Opinion | New York Mets give thanks for Mr October, Daniel Murphy, a man of faith
Slugger's inexplicable hot streak has made him a star and thrust the New York outfit into a World Series spot
Daniel Murphy is a man of faith, profound faith. So much so that he can't help sharing it. In spring training this year, Murphy found himself in the middle of a religious controversy when the New York Mets brought former player and gay rights activist Billy Bean to camp to talk about inclusiveness.
There have been close to 20,000 men who played in the major leagues and out of that number only Bean and the late Glenn Burke have ever admitted to being gay. Bean had become something of a pariah until 2014 when then commissioner Bud Selig named him Major League Baseball's first "Ambassador of Inclusion" after issuing a policy preventing players from harassing and discriminating against other players based on their sexual orientation.
He was rightfully named the MVP of the League Championship series as the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs in four games to advance to the World Series
Part of his duties was visiting teams to speak about inclusiveness and it was here that he crossed paths with Murphy who said bringing Bean to camp was "a progressive move". However, he did go on to add that as a Christian, "I disagree with his lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn't mean I can't still invest in him and get to know him."
Naturally, there was a backlash with Murphy being pilloried for his views. However, Bean was okay with it and appreciated Murphy's candour.
This affair was likely to fade; after all it was Murphy, the second baseman for the Mets. The previous season he had hit a meagre nine home runs with 57 runs batted in. He was merely an OK player on an OK team. Today, Murphy is the most celebrated player in baseball, the new Mr October.
He has hit seven postseason home runs in 38 at bats, including a record six games in a row, after hitting all of 14 in 538 regular season at bats. He was rightfully named the MVP of the League Championship series as the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs in four games to advance to the World Series. But don't ask Murphy how he is doing it. "I can't explain it, I really can't," he has said repeatedly. And fair enough. After all, can't a hot streak just be a hot streak?