Eddie Murray, close & late, 1979-1983

[Frobby]

I consider 1979-83 to be one of the true Golden Eras of Orioles baseball. And Eddie Murray was its centerpiece. Take a look at how Eddie performed in "close & late" situations in that period:

1979: .357/.439/.694, 9 HR, 27 RBI (115 PA, 98 AB, 35 H, 15 BB)
1980: .295/.346/.484, 4 HR, 10 RBI (104 PA, 95 AB, 28 H, 7 BB)
1981: .296/.400/.500, 3 HR, 12 RBI (65 PA, 54 AB, 16 H, 10 BB)
1982: .338/.459/.545, 4 HR, 19 RBI (98 PA, 77 AB, 26 H, 19 BB)
1983: .342/.451/.618, 5 HR, 19 RBI (91 PA, 76 AB, 26 H, 15 BB)

Totals: .338/.423/.575, 25 HR, 87 RBI (473 PA, 400 AB, 131 H, 66 BB)

By the way, I didn't include 1978, 1984 and 1985 because the O's weren't really in the pennant race those years. But look at this!

1978: .307/.381/.574, 8 HR, 22 RBI (119 PA, 101 AB, 31 H, 14 BB)
1984: .374/.500/.736, 9 HR, 34 RBI (116 PA, 91 AB, 34 H, 24 BB
1985: .380/.427/.747, 7 HR, 27 RBI (89 PA, 79 AB, 30 H, 8 BB)

Add those in, and you'd have an 8 year span of:

.337/.428/.617, 49 HR, 170 RBI (797 PA, 671 AB, 226 H, 112 BB)

Considering that a normal season for Eddie was about 680 PA, that would be the equivalent of about 42 HR, 145 RBI in a season's worth of close & late ABs.

And that is one of the many reasons why, nobody will ever tell me that there is no such thing as a clutch hitter. They are very, very rare, but they exist.

[mikezpen]

I'd be curious to know what Brooksie's numbers were.

[Boy Howdy]

I'd be curious to know what Brooksie's numbers were.

Career-wise, Brooksie's "late & close" numbers look like this:

.270/.326/.396 (.722 OPS)

versus his overall line of .267/.322/.401 (.723 OPS)

For the four pennant winning seasons he was active:

1966 = .273/.322/.418 (.740 OPS)
1969 = .242/.359/.434 (.793 OPS)
1970 = .262/.336/.411 (.747 OPS)
1971 = .375/.417/.563 (.980 OPS)

In his MVP year of 1964 = .248/.319/.438 (.757)

[Boy Howdy]

Here's Frank Robinson:

Overall 1966-1971 = .300/.401/.543 (.944 OPS)

LATE & CLOSE
1966 = .329/.473/.553 (1.026 OPS)
1967 = .215/.326/.405 (.731 OPS)
1968 = .232/.426/.362 (.788 OPS)
1969 = .350/.444/.570 (1.014 OPS)
1970 = .299/.400/.563 (.963 OPS)
1971 = .323/.432/.508 (.940 OPS)

So, in Baltimore's four pennant winning seasons when Frank was around, he batted .326 & slugged .552 in late and close situations with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in 337 at-bats.

[RShack]

Considering that a normal season for Eddie was about 680 PA, that would be the equivalent of about 42 HR, 145 RBI in a season's worth of close & late ABs.

And that is one of the many reasons why, nobody will ever tell me that there is no such thing as a clutch hitter. They are very, very rare, but they exist.

That era was before everybody had cheap computers, so virtually nobody had this kind of detailed data. But the P's knew the gist of it anyway... which is why surveys that asked P's which hitter they most wanted to not face with the game on the line, the P's listed Eddie as the #1 guy they were scared of.

[Frobby]

That era was before everybody had cheap computers, so virtually nobody had this kind of detailed data. But the P's knew the gist of it anyway... which is why surveys that asked P's which hitter they most wanted to not face with the game on the line, the P's listed Eddie as the #1 guy they were scared of.

It was really something in those days to be at a game at Memorial Stadium, 8th or 9th inning with some runners on base in a close game, and Eddie at the plate, with 40,000 fans screaming "Ed-die, Ed-die!" and that fearsome-looking guy in the batter's box looking like a tiger ready to pounce. Very, very intimidating for a pitcher.

[mikezpen]

The team was terrible from 1986-88. That had to affect Murray.

[whatdoiget000]

My absolute favorite memory from any sporting event either as a participant or as an observer were those times hearing the whole place going crazy with the Ed-die, Ed-die chants. Especially those many times he came through. I was fortunate enough to have seen at least two of his Grand Slams in person.

It brought chills down my spine when Camden Yards did it again when they brought Eddie out before Cal's HOF induction.

[SteveA]

My absolute favorite memory from any sporting event either as a participant or as an observer were those times hearing the whole place going crazy with the Ed-die, Ed-die chants. Especially those many times he came through. I was fortunate enough to have seen at least two of his Grand Slams in person.

There was a quality to the crowd-echo at Memorial Stadium that seemed to amplify it that you just don't get at OPACY. I think the noise from the left field stands would echo off the rightfield stands and come back, and vice versa