| Morgan Murphy | |
| Position: | Catcher |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 14 February 1867 |
| Birth Place: | East Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | April 22 |
| Debutyear: | 1890 |
| Debutteam: | Boston Reds |
| Finalleague: | MLB |
| Finaldate: | May 31 |
| Finalyear: | 1901 |
| Finalteam: | Philadelphia Athletics |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .225 |
| Stat2label: | Games |
| Stat2value: | 566 |
| Stat3label: | Runs scored |
| Stat3value: | 247 |
| Teams: |
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Morgan Edward Murphy (February 14, 1867 - October 3, 1938) was an American Major League Baseball player who played 11 seasons as a catcher, most notably with the two time league champions Boston Reds.[1]
Murphy is mostly known today for his complicated, but innovative sign stealing techniques. When he was playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in, he is credited as the inventor of a scheme where he positioned himself, along with a pair of field glasses, behind a whiskey advertisement on the outfield wall. There was a specific letter "O" that he would open or close to signal to the batter what pitch was going to be delivered.[2] Later, in, he devised another scheme where he was still placed behind the outfield wall, but instead would relay the catcher's signs by wire to a buzzer box inside the third base coach's box. The third base coach would then signal to the batter the sign.[2] [3] This latest scheme was discovered, however, when Tommy Corcoran of the Cincinnati Reds, tripped over he thought to be a vine coming out from under the ground, as he was rounding third base. Upon further inspection, the vine turned out to be a telegraph wire, and he proceeded to pull up out of the ground until it reach the spot where Murphy relayed his signals.[4]
Murphy died at the age of 71 in Providence, Rhode Island, and is interred at St. Francis Cemetery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.[1]