DANNY MURTAUGH

Manager Danny Murtaugh was one of the most beloved and successful figures in the storied history of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The former second baseman managed Pittsburgh to two World Series championships and a total of five Eastern Division crowns over parts of 15 seasons and four stints with the Pirates from 1957 to 1976.

Murtaugh finished his managerial career with a record of 1,115-950, which ranks second in the 123-year history of the Pirates behind Fred Clarke's 1,602 victories from 1900-15. His .540 winning percentage ranks higher than eight other managers currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame, including Ned Hanlon (.530), Tommy Lasorda (.526), Bill McKechnie (.526), Dick Williams (.520), Casey Stengel (.508), Wilbert Robinson (.500), Bucky Harris (.493) and Connie Mack (.486).

Murtaugh was appointed manager of a Pittsburgh squad on August 3, 1957 that finished that season in seventh place and 33.0 games out of first place. Just one year later in his first full season as the club's skipper, Murtaugh's club finished with an 84-70 record and second place finish behind the Milwaukee Braves. In 1960, Murtaugh's Pirates brought a World Series crown back to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1925 after beating the New York Yankees in the only Game Seven walkoff home run in World Series history by Bill Mazeroski off Ralph Terry at Forbes Field. For his efforts in 1960, Murtaugh received the Manager-of-the-Year Award by the Sporting News after guiding the Pittsburgh club to its first 95-win season since 1925.

Pittsburgh's 90-win season in 1960 was a sign of things to come under Murtaugh's tenure. In fact, during the course of his career as a Pirates skipper, the Pirates accumulated at least 90 victories on five different occasions.

During the 1970s the Pirates returned to prominence under the direction of Murtaugh in the dugout. In 1970, the Battlin' Bucs won the Eastern Division after finishing with an 89-73 record that helped Murtaugh earn his second Sporting News Manager-of-the-Year Award. One year later the Pirates were crowned World Series champs for the fourth time in club history and second time in Murtaugh's tenure after defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games. With a second World Series crown under his watch, Murtaugh is now tied for ninth on the all-time World Series victories list by managers.

Murtaugh died on December 2, 1976 after leading the Pirates to a 92-70 record earlier in the year. One year later in 1977, he became just the fourth person in Pirates history to have his number retired, joining Billy Meyer and Hall-of-Famers Pie Traynor and Roberto Clemente to have the ultimate team honor.