David Murphy
From BR Bullpen
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 4", Weight 19 lb.
- School Baylor University
- High School Klein High School
- Debut September 2, 2006
- Born October 18, 1981 in Houston, TX USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Outfielder David Murphy played three seasons at Baylor University, hitting .346 in 172 games. He broke his hand in the preseason in 2002 but recovered to hit .318. As a junior in '03, Murphy led the Big 12 Conference in hitds (121) and average (.413). He led NCAA Division I in batting average and made All-American picks from Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association.
He then was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft and signed for $1.52 million. He made his pro debut that summer with the Lowell Spinners and hit .346/.453/.397 in 21 games with the club before being promoted to the Sarasota Red Sox, where he had a .242/.329/.307 line in 45 games. Baseball America rated him as the #6 prospect in the New York-Penn League.
He returned to Sarasota in 2004 but struggled with injuries, missing nearly two months of the season. He finished at .261/.346/.232. The next season he made the jump to the AA Portland Sea Dogs and hit .275/.337/.430 with 14 homers and a team-best 75 RBIs in 135 games. As the team's regular centerfielder, he made just 4 errors and was named the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.
Murphy split the 2006 season between the Sea Dogs and the Pawtucket Red Sox, hitting .269/.342/.430 with 40 doubles, 11 home runs and 69 RBIs between the two stops, putting up similar numbers at both levels. He was called up by the Red Sox in September and appeared in 20 games in the majors, hitting .227/.346/.409.
David batted .280/.347/.423 in 100 games for Pawtucket in 2007. Murphy was then traded with Kason Gabbard and Engel Beltre to the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2007 for Eric Gagné. Just over three weeks later (August 23), Murphy played a big role in the first game in which an American League team scored 30 runs. David had 5 hits and scored five runs for Texas, leading them in hits that day and tying Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the lead in runs scored.
