| Red Murff | |
|---|---|
 Topps baseball card, 1957 series, #321. | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born:(1921-04-01)April 1, 1921 Burlington,Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: November 28, 2008(2008-11-28) (aged 87) Tyler, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 21, 1956, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 30, 1957, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 2–2 |
| Earned run average | 4.65 |
| Saves | 2 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
John Robert Murff (April 1, 1921 – November 28, 2008) was an Americanrelief pitcher inMajor League Baseball who played from1956 through1957 for theMilwaukee Braves. Listed at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 195 lb., Murff batted and threw right-handed. He attendedGettysburg College.
A native ofBurlington,Texas, Murff started his professional baseball career in A and AA ball. On June 8, 1951, while pitching for theTexas City Texans, he threw ano-hitter against theHarlingen Capitals. A year later, he pitched19+2⁄3 innings of a 20-inning game, in a lost cause against theTexarkana Bears, who defeated the Texans, 3–2. Then, in 1955, he wonThe Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award and was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year after going 27–11 for theDallas Eagles.
Murff entered the majors in 1956 with the Braves as a 35-year-old rookie, having been signed by Milwaukee scout Earle W. Halstead. In a story chronicled in Murff's biography "The Scout", Halstead negotiated with Dick Burnett, owner of the Dallas Eagles in the Texas League, where Murff played. The two sides reached an impasse until Halstead proposed a game of gin rummy with the winner setting the terms of the trade. Halstead won and the Braves paid Burnett $40,000 and three players from the 40 man roster to obtain Murff's contract. In part of two seasons, he posted a 2–2 record with a 4.65ERA and threesaves in 26 appearances, including twostarts, giving up 26 earned runs on 56 hits and 18walks whilestriking out 31 in50+1⁄3 innings of work.
Following his majors career, Murffcoached in the minors andmanaged the 1960Jacksonville Braves of theSouth Atlantic League. As ascout for theNew York Mets, he discovered and signed futureHall of Famer pitcherNolan Ryan andAll-Star catcherJerry Grote. Ryan, later named president of theTexas Rangers, noted his friendship with Murff in his 1999 Hall of Fame induction speech.
In the early 1970s, Murff helped start theUniversity of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball program, and retired toTyler, Texas, in 1991 after serving 34 years as a scout. He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Texas Scouts Association Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 1994 the UMHB's ballpark was named in his honour, Red Murff Field.
Murff died in a Tyler nursing home at the age of 87.
In the 2023 filmThe Hill, Murff is portrayed by actorScott Glenn.
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