Murray Says This Team Has a Lot of Potential
The master of the frown was all smiles, wearing a Dodger cap and talking a blue streak. Eddie Murray seemingly granted more interviews in half an hour than he did in his 21-season Hall-of-Fame playing career.
Murray loves to teach hitting, loves it so much he’ll put up with the notebooks and microphones and incessant questions for the opportunity to coach. It isn’t as fulfilling as playing, not even close for someone who played as well as Murray, but it’s a way to stay connected and remain relevant in a game he mastered.
So there he stood at a news conference Wednesday to introduce the new Dodger coaching staff, posing for photos and offering a short list of reasons he agreed to join Manager Grady Little’s staff.
“It’s not an empty organization,” Murray said. “They’ve got some good ballplayers here. They are strong veterans and a lot of interesting prospects. If this ballclub stays healthy, we could do some damage.”
Murray went to Locke High, played for the Dodgers from 1989 to ‘91, ended his career with them in 1997, and has lived in L.A. most of his life. “I wouldn’t have taken a job anywhere else,” he said. “This has always been home.”
The only topic Murray didn’t wish to discuss was getting fired as Cleveland hitting coach in June. It was his fourth season on the job, and he was proud of developing several young hitters who became All-Stars.
“You’re hired sometimes to be fired,” he said. “It wasn’t about anything that happened on the field. There are cases where you don’t get along with everybody.”
Little said he didn’t know the circumstances of Murray’s falling out with Indian Manager Eric Wedge.
“I haven’t asked him, and at the same time, he hasn’t asked me why I left Pedro Martinez in that game,” Little said, referring to his ill-fated decision as Boston Red Sox manager to stay with his starting pitcher in Game 7 of the 2003 American League championship series.
“I like Eddie’s passion for working with young hitters -- and all hitters. There are players throughout the game who contact him for suggestions on making themselves better hitters.”
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Shortstop Rafael Furcal should be at full strength in three weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday, trainer Stan Johnston said.... Eric Gagne is throwing from 60 feet on flat ground and should be ready for spring training. Johnston said that he asked Gagne not to play in the World Baseball Classic, but that Gagne had not decided.
