Scottsdale, AZ – The scene inside the Rockies clubhouse for Daniel Murphy’s arrival at the Salt River Fields baseball complex today was rather unlike his previous experiences in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
When the veteran infielder first appeared in front of his locker, he was descended upon by a scrum of reporters totaling just three.
The former Chicago Cubs infielder immediately took the opportunity to discuss his excitement to be with Colorado, noting that the team “took another step last year playing in the Division Series. I had a front row seat to that on the way there.”
He continued with the praise of the club, complementing, “I think the starting pitching is underrated, really underrated, especially with the kind of year Kyle (Freeland) had last year.”
After the Wild Card Game loss at the hands of Freeland and the Rockies, Murphy took some time away from the game to be with family and when he was ready to shift his focus to 2019, he noted “the Rockies were as excited to have me as I was to come, which it doesn’t always work out that way in this industry.”
Though he left his 2015 National League Championship ring at home for the time being, the decision to stay in the Senior Circuit was more coincidental than anything.
“For me, I’m getting older in my career and trying to identify teams that I think that has a realistic shot at winning the World Series; this was definitely one of them,” Murphy added.
Murphy played at the hot corner through the minors with a Mets organization who had David Wright installed as their franchise third baseman, so a move to second base was the next logical fit for the Jacksonville, FL, native.
After spending a majority of his career at second to sub-par defense, the seemingly permanent move to first base is a welcomed one with the Rockies:
“It’s probably the position I’m the most comfortable. It’s probably the one I’m the most productive defensively. I kind of learned second base on the fly. For some reason, maybe it’s because I came up as a third baseman, first base came a little bit more naturally.”
He even poked fun at himself by quipping, “I don’t mind having a bigger glove, which is always nice.”
As for thoughts on the offensive side, Murphy gave a typical, team player response, saying, “I have no problems where I hit, no preferences where I hit. I think that between Buddy, the front office and Jeff (Bridich), they’re going to get together and construct the lineup they think works the best for us to win ball games. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same lineup every single day, but I’ll play and hit wherever they want me to.”
Murphy would also like to be a great teammate by sharing his ten seasons of knowledge as a major leaguer, not to mention his twenty-five games of playoff experience.
The most effective method is not overly preaching about his approach at the plate, according to Murphy.
“I really enjoy talking hitting, but I’m never going to force my views on someone because I’ve always felt I want it to be a dialogue,” the three-time All-Star said. “If it ever turns into a monologue, then any information you’re trying to get through is not ready to be received.”
“I like to think about it as a dialogue and I’m always willing to talk, but I’m going to try as hard as I can to not impose my beliefs on someone else,” he added.
In 2019, Murphy will enter camp in markedly better condition than last year, when he had offseason knee surgery with the Nationals.
“(This offseason) was probably similar to a normal offseason.” Murphy continued, “I started working out a bit earlier just to see if I could strengthen my body a bit. Plus, I didn’t have the same wear and tear that a lot of guys had, especially this team going deep into the postseason. Started working out a bit earlier, feel healthy and hopefully, that will translate into production on the field.”
Before heading out to the field to bat with the first group of hitters that included Trevor Story and Pat Valaika, Murphy discussed the final member of the foursome, All-World third baseman Nolan Arenado.
“It’s always nice to play with Nolan because that means he can’t steal any base hits from you. I’ve seen him do it to me and to our team. It’s been such a treat to watch Nolan from afar. I’m excited to watch him closely, to see what he does that everybody else doesn’t get to see. Kind of get a peek behind the curtain when you get to play with someone.”
Both teammate and media alike will be anxious to get their own first peek of Murphy during these initial days in Rockies camp.
