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Summarized by Rosemary Pollock
Dale Murphy Ends Mission, Returns to Atlanta For All-Star Game
Atlanta GA Journal-Constitution 9Jul00 S2
By Tim Tucker: Staff
ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- The very best part of Atlanta's baseball past is
back in town. But it will only be for a few days, when Dale Murphy
returns to Atlanta, Georgia to serve as honorary captain of the
National League All-Star baseball team. "Gosh, I'm honored," he
replies. Murphy will ultimately be returning to his home in Alpine,
Utah after spending three years in Massachusetts, where he served as
the president of the Boston Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Murphy 44, his wife Nancy and their eight children spent three years in
Massachusetts where he was responsible for supervising over 180 missionaries
throughout New England. "It was a definite stretch for me to be an
administrator," he joked. "You can imagine how organized I was. My desk
kind of looked like my locker," which often was a mess, he added. "It was
intense. It's like you have 180 children that you are constantly worried
about. Your stomach is kind of always churning."
"To see these missionaries---it's a very rigid schedule for them; they
don't watch TV, don't go to movies, don't listen to popular music; it's a
time for them to really find out about the most important things in life,
their faith in God and serving other people, Murphy said. "So it's just a
real remarkable experience to see young people change their lives like
this." "It was just a highlight of our lives to be a part of it."
Murphy's oldest son Chad, 19, is on a Mormon mission in Okinawa, Japan.
His sons Travis 18, Shawn 17, Tyson 14, Taylor 12, Jacob 10, McKay 8 and
only daughter Madison, 6 are all into sports. "They follow it so much more
closely than I ever did. They even know who's leading the league RBI's."
[Leading the National League is LDS Church member Jeff Kent - Editor]
As for the All-Star Game, he said, "They're looking forward to the home-run
contest." "It's a great time to be a part of baseball," Murphy said.
"It'll bring back a lot of good memories."
This week, Murphy will get his first look at Turner Field. He will also
see the new parking lot that used to be Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where
he played all or part of 15 seasons with the Braves. "I was going through
boxes like crazy (upon returning to Utah last week)," he said, "and I pulled
out a picture someone in Atlanta had given me. 'Thanks for the memories' was
written on it, and it was a picture of the stadium. I was, like golly,
that's not even there any more." "It's going to be weird not to see it,"
Murphy said. "But that's the way it goes. It's OK."
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