Greater Bay Shore coverage is funded in part by Shoregate, now leasing brand-new premium apartment homes in the heart of Bay Shore. Click here to schedule a tour.
Former Mets All-Star Daniel Murphy is back in the New York baseball scene, but this time with the Long Island Ducks.
The 37-year-old infielder, who spent seven seasons with the Mets (2008-9, 2011-15), has signed on for his first season with the Ducks, making it his 16th year in professional baseball. The team announced the signing Wednesday morning.
“This game is part of my soul, and my passion for playing grew as great as ever when I discovered certain things that I believe will enable me to be productive on the field again,” said Murphy in a statement. “I am immensely grateful to Mr. Boulton, Wally Backman, and Michael Pfaff for allowing me to live my dream for a second time.”
Murphy, who was originally selected by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2006 amateur draft out of Jacksonville University, won the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2015 after leading the Mets to their fifth World Series appearance. In the NLCS, Murphy homered in all four games to sweep the Chicago Cubs.
He also played three seasons with the Washington Nationals (2016-18), one with the Chicago Cubs (2018), and two with the Colorado Rockies (2019-20).
Murphy professional career includes playing in 1,452 games, with a .296 batting average, 138 home runs, 735 RBIs, 710 runs, 1,572 hits, 371 doubles, 29 triples, a .341 on-base percentage and a .796 OPS.
He represented the National League at the MLB All-Star Game three times (2014, 2016, and 2017) and won two National League Silver Slugger Awards (2016-17). He also finished second in the voting for National League Most Valuable Player in 2016 after leading the league in doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS.
“Competing before the New York fans is an enormous privilege, and I hope that my effort and performance reflect how honored I am to do so,” said Murphy, who is a two-time winner of the MLBPAA Mets Heart and Hustle Award. “The sincerest thanks from my family and I to the Long Island Ducks for this chance at a new adventure.”
In addition to Murphy, the Ducks have also signed two former Mets: Ruben Tejada and Tzu-Wei Lin. Tejada played for the Mets from 2010 to 2015 and in 2019. Lin, who played for Long Island last year, had a short, five-month stint with the Mets organization in 2022 before joining the Ducks.
Fans will be able to watch Murphy, along with the rest of the Flock, in the team’s home opener on Tuesday, May 2, at Fairfield Properties Ballpark against the Staten Island FerryHawks.
Top: FILE – New York Mets’ Daniel Murphy reacts as he scores from second on a hit by Lucas Duda during the fourth inning of Game 2 of baseball’s World Series against the Kansas City Royals on, Oct. 28, 2015, in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
