[Charles Henrickson]

You make a good case. Not the Boy Scout stuff--that's nice, and I am all in favor of good sportsmanship, I root for guys like that, but that doesn't put him in the Hall. The case you make is the "relative to his era" case. That works if it is over an *extended* period of time, more than just a few peak seasons. You try to show that. You add the defensive excellence factor, which is a plus.

However, his more-than-a-couple mediocre years still diminish the overall impact. Also, the offensive standard for outfielders and first basemen is significantly higher than for other positions. At best Murphy is marginal. The fact some other marginals made it in in the past should not lower the bar.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Murphy would be strongly considered if he had played in Atlanta in the 90's instead of in the 80's. You play for a winner, people look fondly on you. You play for those who are out in August, people wonder if you had something to do with the losses. As team leader, it reflects even more strongly on you.