Posts Tagged ‘Rudy Huxtable’

Oh, Murph.

That’s the expression the young Daniel Murphy elicits from the Mets faithful with every botched liner, every tumbling dive, every shot put throw back to the infield.

But as any Murphaholic will tell you, “Oh Murph” is uttered with a tone of understanding and forgiveness – the same reaction that, say, Claire Huxtable had when she found a kitchen covered in grape juice after Rudy got hold of Cliff Huxtable’s brand new juicer.  Rude was simply a youngin’ learning to navigate this wacky world, not unlike Murph.

Rudy was in over her head, much like Danny Baseball is perhaps in over his out there in left field. But Murph is essentially a rookie, one who spent one day in Triple-A before being thrust into a pennant race.  Less than a year removed from being a little-known infield prospect, he was christened the starting left fielder and 2-hole hitter for a contender, playing in a new stadium with an unfamiliar outfield in the country’s biggest media market.  It’d be like the Huxtables adopting Rudy and expecting her not only do her chores, but to whip up dinner while she’s at it.

Clearly, no team with postseason aspirations would let a pseudo-rook learn on the job unless he made up for it somewhere else. Murph’s eye at the plate and gap-to-gap stroke has prompted coaches, scouts, and broadcasters to gush with no shortage of compliments and even comparisons to other grinders (Pete Rose, Frank Thomas, Don Mattingly, Captain C.B. Sullenberger, Jesus).  Aside from the superlatives, one thing does remain clear – Murph lives and breathes hitting and the results in his young career attest to the work he puts into that half of his game.  It’s the other half of his game that remains under scrutiny by fans and critics alike.

But Murph’s already-legendary work ethic is well documented, and as Jerry Manuel indicated he will only improve when he acclimates himself to the position and “breathes out there.”  Dodgers fans will tell you they’re only more than happy to overlook Manny’s comical impression of a left fielder because of the production at the plate, as well as some of the intangibles he provides.  Murph’s obviously no Manny, but he adds a dimension of intensity and grittiness to a tainted Mets team that goes beyond what he does on the field.

We, as a community of Mets and Daniel Murphy fans, offer nothing but positive support for Murph, the type of player fans wish the Mets developed more often.  Every uttered “Oh Murph!” will just as soon be followed with a “MURPH!!” the next time he comes through at the plate or makes a sliding catch at the foul line.

Daniel Murphy, meet your Murphaholics