April 2, 2025 • 27 mins
He started as a batboy at old Seals Stadium in 1958 and spent the next 65 years inside the Giants clubhouse at Candlestick Park and beyond. Along the way, he became great friends with Willie Mays, found himself at a private dinner where a legendary singer answered the door, had an unexpected run-in with a Hollywood cowboy at spring training, "borrowed" something from Bob Uecker and even ran the clubhouse for the biggest band in the world. This month on Lost Ballparks, longtime Giants clubhouse manager Mike Murphy shares stories you won’t believe.
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Commercial (00:01):
Hey, Pop.
What's a giant?
What's a what?
What's a giant?
A giant, well, it's a great,uh, big, huge, tremendous.
You know, it's like a supercolossal.
Russ Hodges (00:20):
This is Ross Hodges And Lon Simmons.
Well, in case you had anydoubt, that's what a giant is.
To some, a giant is a WillieMays, a Willie McCovey, or a
Juan Marichal.
But to many others, a giant isa composite face of immortal
heroes.
A history of legendary exploitsperformed by Titans.
Mike Koser (00:41):
One such Titan is Mike Murphy.
Murph is a giant's legend, agiant amongst all the giants.
One who never actually played asingle inning.
From bat boy to clubhousemanager, he spent 65 years as
the heartbeat of the GiantsClubhouse.
Starting at Seals Stadium in1958 when the team moved west to
San Francisco, and continuingthrough the candlestick park era
(01:03):
and beyond.
Along the way, he found himselfat a private dinner where a
legendary singer answered thedoor, developed a close
relationship with Willie Mays,had a surprise encounter with a
Hollywood cowboy at springtraining, and even played host
to the biggest band in theworld.
This month on Lost Ballparks,Murph shares incredible stories
(01:24):
from a lifetime in baseball.
Mike Murphy is my guest on thismonth's episode of Lost Ball
Parks.
Mike Murphy, welcome to LostBall Parks.
(02:19):
How are you?
All right, good, sir.
Good, good, Mike.
Mike, when you were eight or nine years old, your
dad started taking you to gamesat SEALs Stadium.
That beautiful San Franciscoballpark was situated on 16th
and Bryant Street, where theTriple A San Francisco Seals
played.
Do you remember the first time,what it was like the first time
you saw a game there?
Like the sights and the soundsand the smells?
Mike Murphy (02:38):
Oh, it was great.
I used to play catch at thepark, you know, because we lived
we lived right off of 10thStreet down there.
And uh I used to go to thepark, the little park on 7th and
7th and uh Folsom.
And we lived on 10th Street,and my father took me to the
game, and I fell in love withbaseball right then.
And after a couple of yearsafter that, I used to sneak in
there in center field to see thegames.
Mike Koser (03:00):
The Hamms Brewery was on the was that on the right
field side?
Mike Murphy (03:03):
Yeah, Hamms Brewery, yes.
The filled up.
Yeah, for people who never sawthat.
It was just a big glass that itfilled up, you know, like
you're pouring a beer, and thenthe foam would be on top, then
it'd go blank, and then all of asudden it'd come up back up
again.
Mike Koser (03:16):
So it'd refill every few seconds.
And then on the um on the leftfield side was a a great little
bakery, too.
Was it ...
Stempells.
And then close by, uh rightacross the street, uh the double
play bar and grill.
Mike Murphy (03:27):
The double play, that's it - double play right
there.
Mike Koser (03:29):
Yeah, it was right across the street.
And even though SEALs stadiumwas demolished in 1959, that
little neighborhood barcontinued to thrive all the way
up to a couple years ago whentragically it burned to the
ground.
I was there a few months beforethat happened, and I mean
honestly, it was like walkingback in time.
There was giants memorabiliaand irreplaceable things all
over the walls.
The SEALs stadium photographs,and man, it was so disappointing
(03:52):
to see that happen.
Mike Murphy (03:53):
Oh, I know.
Tell me about it.
You know who used to look usedto I used to tell Will Clark
about it, so he I took him upthere and he really enjoyed that
the lunch up there.
Mike Koser (04:01):
Oh, the food was good too.
The food was really good.
Mike Murphy (04:03):
And then across the street was uh on the corner was
the the plaque that uh thatPeter Magowan put on uh on the
corner there.
Mike Koser (04:10):
To uh commemorate SEALs Stadium.
Mike Murphy (04:13):
Yeah.
Mike Koser (04:13):
As a kid, Mike, your dad would let you go to SEALs
Stadium sometimes by yourself,and this is like when you're
you're 10 or 12 years old.
Mike Murphy (04:19):
Uh yeah, oh yeah.
Well, you know, we wereyounger.
We didn't fear nothing, mybrother and I, you know what I
mean?
Yeah.
You know, you know we were kidswere going to school.
So we used to go on theweekends when they were playing.
Mike Koser (04:31):
I love how resourceful you were too, Mike,
because you had a we figured outa way to sneak in.
Mike Murphy (04:36):
Well yeah, center field, uh uh the two brothers
were there, uh oh, they workedfor uh the Cassidy brothers.
And uh we used to sneak inthere uh and they used to catch
us all the time and say, uh,come on, you guys you guys are
here all the time, you know whatI mean?
He'd turn turn his back andsay, okay, sneak in there then
so he let us go through thecenter field.
Mike Koser (04:57):
And then you and your brother would head out to
the right field stands, is thatright?
Mike Murphy (05:01):
Right, yeah.
And then uh we'd pick up uh thecushions at uh at the end at
the end of the ballgame.
Big guy would give you a ticket. Piggy.
His name is Piggy, you know.
You pick up all the cushionsaround - the people leave this
cushions, they throw them on thefield, that stuff happening in
the game.
And you pick them up and he'dgive you a ticket.
Mike Koser (05:20):
He'd give you a ticket for the next game?
Mike Murphy (05:22):
Yeah, oh yeah, for the next game, yeah.
Mike Koser (05:23):
And you would
Mike Murphy (05:24):
give bleacher tickets, bleachers, it would
know you know, we'd sit out thebleachers out in right field.
Mike Koser (05:29):
And you would catch balls during batting practice
too and throw them back likehome run balls.
Mike Murphy (05:32):
Yes, I used to get there early and uh and Doc
Hughes was a trainer and used tosee me all the time.
He'd give me a ball here andthere, you know what I mean.
So he said if you catch if youcatch the balls in the stands,
just throw them back in, andI'll take care of take care of
you with a brand new ball.
He always did, you know.
Oh, good.
Hey, good we played ball withit.
Mike Koser (05:52):
And then one day in 1955, the SEALs bat boy doesn't
show up, and the SEALs equipmentmanager you just talked about,
Doc Hughes.
Mike Murphy (05:59):
Yeah, it was 1955, and he didn't show up.
So Doc Hughes gave me a job ofbeing on the lines, you know,
like the line kid.
The ball goes foul, you pick itup and just give it to somebody
in the stands, a kid orsomething.
Mike Koser (06:11):
All right, tell me about that first game where
you're you're down the linedoing that.
That must be like every kid'sdream.
Mike Murphy (06:16):
I was scared as hell.
That was my first time I was onthe field, you know, like that.
But I did a good job, you know.
I helped the kid pick up allthe bats, the bat boy.
I see him now and then he'she's he's he's he's a little
older than me now.
But I see him around uh he comeby and see me a couple of times
at the ballpark when I wasworking.
Yeah, I helped him, and andthen the guy had a guy named
Bill Soto on the other side.
(06:37):
He needed a bat boy, so so Iwent over there for a year.
In 50 uh 56 and 57 I becamethe bat boy for the SEALs.
Mike Koser (06:47):
In 1957, New York Giants owner Horace Stonham made
this announcement.
Horace Stoneham (06:52):
At a meeting of our board today, they voted uh
permission for us to transferthe New York Giant franchise to
San Francisco.
Will you still be known as theGiants?
That's right.
Where will you play in SanFrancisco?
Uh the uh immediate plans areto uh start the season or most
of the season seals stadium.
Mike Koser (07:11):
And Mike, little did you know that the Giants move
to San Francisco would changeyour life.
Mike Murphy (07:16):
Yeah.
You had our old uh generalmanager, Jerry Donovan, was the
president of the SEALs.
Uh almost uh maybe the lastmonth of the season, he he was
sitting outside and I said,Hello, Mr.
Donovan, how are you?
He just kind of he says, Idon't know what I'm gonna do
with you.
I said, What do you mean?
He says, the Giants are movingout, but I'll try to help you
out as much as I can.
If I get a job with the withthe Giants when they move out,
(07:38):
I'll see that you get a job as abat boy.
So then the Giants came out andhe talked to Mr.
Logan.
He became uh the businessmanager for the Giants.
That's how I got the job withthe Giants, and that I did a
good job for Mr.
Logan.
It was Roy McKercher, myself,and Stanfeld, Leland Stanfeld.
His father uh owned the baracross the street, the double
play.
Mike Koser (07:58):
And 1958 was the first time you met Willie Mays,
right?
Mike Murphy (08:02):
Right, 58, yes, yes.
Oh, he we we hit it off.
Him and I hit it off prettygood.
Announcer (08:07):
I think one of the nicest things that anybody would
want to do on a sunny afternoonin the early spring is lean
here on the batting cage andwithout a care in the world,
watch Willie Mays hit a few.
Mike Koser (08:18):
Hey, yeah, and 58 Mays, he's just a kid, he's 27
years old himself.
And didn't he give you a couplebucks to play pepper with him
behind home plate at SealsStadium?
Mike Murphy (08:28):
Used to get all those kids together, you know,
whoever cut the ball spaws youwhen you play pepper.
Yeah.
And he'd give them five bucks.
My feeling was uh wasn't thatgood, you know.
Sometimes I'd I'd lose and hesays, I'll take care of you
later.
So he used to give me a fivedollar bill.
Mike Koser (08:45):
That's so great.
Mike Murphy (08:46):
The Giants bring back a lot of old memories, like
like if 1958, I don't know ifyou do this, that Jeff Chandler
was their uh their hero, youknow.
He used to work out with theGiants all the time.
58 59 at uh SEAL Stadium.
Mike Koser (09:00):
Jeff Chandler, you're talking about the the
actor, Jeff Chandler.
Mike Murphy (09:03):
Yeah.
Mike Koser (09:04):
Probably his most famous role was the 1950 movie
Broken Arrow.
Jeff Chandler (09:10):
I am the leader of my people.
They do not betray me and I donot betray them.
We fight for our land againstAmericans who try to take it.
Mike Murphy (09:18):
That's the guy.
Yeah, Jeff Chandler, the moviestar.
Mr.
Stoneham loved them.
Mike Koser (09:22):
Over the years, you became really close with Willie
Mays.
Tell me about the time in PalmSprings uh where you had a uh
once-in-a-lifetime dinner.
Mike Murphy (09:32):
We were in Palm Springs playing the the Angels,
and then after that we weregoing to uh play the San Diego
Padres down in uh
Mike Koser (09:39):
Oh in Yuma.
Mike Murphy (09:40):
Yuma, yeah.
Yeah, Yuma.
So we were gonna go play them.
I'm helping Logan do the do thelaundry, and I'm I don't so
Willie says, wait, where are yougonna go for dinner?
I said, uh I'll go to thecoffee shop.
He says, get yourself uh asweater and everything.
I got you know just a shirtwith a sweater and a jacket, a
pair of slacks.
He said, We're going to dinnerwith my friend's house.
So okay.
So we get in this car and allof a sudden you go through Palm
(10:02):
Springs, it's dark as hell, wayout there.
So we go to uh the countryclub.
"Oh, Mr.
Mays, how are you?" He'swaiting for you.
I walk in and it was him.
Mike Koser (10:11):
Wait, you walk in and it's who?
Mike Murphy (10:13):
It was Frank Sinatra's house, yeah.
Mike Koser (10:15):
Oh my gosh.
Mike Murphy (10:16):
Oh my heart, you know, I I was, you know, I was
kind of double talking, you knowwhat I mean?
When I met him.
Mike Koser (10:22):
All right, so just to set the stage, it's you, it's
Willie Mays with Frank Sinatraat Frank Sinatra's house in Palm
Springs, and um former BrooklynDodger manager, Leo Durocher,
is also there.
Mike Murphy (10:33):
Yeah.
And so we're eating dinnerabout nine o'clock there.
Leo's getting in the into thewhiskey, and so is Frank, you
know.
And Willie gets...
he touches me on my head and Igotta go, I gotta play tomorrow.
We had to leave.
Mike Koser (10:49):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, I break the bread.
You know, when you sit downyour first time in his house,
he makes you sit down and youyou break the bread for the
Italians.
That's what Italians do, youknow, you break the bread.
Yeah.
Mike Murphy (11:00):
I really enjoyed it.
Mike Koser (11:02):
Over the years, you saw Sinatra many times.
Mike Murphy (11:04):
Oh, many times.
Mike Koser (11:05):
and didn't you even send him a like uh a uniform for
was his 70th birthday or
Mike Murphy (11:10):
70th birthday?
I sent him a uniform and heYeah,
Russ Hodges (11:13):
by the way, by the way, that didn't make Tommy
Lassorda too happy because hewas buddies with Frank.
Mike Murphy (11:17):
Oh no, Tommy, Tommy, he said, you're taking my
man away from me.
I said, I'm not taking yourman, I I didn't got nothing.
I just he wanted something, soI gave it to him.
Well, I don't I don't hangaround with him.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Tommy says, Oh yeah, you'retrying to get in there and good
getting good graces with him.
And I said, I don't.
He asked me to do something.
I said, to Be truthful,with you Tommy, I don't even
(11:39):
have a picture of him.
Never never took a picture withhim.
He used to come to Candlestick,you know, he'd be with the ball
players and I'd bring the ballplayers over to see him.
And hey, I never got a picturewith him.
You know, he did with McCoveyand Willie and the rest of the
guys, you know, but I didn't uhI was uh I never liked to take
pictures anyway.
Mike Koser (11:57):
Speaking of uh spring training, Alvin Dark was
the San Francisco Giants managerfrom 61 to 64.
And uh correct me if I'm wrong,but weren't you given the
assignment of driving hisCadillac back home from spring
training?
Mike Murphy (12:10):
Oh yeah, I drove it down and drove it back for him.
Mike Koser (12:13):
Were you not...
how old were you at that time?
Mike Murphy (12:16):
I was I was uh let's see, I was I was 18.
Mike Koser (12:19):
How nervous were you driving it back up to San
Francisco?
Mike Murphy (12:22):
I I took my time, I didn't rush.
He said, Take your time, don'trush, don't rush.
Uh Alvin took good care of me.
He was one of my favoritemanagers, so is Felipe ALou,
Dusty, and and the great Bochy.
Mike Koser (12:34):
One game against the pirates at Seals Stadium.
This would be late 1950s.
You had to be bat boy for bothteams.
Tell me about that.
Mike Murphy (12:43):
Yeah, uh 1958 we had a bad boy named Roy
McKercher.
He played uh for the highschool, you know.
He he was one of our bat boys,but you know, he thought he was
a big next pitcher coming backas his left-hander, and you
know, he was like a hot dog, weused to call him.
Uh you know, I mean he was agood guy, but we actually call
him a hot dog.
You know, like he pretendedhe'd be working out on the side
(13:04):
with the people showing so oneday he doesn't show up, and Mr.
Logan was kind of worried.
And I'm always there.
Mr.
Logan says, You better youbetter see George over the
visitors, he's hurting.
I said why?
he says, Roy McKercher is notshowing up today.
So I go over to see George, hesays, You want to be the bat
boy?
I said, Yeah, I'll be the batboy.
I'll handled the two teams.
Mike Koser (13:22):
Think about the logistics of that.
Between every inning, you'rechanging uniforms.
Mike Murphy (13:28):
Willie said to me, You tired yet?
I said, Oh, I'm I'm gettingtired.
I said, Willie, I don't knowhow you do it.
You're like you like he used totell me it's uh you tell Hank
Sauer to play close to the linesand and uh Cepeda play close in
right field, placed to thelines on the right field.
He said, I'll cover everythingin the middle.
(13:49):
He was running all day thatday.
Mike Koser (13:51):
Well, yeah, well, just like you, and did by the
way, didn't Willie give you uhan a little extra money for your
effort for that game?
Mike Murphy (13:57):
Oh yeah, he took care of me.
He gave me a couple bucks.
He was good.
He was good to me.
I told him I didn't want themoney.
He said, Oh no, you think it'sbuy yourself something, buy
yourself something.
He always said that.
Buy yourself something, buyyourself lunch.
Mike Koser (14:09):
He was a generous guy, right?
Mike Murphy (14:11):
Yes, he was, very generous.
Mike Koser (14:12):
He'd go to New York and pick up a shirt for you, or
he'd take care of me.
He says, he says, Come on, I'llget you a suit.
Go to the place and peoplethrow just throw suits at him.
He says, Give one to skinner.
He used to call me skinner.
Give one to skinner.
We used to go get uh thesweaters, those...remember those
nice ones, alpacas.
Oh, yeah.
Commercial (14:32):
Soft with a luxurious feel, lightweight, yet
warm and weather resistant.
Mike Murphy (14:38):
Well, those were expensive.
They would give them 20 or 30,blah, blah, blah, different
colors, and really say, take acouple, get yourself a couple.
I just took two.
Two's good enough for me.
I'm not too picky.
Mike Koser (14:50):
Yeah.
Lindsey Nelson (14:51):
Willie McCovey with the chance all around him
coming across the firstbaseline, heading back towards
the dugout, and this crowd is onits feet as one.
And a salute to Willie McCovey.
Mike Koser (15:04):
Mike, the first time you saw Willie McCovey was 1959
in the clubhouse at SealsStadium, right?
Mike Murphy (15:09):
Right, yes.
Mike Koser (15:10):
And you see that guy, you see that guy walking
through.
What do you think?
Mike Murphy (15:14):
No, it was all started where we're uh uh
Brigney was staying late.
He was doing something, andLogan went across the street
like over to the double play.
Logan used to him to travel thesecondary to see they'd say all
the time, oh we gotta go overacross the street, guy owes us
some money for leaving tickets.
You know, I bought him sometickets, so he said told Logan
used to say, I gotta go pick upmy money.
(15:36):
You know what I'm going todrinking.
Right, yeah.
So I'm so I'm doing the shoes,hanging up all the wet stuff.
Rigney says, Hey man.
And he said, Mr.
Rigney, he said, We're bringinga big Irishman in tomorrow.
Oh, good.
Wait to see him.
I thought he was a white, youknow, a white Irishman.
Mike Koser (15:51):
Yeah, right.
Mike Murphy (15:52):
The next day he walked through the door, he had
six bats on his hand and aduffel bag.
My eyes just went boom.
McCovey oh, man.
He was tall.
Mike Koser (16:03):
Big, big guy.
Mike Murphy (16:05):
Good guy, good stretch was all right.
He was a good guy.
Mike Koser (16:08):
In 62, you made your first trip with the Giants back
to New York to play at the pologrounds.
Announcer (16:12):
The polo grounds, New York, home of the old Giants,
and a shrine to such legendaryfigures as John McGraw, Christy
Matthewson, and other oldtimers.
Mike Koser (16:21):
And at that point, the polo grounds were the
temporary home of the Mets whowould move into Shea Stadium a
couple years later.
The clubhouses were in centerfield at the polo grounds.
Tell me about the clubhouses atthe polo grounds.
What do you remember aboutthat?
Mike Murphy (16:31):
The polo grounds.
I said, You guys played at thisballpark?
I never knew the clubhouses outin the center field.
You had to walk across thefield.
That was the first time I everdid that.
Mike Koser (16:40):
And you think about those players after a really
difficult game.
Maybe a guy makes a coupleerrors that cost the team a win
in the in the field, and he yougotta, it's like the walk of
shame.
Mike Murphy (16:49):
Not only do you have to walk through and you had
the visitors walking rightbehind you, the whole team and
everything.
Mike Koser (16:54):
You gotta walk through the field, and then you
have to walk up through thecenter field bleachers to get to
the clubhouse.
Mike Murphy (17:04):
But Logan said this is where he was.
I said, You had to move allthem trunks up and down the
stairs.
Yep.
Mike Koser (17:10):
Yeah, Eddie Logan was the Giants bat boy at the
polo grounds, and so he wouldhave been responsible for
schlepping all the bats, thehats, gloves, equipment up those
stairs in center field.
Mike Murphy (17:23):
Right.
Big huge trunks.
There was no duffel bags in theearly in the early days.
All players would used to takea couple pairs of shoes, a
couple of, you know, uh jock anda couple of pairs of shorts.
Oh man.
I don't know how they did itthose days.
Everything was the train.
There was no no airplanes then.
That's what Logan told me.
Mike Koser (17:43):
Early on, um, Mike, you became a jack of all trades,
and when the team was inChicago, Horace Stonham, who
owned the Giants from 36 to1976, was out drinking one night
with Bill Veeck, and he calledyou, he called you at three
o'clock in the morning.
Mike Murphy (17:59):
Go get me a pack of smokes.
Uh those were the good olddays, though.
Mike Koser (18:04):
Mike, in 62, the World Series was this close to
belonging to the Giants.
Naturally, you were at uhCandlestick Park for Game 7.
The series is tied at threeapiece.
The Yankees score a run in thefifth.
It remains 1-0 into the ninthwhen Willie Mays is on second.
Maddie Alou is on third.
Willie McCovey comes to theplate with two outs and one more
chance to win it all.
George Kell (18:25):
George Kell and Joe Garagiola at Candlestick Park
in San Francisco.
And this place is a madhouseright now.
The Yankees lead one tonothing, the bottom of the
ninth.
The Giants have runners atsecond and third with two outs,
and Willie McCovey is thebatter.
Mike Murphy (18:40):
Yeah.
When when Matty was up at firstwhen he went all the way
around, he said he would havescored.
He would have made the what'shis name through that throw him
out.
Mike Koser (18:48):
Oh, from right field.
Mike Murphy (18:49):
From right field, yeah.
Roger Maris.
Mike Koser (18:51):
Yeah.
Mike Murphy (18:51):
He says, I he said, I wouldn't have stopped.
He said, I made it fine.
If I didn't, I know I can makeit.
Mike Koser (18:57):
But he's thinking McCovey's up, so what do I need
to go for?
Mike Murphy (19:00):
Yeah, well, yeah, yeah.
Figured McCovey's gonna hit ahome run.
George Kell (19:02):
So, it's one strike to Willie.
Boy, everything is riding onevery pitch here in the bottom
of the ninth.
Mike Koser (19:08):
I mean, honestly, you can't hit a ball harder than
McCovey did.
George Kell (19:11):
Here's the pitch to Willie.
There's a liner straight toRichardson.
The ballgame is over and thethe world series is over.
Willie McCovey hitting it likea bullet.
A line drive straight to BobbyRichardson at second base.
Had that ball got out of hisreach.
The Giants would have been thewinner.
Now it's the Yankees who havemobbed ralph terry in the center
of the diamond and well theyshould.
Mike Murphy (19:34):
Oh, geez, Bobby Richardson .
I couldn't believe it when hecaught when he caught it that
day.
Mike Koser (19:38):
Yeah, Bobby Richardson's playing second for
the Yankees and just makes thislike if he's really one foot
over to the right or left, hedoesn't make that catch.
Mike Murphy (19:46):
Yeah, that's right.
He was over to the left alittle bit.
Holy Toledo.
Wow.
Mike Koser (19:50):
In 1966, the Beatles were at Candlestick Park for
their final concert.
You ran the clubhouse for themthat day.
Mike Murphy (19:56):
Yes, I did.
Yes, I did with the Beatles.
Beatles (19:58):
Thank you.
Thank you very much, everybody.
And hello.
Mike Koser (20:02):
What kind of must haves did they have on their on
their list?
You know, like the their rider.
What did they need to have inthe clubhouse?
Mike Murphy (20:09):
Well, they they just wanted sodas and and uh and
and beds.
They laid down before theyplayed the concerts and stuff
like that.
They didn't lay down on thebeds because they had a lot of
visitors.
You know, Jerry Garcia wasthere and uh Linda Ronstadt.
She came in and a couple otherrock and rollers.
People came by and visitedthem.
Mike Koser (20:28):
You are experiencing Beatle Mania.
Mike Murphy (20:30):
Yeah, they were huge, but they didn't fill the
house up.
Mike Koser (20:33):
Really?
Mike Murphy (20:33):
You know that the tickets were?
Mike Koser (20:35):
How much?
Mike Murphy (20:36):
Five dollars and fifty cents.
Mike Koser (20:37):
Oh my gosh.
Mike Murphy (20:38):
The whole bottom part was full.
Nothing on the upper deck wasnothing up there, and it was
cold and windy and foggy thatnight.
Mike Koser (20:46):
Like a typical day at candlestick, right?
Mike Murphy (20:50):
Five five dollars and fifty cents, and the whole
bottom was the whole bottom partwas filled.
That was it.
Mike Koser (20:56):
In 1976, Mike, the Giants are in Casa Grande for
spring training, and you'resitting outside the clubhouse
making rosin bags out of oldsocks.
Mike Murphy (21:03):
Yeah, over the third base, uh over the triple A
side.
You know, I'm just becausethat's where the sun used to
shine.
Yeah.
Logan uh was going somewhereand make some make some we
needed some duffel bags.
And then who roll who rolls up?
Uh an old guy.
It was a guy in an old jalopy,you know, truck.
I recognized uh the voice.
(21:24):
I said, I know that voice fromsomewhere.
And he asked me if the giantswere playing.
I said, I know we're off today.
He said, I'll I'll I'll I'llsee him later.
So he took off.
And I said, I know that voicefrom somewhere because he had a
beard and everything.
Mike Koser (21:38):
You initially think it's some like guy looking for
autographs, right?
Some collectors.
Mike Murphy (21:42):
Yeah.
Right.
I had a lot of farmers fromthere used to bring the kids,
you know, looking forautographs.
And it turned out to be it wasuh John Wayne.
Mike Koser (21:50):
John Wayne.
Actor (21:51):
I'll count three.
And if you're not outof the house by then, I'll
loose the dogs on you.
John Wayne (21:56):
If you say three, mister, you'll never hear the
man count ten.
Mike Koser (22:00):
Unbelievable.
You spent 19 years at thevisiting team as the visiting
team clubhouse manager atCandlestick, and one of the guys
you became close with was JoeTorre.
Uh managing the Braves and theCardinals.
Yeah, he's come in, go get me the french bread, wine, UhPretzels, and I had to get
there early in the morning justto go get all that stuff.
(22:20):
And Joe one day brings into your office at
Candlestick a comedian.
Actually, a couple ofcomedians.
Mike Murphy (22:26):
The one used to hang around up with us was Robin
Williams, and he brought Billy,Billy Crystal.
And Willie was in there.
So I let them all all themthree guys were all laughing.
Mike Koser (22:37):
So just to set the scene, it's you, it's uh Willie
Mays, Joe Torre, Robin Williams,and Billy Crystal.
Mike Murphy (22:43):
Billy Crystal, yeah.
Oh my gosh.
I didn't say a word, but theyhad Willie laughing.
Mike Koser (22:51):
Was n't Robin one of your clubhouse attendants for
spring training?
Mike Murphy (22:54):
Yeah, he had yeah, he came down to spring training
and he wanted to meet MattWilliams.
So I said, Here's your brother.
And he laughed at me.
And then he says, Can my son bea bat boy?
Yeah, yeah.
So we gave him a littleuniform.
He went out, they took care ofhim, and he said, Where am I
gonna sit?
I said, You're gonna be workingwith me in the clubhouse, pal.
So he worked, he hung aroundthe clubhouse hanging up wet
(23:18):
stuff and really enjoyinghimself.
Mike Koser (23:20):
Oh my gosh, that's...
a good guy.
Mike, long before social media and TV movies and
music in the palm of your hand,there was Club Murph after ball
games at Candlestick.
Can you tell me about ClubMurph?
Mike Murphy (23:31):
Well, we had uh the food, the beer, and everything
ready to go.
That's why it was Club Murph.
Mike Koser (23:36):
Guys would hang out after games.
Mike Murphy (23:38):
At the game, yo yeah.
I used to leave um MattWilliams and Will Clark and
Robbie Thompson and all theother guys, Bo Mel, they used to
all play cards in there allnight.
And would you tell them, hey,listen, lock up when you leave
or what?
I used to lock them up onFriday night and get there, get
there the next day, open up, andthey'd be still playing cards.
There were good kids then.
(23:59):
They were good, great guys.
Yeah, I know you must havechanged a little bit, but
nowadays.
Mike Koser (24:04):
I know you must have received strange requests for
things from ball players asclubhouse manager.
Didn't Bob Uecker, by the way,didn't Bob Uecker, when he was
still playing in the 60s, whatdid he want you to do for him?
Do you remember?
Mike Murphy (24:14):
Oh, take a car back.
Mike Koser (24:15):
Oh, a rental car.
Mike Murphy (24:16):
A rental car, yeah.
And I, you know, he says, takeit back.
I said, Yeah, I'll take it backfor you.
Because he came in and my carwouldn't start that day, so I
drove his car around for acouple days and he calls me up.
He says, Hey, did you drop thatcar off?
Yeah, uh, I still got it.
My car broke down, so I've beenusing it.
"It's costin me money." So hebecame a good friend of mine.
Mike Koser (24:40):
But that's resourceful.
You're like, hey, I don't havea car.
I got Uecker's car.
What do I need?
I got Uecker's car. Yeah (laugh)
You shared a couple of beers during spring training
a time or two with Billy Martin,right?
Mike Murphy (24:51):
Oh, definitely.
Oh, Billy was my man.
Mike Koser (24:54):
And there probably were times that places at bars
and wherever where people wouldcome after him, just knowing...
Oh I know it, if you look athim, you know, we were at the
one night at the pink pony,which everybody hung around at.
I was in there, and uh he camein, we had a few beers, you
know, and uh he was havingdrinks, but I was drinking beer,
and some guy was looking at himand said, I don't like this
(25:16):
way, this guy looking at me.
I I don't like that.
I said, Billy, Billy, Billy,take your time, don't get in
trouble.
I said, Let's go somewhereelse, where they don't know you.
So we went to somewhere else,but they didn't know, but
somebody knew him then theretoo.
So yeah, wherever he would go, that's kind of like
what that kind of stuff wouldfollow him.
Mike Murphy (25:35):
I know, yeah.
Even with the Yankees, evenwith the Yankees, you know, he
used to call me up.
Hey, you going on the trip?
I said, No, I'm staying homebecause I know you were coming.
He said, Well, all good, we goto lunch.
So we go to the lunch over atBerkeley.
He loved this one place.
Oh, I can't think of the name,but in Berkeley, we'd have lunch
and all of a sudden you startdrinking.
I said, Billy, you bet you'vebeen better like, yeah, because
(25:55):
you got uh you have to mannage.
He said, Oh no, I can make it.
He said, Once you walk up themstairs or go out to the field
and those lights are on, youknow what you're doing.
Mike Koser (26:03):
Gosh.
Mike, Mike, what a career.
Listen, when I think about it,there had to be, I think the
number is something like 1800Giants players who came and went
through your clubhouse duringthe time that you were there.
Is that right?
About 1800?
Mike Murphy (26:17):
About 1800, maybe 2,000 with coaches and stuff
like that.
Yeah.
Mike Koser (26:22):
Amazing.
What a career.
Mike Murphy (26:23):
And uh yeah, it's been a great career.
Giants threw me a nice party,and I got uh they they gave me a
and put me on the wall of fameoutside the ballpark.
Mike Koser (26:32):
Yeah, as they should.
And you got World Series rings.
Mike Murphy (26:36):
Uh three World Series rings and three
championship rings.
Mike Koser (26:39):
Now listen, when you when you go out to the grocery
store, Mike, do you wear thatring?
Do you I
Mike Murphy (26:44):
No I don't wear them.
They're still in the safe.
I don't wear rings.
Mike Koser (26:47):
I think I would wear it everywhere I would go.
I 'm not that type of guy.
Steve, Steve always SteveVucinich from Oakland
A's (clubhouse manager).
You know, he used to say,Murph, why don't you wear your
rings?
I said, Oh, I don't wear them.
You know I don't wear a ring.
I I hate wearing a ring whenyou're working, doing shoes and
doing everything, you know, muchstuff, put stuff in the dryer.
It's a good problem to have.
(27:07):
Hey, listen, Murph, thanks somuch for the time.
Mike Murphy (27:09):
Okay.
All right.
Al
Mike Koser (27:11):
l right, thanks, Mike.
Mike Murphy (27:12):
Good man.
Mike Koser (27:12):
Take care, buddy.
Mike Murphy (27:13):
All right, thank you.
Hey, Pop.
What's a giant?
What's a what?
What's a giant?
A giant, well, it's a great,uh, big, huge, tremendous.
You know, it's like a supercolossal.
Russ Hodges (00:20):
This is Ross Hodges And Lon Simmons.
Well, in case you had anydoubt, that's what a giant is.
To some, a giant is a WillieMays, a Willie McCovey, or a
Juan Marichal.
But to many others, a giant isa composite face of immortal
heroes.
A history of legendary exploitsperformed by Titans.
Mike Koser (00:41):
One such Titan is Mike Murphy.
Murph is a giant's legend, agiant amongst all the giants.
One who never actually played asingle inning.
From bat boy to clubhousemanager, he spent 65 years as
the heartbeat of the GiantsClubhouse.
Starting at Seals Stadium in1958 when the team moved west to
San Francisco, and continuingthrough the candlestick park era
(01:03):
and beyond.
Along the way, he found himselfat a private dinner where a
legendary singer answered thedoor, developed a close
relationship with Willie Mays,had a surprise encounter with a
Hollywood cowboy at springtraining, and even played host
to the biggest band in theworld.
This month on Lost Ballparks,Murph shares incredible stories
(01:24):
from a lifetime in baseball.
Mike Murphy is my guest on thismonth's episode of Lost Ball
Parks.
Mike Murphy, welcome to LostBall Parks.
(02:19):
How are you?
All right, good, sir.
Good, good, Mike.
Mike, when you were eight or nine years old, your
dad started taking you to gamesat SEALs Stadium.
That beautiful San Franciscoballpark was situated on 16th
and Bryant Street, where theTriple A San Francisco Seals
played.
Do you remember the first time,what it was like the first time
you saw a game there?
Like the sights and the soundsand the smells?
Mike Murphy (02:38):
Oh, it was great.
I used to play catch at thepark, you know, because we lived
we lived right off of 10thStreet down there.
And uh I used to go to thepark, the little park on 7th and
7th and uh Folsom.
And we lived on 10th Street,and my father took me to the
game, and I fell in love withbaseball right then.
And after a couple of yearsafter that, I used to sneak in
there in center field to see thegames.
Mike Koser (03:00):
The Hamms Brewery was on the was that on the right
field side?
Mike Murphy (03:03):
Yeah, Hamms Brewery, yes.
The filled up.
Yeah, for people who never sawthat.
It was just a big glass that itfilled up, you know, like
you're pouring a beer, and thenthe foam would be on top, then
it'd go blank, and then all of asudden it'd come up back up
again.
Mike Koser (03:16):
So it'd refill every few seconds.
And then on the um on the leftfield side was a a great little
bakery, too.
Was it ...
Stempells.
And then close by, uh rightacross the street, uh the double
play bar and grill.
Mike Murphy (03:27):
The double play, that's it - double play right
there.
Mike Koser (03:29):
Yeah, it was right across the street.
And even though SEALs stadiumwas demolished in 1959, that
little neighborhood barcontinued to thrive all the way
up to a couple years ago whentragically it burned to the
ground.
I was there a few months beforethat happened, and I mean
honestly, it was like walkingback in time.
There was giants memorabiliaand irreplaceable things all
over the walls.
The SEALs stadium photographs,and man, it was so disappointing
(03:52):
to see that happen.
Mike Murphy (03:53):
Oh, I know.
Tell me about it.
You know who used to look usedto I used to tell Will Clark
about it, so he I took him upthere and he really enjoyed that
the lunch up there.
Mike Koser (04:01):
Oh, the food was good too.
The food was really good.
Mike Murphy (04:03):
And then across the street was uh on the corner was
the the plaque that uh thatPeter Magowan put on uh on the
corner there.
Mike Koser (04:10):
To uh commemorate SEALs Stadium.
Mike Murphy (04:13):
Yeah.
Mike Koser (04:13):
As a kid, Mike, your dad would let you go to SEALs
Stadium sometimes by yourself,and this is like when you're
you're 10 or 12 years old.
Mike Murphy (04:19):
Uh yeah, oh yeah.
Well, you know, we wereyounger.
We didn't fear nothing, mybrother and I, you know what I
mean?
Yeah.
You know, you know we were kidswere going to school.
So we used to go on theweekends when they were playing.
Mike Koser (04:31):
I love how resourceful you were too, Mike,
because you had a we figured outa way to sneak in.
Mike Murphy (04:36):
Well yeah, center field, uh uh the two brothers
were there, uh oh, they workedfor uh the Cassidy brothers.
And uh we used to sneak inthere uh and they used to catch
us all the time and say, uh,come on, you guys you guys are
here all the time, you know whatI mean?
He'd turn turn his back andsay, okay, sneak in there then
so he let us go through thecenter field.
Mike Koser (04:57):
And then you and your brother would head out to
the right field stands, is thatright?
Mike Murphy (05:01):
Right, yeah.
And then uh we'd pick up uh thecushions at uh at the end at
the end of the ballgame.
Big guy would give you a ticket. Piggy.
His name is Piggy, you know.
You pick up all the cushionsaround - the people leave this
cushions, they throw them on thefield, that stuff happening in
the game.
And you pick them up and he'dgive you a ticket.
Mike Koser (05:20):
He'd give you a ticket for the next game?
Mike Murphy (05:22):
Yeah, oh yeah, for the next game, yeah.
Mike Koser (05:23):
And you would
Mike Murphy (05:24):
give bleacher tickets, bleachers, it would
know you know, we'd sit out thebleachers out in right field.
Mike Koser (05:29):
And you would catch balls during batting practice
too and throw them back likehome run balls.
Mike Murphy (05:32):
Yes, I used to get there early and uh and Doc
Hughes was a trainer and used tosee me all the time.
He'd give me a ball here andthere, you know what I mean.
So he said if you catch if youcatch the balls in the stands,
just throw them back in, andI'll take care of take care of
you with a brand new ball.
He always did, you know.
Oh, good.
Hey, good we played ball withit.
Mike Koser (05:52):
And then one day in 1955, the SEALs bat boy doesn't
show up, and the SEALs equipmentmanager you just talked about,
Doc Hughes.
Mike Murphy (05:59):
Yeah, it was 1955, and he didn't show up.
So Doc Hughes gave me a job ofbeing on the lines, you know,
like the line kid.
The ball goes foul, you pick itup and just give it to somebody
in the stands, a kid orsomething.
Mike Koser (06:11):
All right, tell me about that first game where
you're you're down the linedoing that.
That must be like every kid'sdream.
Mike Murphy (06:16):
I was scared as hell.
That was my first time I was onthe field, you know, like that.
But I did a good job, you know.
I helped the kid pick up allthe bats, the bat boy.
I see him now and then he'she's he's he's he's a little
older than me now.
But I see him around uh he comeby and see me a couple of times
at the ballpark when I wasworking.
Yeah, I helped him, and andthen the guy had a guy named
Bill Soto on the other side.
(06:37):
He needed a bat boy, so so Iwent over there for a year.
In 50 uh 56 and 57 I becamethe bat boy for the SEALs.
Mike Koser (06:47):
In 1957, New York Giants owner Horace Stonham made
this announcement.
Horace Stoneham (06:52):
At a meeting of our board today, they voted uh
permission for us to transferthe New York Giant franchise to
San Francisco.
Will you still be known as theGiants?
That's right.
Where will you play in SanFrancisco?
Uh the uh immediate plans areto uh start the season or most
of the season seals stadium.
Mike Koser (07:11):
And Mike, little did you know that the Giants move
to San Francisco would changeyour life.
Mike Murphy (07:16):
Yeah.
You had our old uh generalmanager, Jerry Donovan, was the
president of the SEALs.
Uh almost uh maybe the lastmonth of the season, he he was
sitting outside and I said,Hello, Mr.
Donovan, how are you?
He just kind of he says, Idon't know what I'm gonna do
with you.
I said, What do you mean?
He says, the Giants are movingout, but I'll try to help you
out as much as I can.
If I get a job with the withthe Giants when they move out,
(07:38):
I'll see that you get a job as abat boy.
So then the Giants came out andhe talked to Mr.
Logan.
He became uh the businessmanager for the Giants.
That's how I got the job withthe Giants, and that I did a
good job for Mr.
Logan.
It was Roy McKercher, myself,and Stanfeld, Leland Stanfeld.
His father uh owned the baracross the street, the double
play.
Mike Koser (07:58):
And 1958 was the first time you met Willie Mays,
right?
Mike Murphy (08:02):
Right, 58, yes, yes.
Oh, he we we hit it off.
Him and I hit it off prettygood.
Announcer (08:07):
I think one of the nicest things that anybody would
want to do on a sunny afternoonin the early spring is lean
here on the batting cage andwithout a care in the world,
watch Willie Mays hit a few.
Mike Koser (08:18):
Hey, yeah, and 58 Mays, he's just a kid, he's 27
years old himself.
And didn't he give you a couplebucks to play pepper with him
behind home plate at SealsStadium?
Mike Murphy (08:28):
Used to get all those kids together, you know,
whoever cut the ball spaws youwhen you play pepper.
Yeah.
And he'd give them five bucks.
My feeling was uh wasn't thatgood, you know.
Sometimes I'd I'd lose and hesays, I'll take care of you
later.
So he used to give me a fivedollar bill.
Mike Koser (08:45):
That's so great.
Mike Murphy (08:46):
The Giants bring back a lot of old memories, like
like if 1958, I don't know ifyou do this, that Jeff Chandler
was their uh their hero, youknow.
He used to work out with theGiants all the time.
58 59 at uh SEAL Stadium.
Mike Koser (09:00):
Jeff Chandler, you're talking about the the
actor, Jeff Chandler.
Mike Murphy (09:03):
Yeah.
Mike Koser (09:04):
Probably his most famous role was the 1950 movie
Broken Arrow.
Jeff Chandler (09:10):
I am the leader of my people.
They do not betray me and I donot betray them.
We fight for our land againstAmericans who try to take it.
Mike Murphy (09:18):
That's the guy.
Yeah, Jeff Chandler, the moviestar.
Mr.
Stoneham loved them.
Mike Koser (09:22):
Over the years, you became really close with Willie
Mays.
Tell me about the time in PalmSprings uh where you had a uh
once-in-a-lifetime dinner.
Mike Murphy (09:32):
We were in Palm Springs playing the the Angels,
and then after that we weregoing to uh play the San Diego
Padres down in uh
Mike Koser (09:39):
Oh in Yuma.
Mike Murphy (09:40):
Yuma, yeah.
Yeah, Yuma.
So we were gonna go play them.
I'm helping Logan do the do thelaundry, and I'm I don't so
Willie says, wait, where are yougonna go for dinner?
I said, uh I'll go to thecoffee shop.
He says, get yourself uh asweater and everything.
I got you know just a shirtwith a sweater and a jacket, a
pair of slacks.
He said, We're going to dinnerwith my friend's house.
So okay.
So we get in this car and allof a sudden you go through Palm
(10:02):
Springs, it's dark as hell, wayout there.
So we go to uh the countryclub.
"Oh, Mr.
Mays, how are you?" He'swaiting for you.
I walk in and it was him.
Mike Koser (10:11):
Wait, you walk in and it's who?
Mike Murphy (10:13):
It was Frank Sinatra's house, yeah.
Mike Koser (10:15):
Oh my gosh.
Mike Murphy (10:16):
Oh my heart, you know, I I was, you know, I was
kind of double talking, you knowwhat I mean?
When I met him.
Mike Koser (10:22):
All right, so just to set the stage, it's you, it's
Willie Mays with Frank Sinatraat Frank Sinatra's house in Palm
Springs, and um former BrooklynDodger manager, Leo Durocher,
is also there.
Mike Murphy (10:33):
Yeah.
And so we're eating dinnerabout nine o'clock there.
Leo's getting in the into thewhiskey, and so is Frank, you
know.
And Willie gets...
he touches me on my head and Igotta go, I gotta play tomorrow.
We had to leave.
Mike Koser (10:49):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, I break the bread.
You know, when you sit downyour first time in his house,
he makes you sit down and youyou break the bread for the
Italians.
That's what Italians do, youknow, you break the bread.
Yeah.
Mike Murphy (11:00):
I really enjoyed it.
Mike Koser (11:02):
Over the years, you saw Sinatra many times.
Mike Murphy (11:04):
Oh, many times.
Mike Koser (11:05):
and didn't you even send him a like uh a uniform for
was his 70th birthday or
Mike Murphy (11:10):
70th birthday?
I sent him a uniform and heYeah,
Russ Hodges (11:13):
by the way, by the way, that didn't make Tommy
Lassorda too happy because hewas buddies with Frank.
Mike Murphy (11:17):
Oh no, Tommy, Tommy, he said, you're taking my
man away from me.
I said, I'm not taking yourman, I I didn't got nothing.
I just he wanted something, soI gave it to him.
Well, I don't I don't hangaround with him.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Tommy says, Oh yeah, you'retrying to get in there and good
getting good graces with him.
And I said, I don't.
He asked me to do something.
I said, to Be truthful,with you Tommy, I don't even
(11:39):
have a picture of him.
Never never took a picture withhim.
He used to come to Candlestick,you know, he'd be with the ball
players and I'd bring the ballplayers over to see him.
And hey, I never got a picturewith him.
You know, he did with McCoveyand Willie and the rest of the
guys, you know, but I didn't uhI was uh I never liked to take
pictures anyway.
Mike Koser (11:57):
Speaking of uh spring training, Alvin Dark was
the San Francisco Giants managerfrom 61 to 64.
And uh correct me if I'm wrong,but weren't you given the
assignment of driving hisCadillac back home from spring
training?
Mike Murphy (12:10):
Oh yeah, I drove it down and drove it back for him.
Mike Koser (12:13):
Were you not...
how old were you at that time?
Mike Murphy (12:16):
I was I was uh let's see, I was I was 18.
Mike Koser (12:19):
How nervous were you driving it back up to San
Francisco?
Mike Murphy (12:22):
I I took my time, I didn't rush.
He said, Take your time, don'trush, don't rush.
Uh Alvin took good care of me.
He was one of my favoritemanagers, so is Felipe ALou,
Dusty, and and the great Bochy.
Mike Koser (12:34):
One game against the pirates at Seals Stadium.
This would be late 1950s.
You had to be bat boy for bothteams.
Tell me about that.
Mike Murphy (12:43):
Yeah, uh 1958 we had a bad boy named Roy
McKercher.
He played uh for the highschool, you know.
He he was one of our bat boys,but you know, he thought he was
a big next pitcher coming backas his left-hander, and you
know, he was like a hot dog, weused to call him.
Uh you know, I mean he was agood guy, but we actually call
him a hot dog.
You know, like he pretendedhe'd be working out on the side
(13:04):
with the people showing so oneday he doesn't show up, and Mr.
Logan was kind of worried.
And I'm always there.
Mr.
Logan says, You better youbetter see George over the
visitors, he's hurting.
I said why?
he says, Roy McKercher is notshowing up today.
So I go over to see George, hesays, You want to be the bat
boy?
I said, Yeah, I'll be the batboy.
I'll handled the two teams.
Mike Koser (13:22):
Think about the logistics of that.
Between every inning, you'rechanging uniforms.
Mike Murphy (13:28):
Willie said to me, You tired yet?
I said, Oh, I'm I'm gettingtired.
I said, Willie, I don't knowhow you do it.
You're like you like he used totell me it's uh you tell Hank
Sauer to play close to the linesand and uh Cepeda play close in
right field, placed to thelines on the right field.
He said, I'll cover everythingin the middle.
(13:49):
He was running all day thatday.
Mike Koser (13:51):
Well, yeah, well, just like you, and did by the
way, didn't Willie give you uhan a little extra money for your
effort for that game?
Mike Murphy (13:57):
Oh yeah, he took care of me.
He gave me a couple bucks.
He was good.
He was good to me.
I told him I didn't want themoney.
He said, Oh no, you think it'sbuy yourself something, buy
yourself something.
He always said that.
Buy yourself something, buyyourself lunch.
Mike Koser (14:09):
He was a generous guy, right?
Mike Murphy (14:11):
Yes, he was, very generous.
Mike Koser (14:12):
He'd go to New York and pick up a shirt for you, or
he'd take care of me.
He says, he says, Come on, I'llget you a suit.
Go to the place and peoplethrow just throw suits at him.
He says, Give one to skinner.
He used to call me skinner.
Give one to skinner.
We used to go get uh thesweaters, those...remember those
nice ones, alpacas.
Oh, yeah.
Commercial (14:32):
Soft with a luxurious feel, lightweight, yet
warm and weather resistant.
Mike Murphy (14:38):
Well, those were expensive.
They would give them 20 or 30,blah, blah, blah, different
colors, and really say, take acouple, get yourself a couple.
I just took two.
Two's good enough for me.
I'm not too picky.
Mike Koser (14:50):
Yeah.
Lindsey Nelson (14:51):
Willie McCovey with the chance all around him
coming across the firstbaseline, heading back towards
the dugout, and this crowd is onits feet as one.
And a salute to Willie McCovey.
Mike Koser (15:04):
Mike, the first time you saw Willie McCovey was 1959
in the clubhouse at SealsStadium, right?
Mike Murphy (15:09):
Right, yes.
Mike Koser (15:10):
And you see that guy, you see that guy walking
through.
What do you think?
Mike Murphy (15:14):
No, it was all started where we're uh uh
Brigney was staying late.
He was doing something, andLogan went across the street
like over to the double play.
Logan used to him to travel thesecondary to see they'd say all
the time, oh we gotta go overacross the street, guy owes us
some money for leaving tickets.
You know, I bought him sometickets, so he said told Logan
used to say, I gotta go pick upmy money.
(15:36):
You know what I'm going todrinking.
Right, yeah.
So I'm so I'm doing the shoes,hanging up all the wet stuff.
Rigney says, Hey man.
And he said, Mr.
Rigney, he said, We're bringinga big Irishman in tomorrow.
Oh, good.
Wait to see him.
I thought he was a white, youknow, a white Irishman.
Mike Koser (15:51):
Yeah, right.
Mike Murphy (15:52):
The next day he walked through the door, he had
six bats on his hand and aduffel bag.
My eyes just went boom.
McCovey oh, man.
He was tall.
Mike Koser (16:03):
Big, big guy.
Mike Murphy (16:05):
Good guy, good stretch was all right.
He was a good guy.
Mike Koser (16:08):
In 62, you made your first trip with the Giants back
to New York to play at the pologrounds.
Announcer (16:12):
The polo grounds, New York, home of the old Giants,
and a shrine to such legendaryfigures as John McGraw, Christy
Matthewson, and other oldtimers.
Mike Koser (16:21):
And at that point, the polo grounds were the
temporary home of the Mets whowould move into Shea Stadium a
couple years later.
The clubhouses were in centerfield at the polo grounds.
Tell me about the clubhouses atthe polo grounds.
What do you remember aboutthat?
Mike Murphy (16:31):
The polo grounds.
I said, You guys played at thisballpark?
I never knew the clubhouses outin the center field.
You had to walk across thefield.
That was the first time I everdid that.
Mike Koser (16:40):
And you think about those players after a really
difficult game.
Maybe a guy makes a coupleerrors that cost the team a win
in the in the field, and he yougotta, it's like the walk of
shame.
Mike Murphy (16:49):
Not only do you have to walk through and you had
the visitors walking rightbehind you, the whole team and
everything.
Mike Koser (16:54):
You gotta walk through the field, and then you
have to walk up through thecenter field bleachers to get to
the clubhouse.
Mike Murphy (17:04):
But Logan said this is where he was.
I said, You had to move allthem trunks up and down the
stairs.
Yep.
Mike Koser (17:10):
Yeah, Eddie Logan was the Giants bat boy at the
polo grounds, and so he wouldhave been responsible for
schlepping all the bats, thehats, gloves, equipment up those
stairs in center field.
Mike Murphy (17:23):
Right.
Big huge trunks.
There was no duffel bags in theearly in the early days.
All players would used to takea couple pairs of shoes, a
couple of, you know, uh jock anda couple of pairs of shorts.
Oh man.
I don't know how they did itthose days.
Everything was the train.
There was no no airplanes then.
That's what Logan told me.
Mike Koser (17:43):
Early on, um, Mike, you became a jack of all trades,
and when the team was inChicago, Horace Stonham, who
owned the Giants from 36 to1976, was out drinking one night
with Bill Veeck, and he calledyou, he called you at three
o'clock in the morning.
Mike Murphy (17:59):
Go get me a pack of smokes.
Uh those were the good olddays, though.
Mike Koser (18:04):
Mike, in 62, the World Series was this close to
belonging to the Giants.
Naturally, you were at uhCandlestick Park for Game 7.
The series is tied at threeapiece.
The Yankees score a run in thefifth.
It remains 1-0 into the ninthwhen Willie Mays is on second.
Maddie Alou is on third.
Willie McCovey comes to theplate with two outs and one more
chance to win it all.
George Kell (18:25):
George Kell and Joe Garagiola at Candlestick Park
in San Francisco.
And this place is a madhouseright now.
The Yankees lead one tonothing, the bottom of the
ninth.
The Giants have runners atsecond and third with two outs,
and Willie McCovey is thebatter.
Mike Murphy (18:40):
Yeah.
When when Matty was up at firstwhen he went all the way
around, he said he would havescored.
He would have made the what'shis name through that throw him
out.
Mike Koser (18:48):
Oh, from right field.
Mike Murphy (18:49):
From right field, yeah.
Roger Maris.
Mike Koser (18:51):
Yeah.
Mike Murphy (18:51):
He says, I he said, I wouldn't have stopped.
He said, I made it fine.
If I didn't, I know I can makeit.
Mike Koser (18:57):
But he's thinking McCovey's up, so what do I need
to go for?
Mike Murphy (19:00):
Yeah, well, yeah, yeah.
Figured McCovey's gonna hit ahome run.
George Kell (19:02):
So, it's one strike to Willie.
Boy, everything is riding onevery pitch here in the bottom
of the ninth.
Mike Koser (19:08):
I mean, honestly, you can't hit a ball harder than
McCovey did.
George Kell (19:11):
Here's the pitch to Willie.
There's a liner straight toRichardson.
The ballgame is over and thethe world series is over.
Willie McCovey hitting it likea bullet.
A line drive straight to BobbyRichardson at second base.
Had that ball got out of hisreach.
The Giants would have been thewinner.
Now it's the Yankees who havemobbed ralph terry in the center
of the diamond and well theyshould.
Mike Murphy (19:34):
Oh, geez, Bobby Richardson .
I couldn't believe it when hecaught when he caught it that
day.
Mike Koser (19:38):
Yeah, Bobby Richardson's playing second for
the Yankees and just makes thislike if he's really one foot
over to the right or left, hedoesn't make that catch.
Mike Murphy (19:46):
Yeah, that's right.
He was over to the left alittle bit.
Holy Toledo.
Wow.
Mike Koser (19:50):
In 1966, the Beatles were at Candlestick Park for
their final concert.
You ran the clubhouse for themthat day.
Mike Murphy (19:56):
Yes, I did.
Yes, I did with the Beatles.
Beatles (19:58):
Thank you.
Thank you very much, everybody.
And hello.
Mike Koser (20:02):
What kind of must haves did they have on their on
their list?
You know, like the their rider.
What did they need to have inthe clubhouse?
Mike Murphy (20:09):
Well, they they just wanted sodas and and uh and
and beds.
They laid down before theyplayed the concerts and stuff
like that.
They didn't lay down on thebeds because they had a lot of
visitors.
You know, Jerry Garcia wasthere and uh Linda Ronstadt.
She came in and a couple otherrock and rollers.
People came by and visitedthem.
Mike Koser (20:28):
You are experiencing Beatle Mania.
Mike Murphy (20:30):
Yeah, they were huge, but they didn't fill the
house up.
Mike Koser (20:33):
Really?
Mike Murphy (20:33):
You know that the tickets were?
Mike Koser (20:35):
How much?
Mike Murphy (20:36):
Five dollars and fifty cents.
Mike Koser (20:37):
Oh my gosh.
Mike Murphy (20:38):
The whole bottom part was full.
Nothing on the upper deck wasnothing up there, and it was
cold and windy and foggy thatnight.
Mike Koser (20:46):
Like a typical day at candlestick, right?
Mike Murphy (20:50):
Five five dollars and fifty cents, and the whole
bottom was the whole bottom partwas filled.
That was it.
Mike Koser (20:56):
In 1976, Mike, the Giants are in Casa Grande for
spring training, and you'resitting outside the clubhouse
making rosin bags out of oldsocks.
Mike Murphy (21:03):
Yeah, over the third base, uh over the triple A
side.
You know, I'm just becausethat's where the sun used to
shine.
Yeah.
Logan uh was going somewhereand make some make some we
needed some duffel bags.
And then who roll who rolls up?
Uh an old guy.
It was a guy in an old jalopy,you know, truck.
I recognized uh the voice.
(21:24):
I said, I know that voice fromsomewhere.
And he asked me if the giantswere playing.
I said, I know we're off today.
He said, I'll I'll I'll I'llsee him later.
So he took off.
And I said, I know that voicefrom somewhere because he had a
beard and everything.
Mike Koser (21:38):
You initially think it's some like guy looking for
autographs, right?
Some collectors.
Mike Murphy (21:42):
Yeah.
Right.
I had a lot of farmers fromthere used to bring the kids,
you know, looking forautographs.
And it turned out to be it wasuh John Wayne.
Mike Koser (21:50):
John Wayne.
Actor (21:51):
I'll count three.
And if you're not outof the house by then, I'll
loose the dogs on you.
John Wayne (21:56):
If you say three, mister, you'll never hear the
man count ten.
Mike Koser (22:00):
Unbelievable.
You spent 19 years at thevisiting team as the visiting
team clubhouse manager atCandlestick, and one of the guys
you became close with was JoeTorre.
Uh managing the Braves and theCardinals.
Yeah, he's come in, go get me the french bread, wine, UhPretzels, and I had to get
there early in the morning justto go get all that stuff.
(22:20):
And Joe one day brings into your office at
Candlestick a comedian.
Actually, a couple ofcomedians.
Mike Murphy (22:26):
The one used to hang around up with us was Robin
Williams, and he brought Billy,Billy Crystal.
And Willie was in there.
So I let them all all themthree guys were all laughing.
Mike Koser (22:37):
So just to set the scene, it's you, it's uh Willie
Mays, Joe Torre, Robin Williams,and Billy Crystal.
Mike Murphy (22:43):
Billy Crystal, yeah.
Oh my gosh.
I didn't say a word, but theyhad Willie laughing.
Mike Koser (22:51):
Was n't Robin one of your clubhouse attendants for
spring training?
Mike Murphy (22:54):
Yeah, he had yeah, he came down to spring training
and he wanted to meet MattWilliams.
So I said, Here's your brother.
And he laughed at me.
And then he says, Can my son bea bat boy?
Yeah, yeah.
So we gave him a littleuniform.
He went out, they took care ofhim, and he said, Where am I
gonna sit?
I said, You're gonna be workingwith me in the clubhouse, pal.
So he worked, he hung aroundthe clubhouse hanging up wet
(23:18):
stuff and really enjoyinghimself.
Mike Koser (23:20):
Oh my gosh, that's...
a good guy.
Mike, long before social media and TV movies and
music in the palm of your hand,there was Club Murph after ball
games at Candlestick.
Can you tell me about ClubMurph?
Mike Murphy (23:31):
Well, we had uh the food, the beer, and everything
ready to go.
That's why it was Club Murph.
Mike Koser (23:36):
Guys would hang out after games.
Mike Murphy (23:38):
At the game, yo yeah.
I used to leave um MattWilliams and Will Clark and
Robbie Thompson and all theother guys, Bo Mel, they used to
all play cards in there allnight.
And would you tell them, hey,listen, lock up when you leave
or what?
I used to lock them up onFriday night and get there, get
there the next day, open up, andthey'd be still playing cards.
There were good kids then.
(23:59):
They were good, great guys.
Yeah, I know you must havechanged a little bit, but
nowadays.
Mike Koser (24:04):
I know you must have received strange requests for
things from ball players asclubhouse manager.
Didn't Bob Uecker, by the way,didn't Bob Uecker, when he was
still playing in the 60s, whatdid he want you to do for him?
Do you remember?
Mike Murphy (24:14):
Oh, take a car back.
Mike Koser (24:15):
Oh, a rental car.
Mike Murphy (24:16):
A rental car, yeah.
And I, you know, he says, takeit back.
I said, Yeah, I'll take it backfor you.
Because he came in and my carwouldn't start that day, so I
drove his car around for acouple days and he calls me up.
He says, Hey, did you drop thatcar off?
Yeah, uh, I still got it.
My car broke down, so I've beenusing it.
"It's costin me money." So hebecame a good friend of mine.
Mike Koser (24:40):
But that's resourceful.
You're like, hey, I don't havea car.
I got Uecker's car.
What do I need?
I got Uecker's car. Yeah (laugh)
You shared a couple of beers during spring training
a time or two with Billy Martin,right?
Mike Murphy (24:51):
Oh, definitely.
Oh, Billy was my man.
Mike Koser (24:54):
And there probably were times that places at bars
and wherever where people wouldcome after him, just knowing...
Oh I know it, if you look athim, you know, we were at the
one night at the pink pony,which everybody hung around at.
I was in there, and uh he camein, we had a few beers, you
know, and uh he was havingdrinks, but I was drinking beer,
and some guy was looking at himand said, I don't like this
(25:16):
way, this guy looking at me.
I I don't like that.
I said, Billy, Billy, Billy,take your time, don't get in
trouble.
I said, Let's go somewhereelse, where they don't know you.
So we went to somewhere else,but they didn't know, but
somebody knew him then theretoo.
So yeah, wherever he would go, that's kind of like
what that kind of stuff wouldfollow him.
Mike Murphy (25:35):
I know, yeah.
Even with the Yankees, evenwith the Yankees, you know, he
used to call me up.
Hey, you going on the trip?
I said, No, I'm staying homebecause I know you were coming.
He said, Well, all good, we goto lunch.
So we go to the lunch over atBerkeley.
He loved this one place.
Oh, I can't think of the name,but in Berkeley, we'd have lunch
and all of a sudden you startdrinking.
I said, Billy, you bet you'vebeen better like, yeah, because
(25:55):
you got uh you have to mannage.
He said, Oh no, I can make it.
He said, Once you walk up themstairs or go out to the field
and those lights are on, youknow what you're doing.
Mike Koser (26:03):
Gosh.
Mike, Mike, what a career.
Listen, when I think about it,there had to be, I think the
number is something like 1800Giants players who came and went
through your clubhouse duringthe time that you were there.
Is that right?
About 1800?
Mike Murphy (26:17):
About 1800, maybe 2,000 with coaches and stuff
like that.
Yeah.
Mike Koser (26:22):
Amazing.
What a career.
Mike Murphy (26:23):
And uh yeah, it's been a great career.
Giants threw me a nice party,and I got uh they they gave me a
and put me on the wall of fameoutside the ballpark.
Mike Koser (26:32):
Yeah, as they should.
And you got World Series rings.
Mike Murphy (26:36):
Uh three World Series rings and three
championship rings.
Mike Koser (26:39):
Now listen, when you when you go out to the grocery
store, Mike, do you wear thatring?
Do you I
Mike Murphy (26:44):
No I don't wear them.
They're still in the safe.
I don't wear rings.
Mike Koser (26:47):
I think I would wear it everywhere I would go.
I 'm not that type of guy.
Steve, Steve always SteveVucinich from Oakland
A's (clubhouse manager).
You know, he used to say,Murph, why don't you wear your
rings?
I said, Oh, I don't wear them.
You know I don't wear a ring.
I I hate wearing a ring whenyou're working, doing shoes and
doing everything, you know, muchstuff, put stuff in the dryer.
It's a good problem to have.
(27:07):
Hey, listen, Murph, thanks somuch for the time.
Mike Murphy (27:09):
Okay.
All right.
Al
Mike Koser (27:11):
l right, thanks, Mike.
Mike Murphy (27:12):
Good man.
Mike Koser (27:12):
Take care, buddy.
Mike Murphy (27:13):
All right, thank you.
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