The Independent – July 2, 2015
By William Geoghegan
Matt Murphy played shortstop in Little League. He was an infielder at Bishop Hendricken High School. He went to Assumption College as an infielder, played American Legion ball as an infielder and was signed by the Ocean State Waves midway through last summer as an infielder.
A pitcher? Maybe. Sort of. Not really.
He pitched occasionally in Little League, because almost everybody pitches in Little League. He had thrown a few innings for Hendricken, when the staff was taxed. He threw a few more for his legion team, Senerchia Post 74.
“I was pitching just because I could get up there and throw it,” Murphy said.
With the Waves last summer, he operated mostly as a defensive replacement, getting only five at-bats in his first two weeks with the team. But head coach Eric Cirella knew from talking to Murphy’s legion coach, Chris Sheehan, that he could pitch a little. He wanted to give him a shot with the Waves, when the time was right.
It happened July 30, in the final inning of a long doubleheader with North Adams. Murphy was Ocean State’s sixth pitcher of the day. The game was essentially over.
But for Murphy, that one inning changed the course of his baseball career.
He tossed a scoreless frame. Three days later, he pitched three innings of shutout relief. Soon after, he found himself pitching in a playoff game. Then, Waves general manager Matt Finlayson was inviting him back for the summer of 2015 – as a pitcher – and calling his coach at Assumption, encouraging him to give Murphy some innings.
Matt Murphy, infielder, was about to become Matt Murphy, pitcher.
“I never would have thought,” he said. “I’ve been an infielder my whole life. I didn’t even have it in the back of my mind that I wanted to pitch.”
Even now, he’s still getting used to the idea, but the Warwick native and Wakefield resident couldn’t be happier. He’s a key bullpen arm for the Waves this summer and is committed to following his unlikely path wherever it leads next.
Murphy’s fastball sits in the 88 to 92 miles-per-hour range, plenty good enough for high-level baseball. He’s still learning the ropes and working on his off-speed pitches, but his right arm alone is enough to make pitching worth pursuing.
His mound career may have started by accident, but it’s no pipe dream.
“He has a high ceiling,” Cirella said. “He’s got an elastic arm, and his ball moves. He’s still figuring out what it is to be a pitcher. His best days are certainly ahead of him.”
Murphy’s journey to the mound had its beginnings in legion ball, where rosters are small and the games add up. Playing for Senerchia, Hendricken’s club, Murphy pitched well when he had a chance, but was still primarily an infielder.
But Sheehan, a former All-State pitcher for the Hawks, recognized the arm.
“If he didn’t say anything, I probably wouldn’t be pitching,” Murphy said.
From Sheehan, Cirella learned of Murphy’s moonlighting and made a note to have him throw a bullpen session. In the dog days of a busy summer, it didn’t happen right away. Murphy bided his time on the bench.
“I definitely wanted to throw a bullpen, but I wasn’t going to ask again,” he said. “I didn’t want to be rude.”
The session finally happened, but it wasn’t on an off day or in pregame warm-ups. It was in that doubleheader against North Adams. If Murphy looked good, he’d be going in.
“The bullpen is set up kind of weird. All the pitchers are lined up watching me, like who is this kid?” Murphy said. “I had some adrenaline so I was throwing hard. Our pitching coach said I looked good. Then he said, ‘You’re going in.’”
It was a low-pressure situation. Murphy told himself that if it didn’t work out, it was no big deal.
It worked out.
Murphy walked a batter and gave up two hits but escaped the jam. His pitches popped the mitt and offered Cirella all the confirmation he needed.
“He’s 88-92, with lots of movement,” Cirella said. “He’s still figuring out his secondary pitches, but he’s an athlete. And he’s very willing to be coached. You don’t always get that from kids.”
Murphy ended up posting a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings of work last summer. After the season, he was invited back for 2015, as long as he was willing to make the switch.
“I was a little over-matched in the batter’s box last summer,” Murphy said. “But [Finlayson] said, ‘Hey, if you want to come back as a pitcher, I’ll have a spot for you.’”
Murphy continued playing shortstop for Assumption in his sophomore season, hitting .341. He also got some time on the mound as a reliever and saved three games.
“It’s a tribute to summer baseball,” Cirella said. “Sometimes, coaches see a kid do one thing and that’s what they’re recruited to do, so that’s what they do. I’m guilty of it too. Then all of a sudden, you try a kid in a different spot and this is what can happen.”
When Assumption’s season ended in May, Murphy returned home to Wakefield and honed in on pitching. He worked closely with Mark Cahill, a local instructor, beginning in earnest the process of becoming a pitcher.
He made his 2015 debut on opening night and had a scary moment when he twisted his knee in just his second inning of work. Murphy left the game but was given a clean bill of health and returned to action a week later. He gave up one earned run in his first three outings before getting touched up for five in his last two appearances.
As one might expect, it’s a process, especially in a league as good as the NECBL.
“I still haven’t figured it out yet,” Murphy said. “I joke around with my buddies that I don’t even know what I’m doing. I was an infielder a month ago.”
But he’s working diligently to change that identity. His changeup and slider are coming along and the fastball is still hot. And with the Waves, he has a dozen teammates he can turn to for advice.
“They know I’m trying to figure this out, and they know if I figure it out, that’s just going to make the team better,” Murphy said.
At times, he misses playing in the field and taking swings, although not when the opposing pitchers are as good as what the NECBL has to offer.
But mostly, he’s embracing his new identity.
Matt Murphy is a pitcher now.
“A lot of people who pitch their whole lives kind of hit a plateau,” Murphy said. “I have a fresh arm. I don’t know what my maximum potential is. I don’t know if I’m even close to it.”