Timothy J. Murtaugh (born May 6, 1943 atChester, Pennsylvania) is an American former professionalbaseballcatcher andmanager. The son of formerPittsburgh Piratesinfielder and managerDanny Murtaugh, Tim fashioned a 13-year career in the Pirates'farm system (1965–1977), six of them as an active player, and seven as a manager or playing manager.[1]
The 5 foot, 11 inch (1.8 m), 195 pound (89 kg) Murtaugh signed with the Pirates after graduating from theCollege of the Holy Cross.[2] Aswitch hitter, he threwright-handed. TheAssociated Press called him a "bona fide major league prospect".[3] After his playing career peaked with five games at the Triple-A level with the 1968Columbus Jets of theInternational League, he became a skipper in the Pittsburghminor league organization, where he won championships in theCarolina League (1972) andEastern League (1974).[4] He spent 1½ seasons managing at the Triple-A level with the 1976Charleston Charlies and the 1977Columbus Clippers.[5] As a player, he appeared in 513 games andbatted .259, with 13home runs.
After leaving the game after the '77 campaign, Murtaugh worked in insurance and successfully entered local politics, serving as a member of the board of commissioners ofRidley Township, Pennsylvania, and multiple terms on the Delaware County Council.[6][unreliable source]