Murphy’s law is ruling New York!
Mets Nation — and baseball fans around the nation — are all enamored with Daniel Murphy, whose herculean hits have punctuated his team’s flaming hot postseason run. On Wednesday night, he hit his sixth home run, breaking the major league record for most consecutive playoff games with a home run, helping him earn the National League Championship Series MVP award.
Even Murphy, a 30-year-old Jacksonville, Fla. native, can’t quite explain what set his bat on fire in the playoffs. You know his swinging swagger, but here’s 10 things you might not know about the new Mr. October:
1. He’s a noted fathers’ rights advocate
Murphy holds son Noah after winning the NLCS and advancing to the World Series.Anthony CausiMurphy had the support of his teammates and manager Terry Collins when he decided to miss the first two games of the 2014 season, as his wife gave birth to the couple’s first son. Local sports radio dummies Mike Francesa and Boomer Esiason criticized Murphy for the move, saying he belonged on the field, not with his wife. But fans had his back, and so did President Obama: Murphy was invited to the White House to speak to the Working Families Summit about being a working father and parental rights.
2. His son’s name is biblical
Wow he's beautiful RT @AdamRubinESPN: Daniel Murphy and 15-month-old son Noah do postgame interview. pic.twitter.com/eZwgDoNt1e
— pissed off (@hromgirl) July 12, 2015
Murphy and his wife, Victoria Ahern, named their son Noah — no, not after the Mets’ 100-mph pitching monstrosity known as Noah Syndergaard, but after the guy who built the ark in the Bible.
3. So yeah, he’s really into God
Murphy has said he tries to read scripture every day, and when he slips, he feels “very vulnerable.” He frequently talks about Jesus and God in his post-game interviews.
His religious leanings got him in hot water earlier this season when he made some homophobic comments. His bosses probably told him to shut his yap about it because he’s limited his comments to non-controversial thanking-Jesus stuff since.
4. He once wanted to be an “insurance person”
Murphy didn’t always dream of breaking baseball records. An 11-year-old Murphy was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up for a yearbook photo. His answer? An “insurance person.”
“That was just the first thing I slopped out,” he told Metsblog in 2009. “They snuck it up on us for the yearbook, I think.”
You might say his RBIs and home runs have made him quite the insurance person for the Mets this year though.
5. He’s not the only pro ball player in the family
I'm a big fan of Daniel Murphy, but I might be a bigger fan of his brother,@JMurph6. Continued success! #Twins#Metspic.twitter.com/v6VBJNSOQS
— Tyler Ivens (@TylerIvens) July 16, 2013
The reason he blurted out “insurance person” is because his mother, Sharon, worked in insurance when he was growing up. His father, Tom, is a kindergarten teacher in Florida. His younger brother Jonathan followed in his footsteps: He was drafted by the Twins in 2012.
6. He predicted this rise to fame
Murphy receives the NLCS MVP trophy after Wednesday night’s game.Elsa/Getty ImagesMurphy has always been a humble guy, praised for his hard-working attitude. But in 2009, when Murphy was still new with the Mets and just announced as a starter, he saw the chance for fame on the horizon.
“I don’t have celebrity status; nobody knows who I am yet,” he told the Florida Times-Union then. “I don’t get recognized or anything [out in public]. I’m still flying under the radar right now. Hopefully, after we win a World Series, I won’t be.”
7. He became good friends with the scout that found him
Murphtober!! Very Macho!! #LGM#Mets
— Steve Barningham (@Stevebarningham) October 16, 2015
Steve Barningham was a scout for the Mets in 2006 when he started looking into a hitting prospect in Jacksonville, Fla., named Daniel Murphy. That would be far from the end of their relationship: The two became close friends over the years; they talked weekly for a while, and both own homes in Florida.
According to NJ.com, “When Murphy learned he had made it to the All-Star Game, he sent a text to Barningham. ‘Minnesota?’ it said. And then a call: ‘Are you coming?’ ”
8. He’s a gamer
In his downtime between baseball and family, Murphy plays “Halo” on Xbox and likes to read “ ‘Da Vinci Code’-type novels” and suspense thrillers, according to a Mets.com chat he did in 2010.
9. He’s a theater fan
FileIn the same chat, Murphy praised “The Lion King” and advocated for seeing theater. “Everyone should see a Broadway play if they get the opportunity,” he said.
10. He grew up idolizing Tony Gwynn
Padres legend Tony Gwynn passed away in 2014.Bill Wechter/Getty ImagesMurphy also revealed in the chat that former Padres outfielder Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn was his favorite player “because he was such a good contact hitter.” When he became a pro, Murphy became a fan of Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman, two first basemen he looked to learn from.
