Former Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh to be inducted into Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame
Danny Murtaugh won two World Series and 1,115 games in 15 seasons as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, but he never visited Ireland, the country of his ancestors.
The next-best thing for Murtaugh’s legacy will occur May 22 at PNC Park when the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame will posthumously induct Murtaugh into its inner circle. The ceremony will take place during the Pirates’ Irish Heritage Night celebration.
“Danny was beloved by both his players and our fans,” Pirates team historian Jim Trdinich said. “With over 1,100 wins and two World Series championships, he is also one of the most successful managers in Pirates history and Major League Baseball.”
Murtaugh spent nine seasons as an infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and Pirates from 1941-1951. He served four separate terms as Pirates manager — starting in 1957 as a 39-year-old until 1964; the final 78 games of the 1967 season; 1970-1971 and 1973-1976. General manager Joe L. Brown tried unsuccessfully to replace Murtaugh with several men, including Harry Walker, Larry Shepard and Bill Virdon, the center fielder on the 1960 World Series champions. But Brown kept asking Murtaugh to return.
Finally, Murtaugh retired after the 1976 season and was planning a trip to Ireland the following summer when he died Dec. 2, 1976. Overall, he spent 29 years with the Pirates organization.
Murtaugh was born in Chester in 1917 and grew up in a working class Irish neighborhood, one of five children born to Daniel and Nellie (McCarey) Murtaugh. His paternal grandparents, Michael and Elizabeth (Murray) Murtaugh were born in County Mayo, Ireland.
Fittingly, the Murtaugh name is derived from the Gaelic word for “navigator.”
“Danny Murtaugh was a tremendous manager and very proud of his Irish roots,” said Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame founder Shaun Clancy. “We’re honored to be able to celebrate the life and legacy of a true baseball great.”
Murtaugh’s induction will be received by his grandchildren, Colleen Hroncich of Grove City and Katie Walton of Greenville.
He will be joined in the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 by San Francisco baseball legend Lefty O’Doul, media personalities Jack Curry and Brian Kenny and Hall of Famer Wade Boggs.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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