San Francisco Giants' Secret Weapon: Their Clubhouse Manager
Nicknamed "the legend," Mike Murphy has served generations of Giants' players.
November 5, 2010 — -- The San Francisco Giants had a secret weapon helping them win the World Series this week and you've probably never heard of him. They call him the character builder, the legend, their father figure and their clubhouse manager.
Mike Murphy has been with the Giants since 1958, starting as a bat boy. He still remembers that first day of work.
"I was kind of scared the first day," Murphy said. "It was a hectic day, my first day of being a bat boy, meeting Willie Mays ... it was just a great day that day."
A great day turned into 52 years of working for the team, becoming equipment manager in 1980. Through the ups and downs of the team, there has always been a constant: Murphy. He's never missed a home game. The ballplayers consider him family.
"He is the Giants," Emmanuel Burris, second baseman, said. "We think about all the players Willie Mays, McCovey -- well, Uncle Murph's been here the whole time."
Murph, as he's known to the team, is in charge of the clubhouse, a clubhouse the team named after him.
"We get everything organized for the team... we wash the uniforms, we wash the towels, get ready for the road trips, make sure they got all their uniforms for the road trips, go to the airport early, pack the plane, unpack the plane, go to the ball park, we send their luggage in," Murphy said. "It's a never ending job and you kind of miss sleep here and there.
Murphy packed nearly 400 bags for the World Series playoffs alone.
Along with nurturing players, Murphy has seen his fair share of World Series disappointments. In 1962, the team lost to the Yankees. In 2002, the Angels beat them.
In 1989, Mother Nature contributed to the Giants' loss against the Oakland A's in game three.
"Would you believe it, an earthquake?!" Murphy said. "I said, 'God, I'll never get a ring here.'"
