Huh? Murphy was nowhere near the RBI leaders in '78 or '80.
Murphy did have five excellent years--'82, '83, '84, '85, and '87--and two very good years, '80 and '86. But those "seven fat years" are offset by "seven lean years"--'78, '79, '81, '88, '89, '90, and '91. (I'm not even counting the mediocre little bits of seasons he played at the beginning and end of his career: '76-'77/'92-'93.)
Nice guy, nice player, but not enough. Again, I'd be intrigued to compare his numbers to Dave Parker, a near-contemporary who was a similar player.
Minor correction: The little bit he played in '77 was very good, which gave him the opportunity then to become a regular in '78.
But still.
Murph was more than just a great player. He was a great person. He won the 1985 Lou Gehrig Award as the major league player who best represented the character and sportsmanship of the late, great Yankee slugger. In 1988, he won the Roberto Clemete Award, given to the player who performed above expectations on the field, and made a significant contribution in the community. In 1987, he shared Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year Award. Murph was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1995.
Compare and contrast that with many of today's athletic "stars."
"He's [Murphy] the best I've ever seen, and I've seen Willie Mays." --Billy Conners, former Chicago Cubs pitching coach
"Nice guy, nice player, but not enough. Again, I'd be intrigued to compare his numbers to Dave Parker, a near-contemporary who was a similar player."
MURPHY STATS = http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/murphda05.shtml
PARKER STATS = http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/parkeda01.shtml