In the our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren’t yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.
Before his game Monday against the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants Class A Affiliate), Charleston Riverdogs catcher and Yankees’ 2009 second-round draft pick JR Murphy entered the dojo of NoMaas’ Sensei John Kreese. The 20-year old Murphy is raking this season to the tune of .321/.366/.502. We discussed his hot hitting and much more with JR, who won our 2nd MLPW Award of 2011.
Sensei John Kreese: You’ve been killing it this season. What’s been the secret to your success between this year and last year?
JR Murphy: Just came into spring training this year feeling more comfortable — knowing all the staff, all the coaches, all the players. I had a good spring training and I’m on a roll right now. I’m seeing the ball better and just playing well.
SJK: I was looking at your stats and noticed that you were intentionally walked this season. Are you getting the Barry Bonds treatment already?
JR: Haha. No, I think it was a situation where the pitcher was 3-0 on me, and there was a runner on second and first base was open. So they just put me on.
SJK: We interviewed Slade Heathcott about a month and a half ago, and he’s in a similar situation to you, with him showing big improvement over last season. He told us that the Yankees made adjustments to his hitting approach last year and they didn’t work, so he went back to his old approach, and everything is clicking. Did something similar happen with you?
JR: Not really. Right when I got drafted, they made it clear that hitting wasn’t their main concern with me, it was more of the defensive side. I’ve talked to plenty of guys about my hitting, but no adjustments have really been made. It’s more about maintaining what I already do. It’s been on the defensive side.
SJK: Slade also said that you “just know how to hit.” You hear that a lot in baseball. It’s very cliché, but what do you think he means by that? How would you describe yourself as a hitter?
JR: Hitting comes naturally to me, but it’s funny that Slade said that. He’s my roommate. But, I still have to work at it. Sometimes I get anxious up there and swing at lousy pitches. But, I believe my pitch recognition is getting better. I’m maturing as a hitter. I’m becoming more of a professional hitter.
SJK: One of the aspects of your game that is really jumping off is your power. You already have more doubles than all of last season, and you’re only 1 home run away from equaling last year’s total. Did you eat your Wheaties or something this offseason?
JR: Haha. I think a lot of it has to do with being more comfortable coming into Spring Training. I also hit the gym in the offseason to get stronger.
SJK: It’s no secret that the Yankees farm system has a heavy crop of catchers. Do you ever think about your future in the organization because of that?
JR: I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t. Everyone knows that the Yankees have lots of good catchers in the system. But the only thing I can control is how I perform. I don’t view it as a competition with other guys. I can only control how I play.
SJK: Does it ever weigh on you guys [minor leaguers] that since the Yankees set the bar so high with basically All-Stars at every position that it’s difficult to crack the Bronx?
JR: My dream is to play for the New York Yankees. About 90% of minor leaguers would say the same thing. But as a minor leaguer, you want to play in the bigs one day. That’s the goal.
SJK: In prospect circles, there’s talk of you moving positions. In fact, unless I’m mistaken, you’ve played four games at 3B this season. What’s your situation there and are you open to a position change?
JR: Yeah, I’ve played a handful of games at third. My preference is to catch, but I’m very open to trying other positions. If playing another position creates opportunities for me either with the Yankees or another organization, then I’m very open to it.
SJK: You were primarily an OF in high school and made the transition to catcher later on, right?
JR: Actually, no. I starting catching my sophomore year and then had knee surgery my junior year. Then I split time between the OF, 3B, and C when I came back from surgery.
SJK: Any other guys in Charleston that impress you?
JR: We’re really loaded with talent, although I don’t think we’re playing up to our capabilities yet. Slade can do things I haven’t really seen before. And Kyle Roller and Rob Segedin have really professional approaches at the plate.
SJK: Alright, JR, that’s all I got. Good luck the rest of the year and we hope to talk to you again soon. Keep killing it.
JR: Alright, man. Don’t jinx me. Good talking to you.
Many thanks to JR for hanging with NoMaas and we wish him the best of luck. You can follow JR and the rest of the Class-A Charleston Riverdogs at their official website.
27 Comments
Brian June 6, 2011 21:44
Guy is a stud. I’m glad he can play multiple positions because the scouting reports rave about his bat.
Brian June 7, 2011 11:55
Yes.
Brian June 7, 2011 13:57
I’m the Brian that doesn’t have to put an initial at the end. Not you.
Brian June 7, 2011 14:13
Says you.
Brian June 7, 2011 14:35
I’m Briancus.
Ki m Last June 8, 2011 15:54
Brianlumps
BEN KAABBACK, Jobless Law Grad June 6, 2011 22:48
What part of Israel did Murphy come from?
Must be close to the Dirty Arab borders…
Ross in NJ June 7, 2011 11:54
Dirty filthy heeb.
Rebexarama June 6, 2011 22:49
Why no question on penis length??
Meh
Colon' colon June 7, 2011 00:18
I think he’s overrated actually.
Jefferson Davis June 7, 2011 03:40
More slobbering fanboy coverage and insipid questions. What do you do for a real job, wok at Burger King? Holy crap.
When will NoMaas interview a Black or Hispanic prospect? Ooops, little secret exposed there? If it doesn’t fit into the racist/homoerotic agenda, you won’t see it here.
RAB BORGS June 7, 2011 04:55
Hey Jefferson:
Go trolling back at RAB……Joe Paw needs his back waxed….he might have to kick your ass
Sensitive RAB Guy June 7, 2011 11:48
Jefferson Davis = The Troof = Shogun of Harlem…
NoMaas’ angry black commenter
Ben Ka bak's Dad June 7, 2011 11:54
Wanna sue Jefferson?
jay flamez June 7, 2011 06:03
Jefferson Davis, you can’t be serious. Nomaas interviews one of the top prospects on the Yankee system and you complain??? What is wrong with you?
Ross in NJ June 7, 2011 11:55
The reply button is your friend. Jews aren’t.
Daps June 7, 2011 10:10
Interesting that JR Murphy knows and is comfortable that he might get traded to another organization.
Joe Pawl wants to kick your ass, likes people, wants you to like him June 7, 2011 12:00
My workout sanctuary
On weekdays four o’clock is the magic time. That’s when I stop what I’m doing, drink a cup of coffee, make a protein shake, fill up a water bottle, and head off to the gym. What follows might be my favorite 45 to 60 minutes of the day. It’s just me, music, and physical labor. Forgetting the stresses that passed during the last nine hours, I push up, pull down, and move my body in ways that I sometimes don’t think quite possible.
The gym has therapeutic effects. The most common is expressing my aggression. That isn’t something I can do at any point during the day. During work hours I must follow civil decorum, and so much of my natural aggression gets tucked away. Leaving it there probably does no good. Letting out my aggression results in a relaxed, serene feeling. It culminates in the post-gym shower. It’s as though I just slept for eight hours.
As I work out, I sometimes reflect on my day. What did I do well? Where did I get lazy? How much of my to-do list got crossed off, and how much remains? It helps build and prepare for the next day. Some days, though, I just want to forget about work. This is easy to accomplish at the gym. Just turn up the music and perform particularly brutal exercises. It’s tough to think of anything but the burning in your quadriceps when you’re doing 80 Hindu squats.
The benefits don’t end there. Working out hard five or six days a week also reaps physical benefits. I now look good in a t-shirt, which is good, because I wear t-shirts almost every day. I also have better posture, which is good, because I sit at my desk all day. The physical benefits go on and on, though the most obvious benefit is appearing more attractive to the ladies.
I once let that last benefit become my motivation for working out. I didn’t express my aggression, and I didn’t reflect while working out. Instead I looked in the mirror and fantasized about how women would ogle me — once I lost weight and built muscle, that is. But it’s tough to do that if you’re not letting out aggression and concentrating on the exercises. And so I remained a relative tub of goo from when I started working out through mid-2010.
Everyone wants rock-hard tasty abs, washer board style. Some people make the commitment to get them. I won’t deny that I would like them. But that can’t be the main motivation. It’s not nearly enough. There needs to be internal motivation in order to continue working out and realizing results. I think I’ve found my motivation:
To kick your ass.
Maybe not in a fist fight, though I’d like to think that I can take you. No, I’d much rather kick your ass in everything else. Whether it’s a race, a sport, or even work, I want to be better than you. Working out helps in all of those areas. It helps build confidence, so I go into a competition thinking I can kick your ass. It enforces discipline, so I’m focused on kicking your ass. And, of course, it builds physical strength, so I have the tools to kick your ass. If our competition happens to be mental, that’s no problem. I find my thoughts are much clearer throughout the day when I’m exercising regularly.
That might make me arrogant, and it might make me combative. I try not to express those emotions, though. I like people, and I want people to like me. But I also want to compete with people, and when I compete I must win. It’s nothing personal. I feel that way towards everyone. Just know that if we are pursuing a similar goal, whether we’re pitted against one another or not, I’m going to kick your ass.
Jay Destro's Weenie June 7, 2011 14:15
I wanna kick your fat ass
Joe Pawl wants to kick your ass, likes people, wants you to like him June 7, 2011 14:32
Did they censor “Cephster” now, too?
Cephster June 8, 2011 15:54
I hope not
T June 7, 2011 14:41
This site’s relentless negativity is exhausting. I’m not really sure how you regulars deal with it. This article is just one in a long line of terribly negative articles that, I guess, are supposed to show us what incredible analysts these guys are.
It’s really brave to constantly rant on Jeter in the twilight of his hall of fame career. Man, did you ever see Willie Mays’ numbers in his final year? That guy sure did suck, right? And that Reggie Jackson with the most strikeouts all-time — what a loser!
By the way, top five in career GIDP: Cal Ripken, Pudge Rodriguez, Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski, and Dave Winfield. Those guys were all bad players, right? I mean, isn’t that the point of the “march to history” graphic? Otherwise, I can’t for the life of me understand why it’s there. It’s basically a given that any Hall of Famer is going to play long enough to enter the leaderboard of some bad stats. It doesn’t take any type of genius to figure that one out.
Chocolate Drop June 7, 2011 14:49
This article is just one in a long line of terribly negative articles that, I guess, are supposed to show us what incredible analysts these guys are.
Further proof that some idiots don’t even read the articles before they criticize This is an interview with a Yankee prospect, you tool! How is this negative?!?
Rex Ryan's Wife's Feet June 7, 2011 21:05
Unlike Mays, Jeter is not in his final year, he is in the first year of a very expensive contract. The same contract that Jeter intimated was insulting. The GIDP tally is a gag teasing Jeter’s approach to 3,000 hits. It is a joke and a funny one at that. It is ok to joke about baseball.
TangoTiger June 7, 2011 21:41
baseball is not a laughing matter.
Paul Stanley June 7, 2011 21:37
Oh, no, Tears are Falling
Pingback: Relievers give it up on the farm | River Avenue Blues