Mission Page

By Ray Glier

Someone always handed Dale Murphy the itinerary. The bus leaves at 1. The plane leaves at 3. Check into this hotel. Get ready for the game by 5. When he played professional baseball, somebody else was behind the wheel driving for Murphy, a two-time MVP (1982-83) for the Braves. He just played the game. These days, it's a different game for Murphy, one of only five players in franchise history to have his number (3) retired. His hands are on the wheel. He drives the car. Murphy is serving as president of the Massachusetts Boston Mission for the Mormon church. He is in his second year of a three-year stint directing, counseling and inspiring 230 missionaries in Massachusetts and Vermont.

Murphy and his wife, Nancy, packed up seven of their eight children and left a small town in Utah for the big city while their oldest son, Chad, stayed behind to finish high school. They traded mountains for mountains of buildings. They traded a serene lifestyle for the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan area. "It's an honor to be asked to do this," said Murphy whose children are enrolled in public school in Boston. "It's a real challenge, too. I have to be an administrator, which, if you knew me when I played, is quite a task. I had trouble keeping my locker organized. I had people always telling me where to be and what time to be there. "I've never been in charge of anything like this or been responsible for this many people." The typical age for a young man or woman in the Mormon church to go on a mission is 19. But Murphy was just beginning a fabulous career in baseball at that age, so he stayed with the game. Now 42, Murphy is fulfilling an obligation to the church. He doesn't get paid, though he and his family live in a home owned by the Mormons and they receive some money for groceries.

Murphy's job is to help and train the missionaries, the white shirt and tie-clad 19- and 20-year-olds who spread a Christian message through streets, towns and cities around the world. Murphy's job is also to look over the missionaries, particularly those who have to deal with violence in mean neighborhoods. One of Murphy's missionaries was shot in the arm with a pellet gun in November. Another had things thrown at him walking along a street.

"We go into some tough areas, and a lot of times, people are not interested," Murphy said. "I encourage them and talk to them and tell them, 'You're going to help somebody today'. We all try and help each other. "This connects the missionaries to real life. Many of them come from nice homes and universities and are pretty much insulated from this environment. They meet people with real challenges."

Murphy met one man with a real challenge. He's in a wheelchair, has been shot, been on drugs, left his wife and kids, and has a severe back problem. "He wants to turn his life around," Murphy said. "I've been able to meet him and make a spiritual connection. You're not thinking about that night's game and, 'Man, are we going to win?'. You're thinking about real life, a real challenge."

Murphy isn't sure whatchallenges await him after his missionary work is complete in a year and a half. "I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm focused on this," he said. "We'll go back to Utah and think about it."

Does he want to return to Atlanta? "We'll never rule out coming back," Murphy said. "We liked Atlanta very much. We feel connection in Atlanta, but our children are very settled in Utah. They are looking forward to going back there."

Murphy said he'll never rule out returning to baseball either. The Braves, Phillies and Rockies, the three teams he played for, all left the door open for a possible job. "I don't see myself pursuing anything soon," said Murphy, who worked as a spring training instructor for the Cardinals in 1994. "I miss it, but it's a rough schedule. I'm home a lot more now."

Murphy may be through with baseball, but baseball isn't through with him. Now that he's been retired for five years, he is eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Results of the December vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America will be announced in early January. "It's an honor to be considered, but I don't think it's going to happen right away," Murphy said. "I think I have some statistics, though, that warrant consideration. I'll sit and watch what happens."

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