Murphy's law with A's is to be available for team every day
OAKLAND >> It was one of the rare days where Athletics catcher Sean Murphy was powerless to make a difference.
Mark Kotsay, the A's manager, determined Wednesday was the time for Murphy to take a seat rather than play in what turned out to be a 14-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
The reasoning was beyond reproach. Murphy, whether he admitted it or not, needed a break. The A's were playing a day game following a night game, and an off day Thursday meant two full days of rest after playing in 37 of the previous 39 games — 29 as a catcher.
At one point Wednesday, catcher Christian Bethancourt took a foul tip and was being tended to by trainers. Out popped Murphy from the runway, fully prepared to tool up. Murphy is good at a lot of things, as evidenced by his Gold Glove award as the American League's top defensive catcher in 2021.
Sitting, however, is not one of them. Murphy loathes being a non-participant.
“I feel useless sitting on the bench,” Murphy said. “I want to be penciled in.”
When the A's begin a six-game road trip Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels, Murphy will return to his rightful place behind the plate. He's 27, in his prime, and one of the best at his craft in Major League Baseball by any standard.
Left unsaid is that Murphy is one of the reasons the pitching staff went into Thursday's loss with starters having allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of the previous 14 games. And that the bullpen had a 1.80 ERA in its previous 13. Murphy, together with coach and former catcher Marcus Jensen as well as pitching coach Scott Emerson, has helped smooth the rough edges of a pitching staff with lots of new faces.
“Sean's matured really nicely as a catcher,” Kotsay said. “The work he does with Marcus on the fundamentals of catching, along with the game-planning Scott Emerson has done, they've bonded and built a good relationship.”
With an abbreviated spring training following a 99-day lockout imposed by ownership, Murphy had less time to immerse himself in the minutiae of a new staff, learning their strengths, weaknesses and personalities.
James Kaprielian said Murphy was a quick study.
To Murphy, it comes down to the most basic contribution a player can make. He's taken his share of foul tips, backswings off the helmet and back, and in almost every case is ready to go the next day.
“I mean, that's one of the goals at the beginning of the season — be available,” Murphy said. “Be available and be ready every single day.”