Dwayne Murphy

A multiple sport star at Antelope Valley High School in the early 1970s, Dwayne
Murphy went on to become one of the most successful major league baseball players
from the local area.

After graduating from AV High, Dwyane Murphy was selected by the Oakland As in the 1973 draft. He wasn't called up to the majors until 1978, but after that it didn't take long for Murphy to begin building his legacy.

He played majority of career with Oakland, but had late stints with the Tigers and Phillies. By the time he was done, he had played in 1360 major league games, and had hit 166 Home Runs. While with the A's, he played for Billy Martin, Sparky Anderson, and Tony LaRussa. His team reached the playoffs in 1981, and he hit for a .421 average in those 6 playoff games. His biggest offensive year was 1984, when he hit 33 home runs and had 88 RBIs. Murphy also drew many walks, and had excellent speed on the base paths. He stole 26 bases in both 1980 and 1982. He led the American League in sacrifice hits in 1980, batting directly behind Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. He was also batting behind Henderson in 1982 when he set the single-season base stealing record.

Murphy was well known for his defensive prowess. He won six American League
Gold Gloves (1980-1985). His signature play became a trademark of sorts for him -
his hat blowing off his head on virtually every play he made, from tracking down routine fly balls to making spectacular catches deep in the Valley.

Upon retirement, Murphy moved on to a coaching career with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998 to 2003. In 2005 and 2006 he was the hitting instructor for the Syracuse SkyChiefs in the Toronto Blue Jay organization. In the Fall of 2006 he was promoted to roving hitting
instructor for the Blue Jays.