For Dale Murphy, a 33-year-old slugger who should be in his prime, the recession of 1988 has led to the crash of '89.
Murphy, a former two-time National League MVP, can't figure out why he's had a 1 1/2-year batting slump, and neither can Braves Manager Russ Nixon or any of the coaches who have been seeking a solution."I wish I knew the answer," Nixon said. "We're all pulling so hard for him. Murph works so hard, takes what he does so seriously, it pains you to see him out there not doing the things you know he's capable of. Remember, we're talking about one of the best hitters around. At least, he was until these past two seasons."
Two years ago, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, was universally recognized as one of the premier power hitters in baseball. His 1987 stats included 44 home runs, 105 RBI, 115 runs scored, and a .295 batting average.
At that point, with at least seven or eight good seasons to be expected in store, Murphy seemed to have a good shot at becoming only the fourth player in history to reach the 600-homer plateau. He had hit 36 or more homers in five of his previous six seasons to stand at 310.
Then, while the Braves lost 106 games last year, Murphy average dropped to .226 and his power decreased.
"I was disappointed when I hit only 24 home runs last season but I figured that the change in the baseball we were using and the problems related to the way we were going as a team were more responsible than anything I might be doing differently," Murphy said.
Now, Murphy finds himself with only six homers after 90 games and only one since May 3 while hitting .245.
"I'm working hard to come out of it, I really am," said Murphy, whose 82 hits include only 19 for extra bases. "I've been studying films of the way I was hitting a few years ago, talking to a lot of people but no one has come up with a definite answer yet.
"The best I can figure it, I'm not getting under the ball the way I used to," Murphy said. "I'm as strong as I've ever been, but I seem to be cutting down on the ball rather than giving it a ride."
Murphy insists he'll break out of his slump and inject new life into his flagging career as a power hitter.
"I'm like a golfer who has temporarily misplaced his swing," he said. "You work at it until you get it right again. Unlike a golfer, who needs to hit the ball pretty much on a line, I've got the full expanse of the ball field to work with."