Dublin Coffman alumnus Joey Murray has always had a deep appreciation for baseball. Although he is quick to admit he never thought he was anything special when he began to play the sport as a kid, baseball has remained a constant in his life.
In third grade, Murray was a member of the Dublin Green Sox and predominately played pitcher and occasionally the infield. As high school approached, he began to spend all his time on the pitcher’s mound.
Though baseball was something he enjoyed playing, he never thought it would become more than a hobby. As his high school career continued, Murray saw major improvements in his pitching and went from throwing 73 miles per hour as a freshman to breaking the mid-80s. Soon, college scouts took notice.
“I wasn’t projected to play professionally at that point but considered college baseball,” Murray says. “At that point, I always dreamed of playing pro but never thought it was in the realm of possibilities.”
A severe stomach virus forced him to miss a good portion of his junior year. He lost 25 pounds and began to rethink his goals of playing college ball.
“That was one of the toughest times for me mentally, let alone the physical aspect of it,” Murray says. “It was one of those things that I had to decide what I wanted to do. It would’ve been totally acceptable to ride it out and finish out my high school career and stop playing but I made a decision that I wasn’t ready to stop playing and do anything in my power to get back on the field.”
Murray decided that this was not going to end his baseball career and refocused as he entered his senior year. He boasted an 8-1 record with a 0.10 earned run average and 97 strikeouts.
“My support system, whether it was my mom, who has been with me my entire career especially when things were going bad, my fiancé Sydney, who I first started dating at Coffman, and I’ve had such tremendous coaches along the way like Coach (Tim) Saunders,” Murray says. “I don’t think I’d be playing baseball still if it weren’t for him and some of the connections he had in the game.”
More Than A Game
After a successful stint as a pitcher at Kent State University, Murray was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB draft in 2018. Like the majority of college athletes, he was eligible for the draft his junior year and forwent his senior year but still finished his degree.
His first season only lasted two months with the draft taking place in June. For many rookies, it is a way to get a routine going amid the new environment of professional baseball and start building a routine.
“Because our innings and playing time is limited, we did not have much of a chance to get called up to the next level (Low A). If they called us up to that level, it would’ve only been for a month or less which in the grand scheme of things, would not have an impact on our development,” Murray says. “Our first season was just to get the feel for pro baseball and to learn what daily life and travel will be like.”'
While being a professional baseball player is a dream of many, Murray has quickly learned that the reality is often much more challenging than one imagines.
“The biggest thing is how much time it takes. One of the toughest things throughout the season is a mental game,” Murray says. “Your body is feeling decent for it being August, but that mental grind of being away from your friends and family can be pretty challenging. The guys who have the most sustained success are the ones that can avoid hitting that wall late in the season and continue to push through.”
To the Aspiring Little Leaguer
Murray is modest about the time spent in the MLB and he now waits for his callup from the Triple-A squad to take the mound in a professional game. What has stuck out the most to him is his team’s dedication to each of its players.
“The culture amongst players and staff is equal to none. Everyone is solely determined to help you become the best you can be,” Murray says. “If you ask for help, you are going to have a whole support team doing everything in their power to help you.”
When asked about what advice he would provide to a Dublin youth baseball player, Murray’s wisdom centers on not only putting in the hard work but realizing the time and commitment that dream is going to take.
“If you aren’t the best, then somebody’s better than you. … If you are doing the same amount of work, you are getting better at the same rate,” Murray says. “To get better than them, you have to put in more time, effort and energy, and make those tough decisions like not skipping those workouts where no one will be at.”
But most important, remaining passionate about the game is Murray’s foremost piece of advice.
“The most important thing by far is to make sure you are having fun playing the game,” Murray says. “If you love playing baseball, the hard work doesn’t typically feel like work. There are times you may not be feeling like doing it, but when you love the game, those tough decisions become easier.”
Rocco Falleti is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
