Francis Patrick Murphy played one year in the majors – splitting time with Boston (playing the corner outfields and hitting a weak .261) and New York (playing second base and left field – but leaving his bat in Boston…) in 1901. To be fair, his lack of hitting in New York may have been related to having the longtime outfielder being moved to second base upon his arrival at the Polo Grounds – he made 18 errors in his 23 games there before returning to the outfield.

Born to Michael and Mary Murphy, a pair of Irish immigrants, Frank was the seventh of eight children born on April 6, 1876 in North Tarrytown, New York. Frank went to Fordham and played baseball there and some amateur baseball for a team based in Weehawken. Murphy got the attention of the big league clubs following fine seasons in 1899 and 1900 with New London (and other teams) in the Connecticut State League, where he displayed a decent bat, the ability to bunt, and excellent speed. He moved to New Haven for 1901 despite interest from Cincinnati and Providence. On July 1, 1901, Boston’s National League club purchased Murphy to play the outfield there.

New York is listed as having purchased Murphy from Boston, but Boston also apparently didn’t actually send the $1000 purchase price to New Haven when they purchased Murphy at the end of May. New York picked him up when Boston released Murphy following complaints filed with the league by New Haven’s manager. Cincinnati also put in a claim for the outfielder, but the President Young awarded Murphy to New York. The Giants needed a new second baseman with Sammy Strang having been temporarily suspended by the club for having too many activities outside of baseball…

Aside from his speed, I found a few items that tell interesting things about Murphy’s baseball skills. At right there is an image of his grip included in the Los Angeles Express showing that he maintained a gap between his hands. The accompanying notes said Murphy swung an especially heavy bat – as large as league rules allowed. Another article noted that Murphy had an especially good throwing arm. It was so good (how good was it?) – it was so good that teammates weren’t interested in catching his “iron” throws and would decline requests to play catch with him.

Murphy’s baseball career continued for the rest of the decade in the minors – moving progressively westward. He spent a few years in the Connecticut State League, one with Newark, then played in Pennsylvania. He played for Rock Island in the Three I League from 1907 to 1909 before spending 1910 in Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast League (the last year that the Angels played in “The Chutes”). That said, Murphy was sick for the last half of his season in Los Angeles – he was eventually sent home suffering from a form of paresis.

Murphy returned home, but not for long. He was soon placed in am Islip, New York sanitarium in hopes he would recover; instead, he slowly got worse. Murphy passed to the next league on November 4, 1912, just two years after he put away the spikes and mitt. Murphy is buried in a family plot in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. He left behind a wife, the former Edna Lewis, whom he met while playing ball in Rock Island, Illinois. The short marriage produced no children.

Notes:

1880 US Census
Baseball-Reference.com
FindAGrave.com

“Want Frank Murphy,” The Day (New London, CT), February 21, 1901: 2.
“Nutmeg League Salary Question,” The Day (New London, CT), September 30, 1901: 2.
“Giants Win at Boston,” New York Evening World, August 20, 1901: 1.
Notes in the Waterbury Democrat, August 21, 1901: 7.
Notes in the Waterbury Democrat, August 27, 1901: 7.
“Assorted Baseball Brevities From Abe’s Diary,” San Francisco Bulletin, April 16, 1910: 6.
“Murphy Believes in Soaking the Sphere,” Los Angeles Evening Express, May 19, 1910: 16.
“Three Angels Watch Hogan-Graham Final,” Los Angeles Herald, October 18, 1910: 11.
“Two Islander Players Dead,” Rock Island Argus, November 4, 1912: 5.