Murtaugh denied Hall enshrinement
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2009/12/08/sports/doc4b1ddbfc66ce6242814208.txtIn his second attempt at baseball immortality, Delaware County native and former championship Pittsburgh Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh was passed over once again.
Murtaugh, a former resident of Chester and Ridley Township, received eight out of a necessary 12 votes from the 16-member Veterans Committee, which voted Monday at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.
Jim Vankoski, special projects director for the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame, where Murtaugh has his own room, said MLB has not given the Chester High School graduate proper credit.
“These votes really don’t change our admiration for people like Danny Murtaugh,” said Vankoski. “But when those ‘in the know’ don’t know, you’ve got a problem.”
Murtaugh managed the Pirates four times over parts of 15 seasons, leading them to two World Series championships and five Eastern Division titles from 1957 to 1976. In addition to winning manager of the year three times, Murtaugh holds a .540 winning percentage, which ranks higher than eight other managers who are in the Hall of Fame.
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Out of the eight managers up for election at the Winter Meetings, only former St. Louis Cardinals’ skipper Whitey Herzog made the cut. Former umpire Doug Harvey was also elected to the Hall of Fame Monday.
Vankoski said many Delaware County sports fans realized how wonderful of a personality Danny Murtaugh was.
“We like to share our enthusiasm with the rest of the country,” he said. “The more folks learn about him, the more they realize what a tremendous individual he was,” Vankoski said.
Herzog's managerial stats:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/herzowh01.shtml#manager_stats18 years G-2409 W-1281 L-1125 .532 win pct, 6 1st place finishes, 3 Pennants and 1 World Series, Sporting News' MLB Manager of Year once.
Murtaugh's:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/murtada01.shtml#manager_stats15 years G-2068 W-1115 L-950 .540 win pct, 5 1st place finishes, 2 Pennants and 2 World Series, Sporting News' MLB Manager of Year twice.