low as 1974, although he was close a couple of times, but in far fewer innings.

The fact of the matter is that in baseball history, at least 99% of players used in relief each season never make it to 150 relief innings for that season. Yet it happens nearly every season here with Murray and others, most notably Sutter, who, ironically, in his career had a notoriously fragile arm which limited his use and effectiveness.

I know this topic has been hotly debated here ad nauseam, with those in favor of the super reliever option analogizing to Gates Brown getting 500 AB here or pointing to all those starting pitchers who tossed 400-650+ innings more than 100 years ago, but in Brown's case, it's not unusual for a player to get 500 AB, as players are easily physically capable of such, where no one is physically capable of pitching 300+ innings in relief, just as Strato has recognized that no modern day starting pitcher is capable of pitching 400+ innings as a starter and has limited starts to a max of one every 4 days.

Oh, and Maxie, one last thing: Where did you get your data on Murray? Is there some (secret?) site that tracks players by season like Diamond Dope used to? How about cluing us in and sharing the knowledge?

I'm doing something wrong. I just checked, and never got more than 344 innings out of Murray.

Oh, and Maxie, one last thing: Where did you get your data on Murray? Is there some (secret?) site that tracks players by season like Diamond Dope used to? How about cluing us in and sharing the knowledge?
There's no secret site. I've been compiling the actuals since ATG 1 because, well, in the beginning I thought it would be fun. I was giving serious thought to stopping since enough is enough and I could put all those hours to much better use. Now ATG 8 and its new cards has arrived and "they keep pulling me back in."
As far as sharing the knowledge I have, on occasion, over the years shared actuals on these boards and I share all for those who ask. All I've asked is a promise to give a contribution to one's favorite charity.
Are the actuals better than reading the cards? Heck no. Too many variables with the actuals, among other things.
Oh, I don't play golf and I've been retired some time plus the staff at the Home for the Weird think I'm making progress.
By the way, heck of a post BDWard!

Maxie

But how do you compile the actuals? What technique or software is used?
Looking to learn new skills as much as anything.

If we could just get rid of the D. Murray card along with *any and all* the other R4 cards that are more than capable of pitching 200+ innings then ATG would then be so perfectly realistic.

Here's Ben Tincup...Yes the same Ben Tincup *card* that appeared in 10 games for a total of 31. innings...Here he pitched in 83 games and 249.2 innings can we please get rid of him?????

Tincup, Ben (1915) MAI R R3 83 0 11 6 4 3 249.2 248 128 111 83 66 19 4.00 1.33 1R 2.79M

BTW same league Al McBean went 15-7 appearing in 106 games pitching 219.1 innings...He needs to go too.