This curveballing righthander held the lifetime record for saves (107) and wins in relief (73) until the spate of relievers in the 1960s. A control pitcher, he began his career as a starter with the Yankees, starting 20 games as a rookie in 1934. After being switched to the bullpen the following season, he started only 20 more games in his 13-year career. Despite being a reliever, he had losing records in only two seasons, and led the majors in saves in four seasons, with a high of 19 in 1939 for one of the most powerful of all Yankee teams. He also set then-records of 12 wins in relief in 1937 and 1943. His best overall season was 1941, when he had 15 saves and a 1.98 ERA and an 8-3 record. Lefty Gomez, when asked to predict how many games he (Gomez) would win, replied “Ask Murphy.”
