Daniel Murphy, Gold Glover?
OK, let’s not get carried away, but the much-maligned Mets first baseman made a spectacular play last night against the Dodgers that would make Keith Hernandez jealous.
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Mark Loretta hit a grounder in the seventh inning that ricocheted off the first base bag into fair territory, forcing Murphy, who was charging toward the line, to change direction toward second base.
Murphy grabbed the ball a few feet inside first, made a desperation flip behind his legs to pitcher Bobby Parnell, who got the out at first.
“It just kind of happened,” Murphy said before crediting Parnell. “Bobby makes a great play and keeps coming right there. If he shuts it down, I’m flipping it to Jerry probably.”
Replays showed Loretta might have been safe, but umpire Marty Foster called him out.
That’s the same Marty Foster who called Derek Jeter out at third base on Monday despite the fact he was not tagged by the Blue Jays’ Scott Rolen. Foster infuriated Jeter with his explanation that the ball beat him to the bag.
“It seemed close to me,” Foster said of Murphy’s toss. “I haven’t had a chance to look at it and review it with my crew chief yet, so I can’t really comment on it. You call them as you see them.”
Dodgers manager Joe Torre jogged out to protest Foster’s call to no avail.
“I was a distance away, but it looked like his foot was on the bag before he caught it,” Torre said. “I don’t know what the replay said, I can’t tell you that. The conversation was he thought he was out, and I said he was safe. Unfortunately he gets the last call.”
Murphy has a long blooper reel in the field this year beginning with his error in Miami that cost Johan Santana a win in the first week of the season. Murphy was shifted from left field to first base when it was clear the outfield was not for him, but he’s had his share of mistakes at first base, too.
The seven errors Murphy has committed this season are second on the team to David Wright’s 12.
“I feel like my defense at first base has come a long way but, again, has a long way to go,” said Murphy, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles. “In the outfield I just felt like I got a string of pretty tough balls and eventually one day I think if I’m needed out there I’ll be able to produce.”