The Wolfpacker

Sept.-Oct. 2020

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ■ 49 Murray got a late start to the 1924 season because of a broken foot and lost his first six decisions. He mostly appeared in relief in the latter half of the season, making only seven starts total and finishing with a 2-9 record. He was released by the rebuilding Red Sox prior to the 1925 season, and spent the next 18 months pitching in Mobile, Ala., until Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, who had a soft spot in his heart for NC State players and coaches, bought his contract for $8,000. He started 11 straight games for the Senators, but was largely ineffective in his two seasons in the nation's capital. Murray's contract was sold to New Orleans in 1927, but he refused to play for a team in the heat of the Deep South. He eventually spent two years in Kansas City, took a year off from baseball to work in the oilfields of east Texas, then proved his worth as a part-time minor leaguer in Dallas, and a semi-pro pitcher and a "wildcat" player — a vagabond open to playing for anybody who paid him — in the Mexican leagues from 1930-32. He won 24 games in the minors in 1932 and made a brief two-game come- back with the Chicago White Sox in 1933. He was returned to the minor leagues after his two appearances and bounced around for six more years, from Dallas to Oklahoma City to Minneapolis to Bir- mingham to Rochester to Toronto to Sac- ramento to Savannah, before retiring at the age of 40. While he managed only 20 wins in the major leagues, Murray posted a 160-143 record and an overall 3.90 ERA as a mi- nor league pitcher. He tried his hand at umpiring for a while after retiring as a player, but settled down with his family in Memphis, Ten- nessee, to work in the photo department of the Wray Williams Blueprint Com- pany. He died of a heart attack on Oct. 18, 1955, a vagabond athlete who never reached a higher pinnacle than his rookie year, when he was Babe Ruth's teammate on a New York Yankees team that played in the World Series. ■ Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolf- packer and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. Murray played major and minor league baseball until he was 40, racking up 20 wins in the bigs and going 160- 143 during a long career in the minors. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Etch Your Name Into Wolfpack History One Brick At A Time 1. Orders will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. You will receive a confirmation email within 30 days of your order. Please review it carefully. If you do not receive a confirmation email or a correction is necessary, please notify us at majorgi•s@wolfpackclub.com or at 919-865-1500. 2. In order for the Wolfpack Club to accommodate requests for bricks to be placed next to each other, the orders must be submitted together with proper instructions. Every effort will be made to accomodate these requests. 3. All text will be a standard size, font, and style. Greek letters and other symbols not found on a standard keyboard may not be used. 4. Messages will be centered automatically. 'e use of upper and lower case lettering is permitted. All spaces and punctuation marks count as a character. 5. 'e Wolfpack Club reserves the right to exclude orders that it deems to contain inappropriate language. 6. 'e Wolfpack Club will determine the final placement of all bricks. Help fulfill the vision by leaving your legacy etched on a brick on the north plaza walkway connecting the PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium. Ordering Instructions: To order please contact us at majorgi€s@wolfpackclub.com or 919-865-1500. brick flyer for wolfpacker.indd 1 8/21/2018 11:03:30 AM

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