Matt Murton
Wareham 2001 & 2002
Outfielder
Georgia Tech
He’s got an MVP award and plenty of great numbers, but it’s what Matt Murton did in 2002 that really pushed me to put him this high on the list.
He only played in 16 regular-season games that summer. It was the shorter and less impressive of his two Cape League seasons. The year before, he won an MVP award.
What makes the summer of 2002 amazing is that Murton could have very well spent it at home.
Coming off his MVP season in 2001, Murton hit .344 with 10 home runs in his sophomore year at Georgia Tech. He was slated for Team USA, a shoo-in to make the squad. At tryouts, he broke a finger.
That’s obviously not a major injury, but it’s enough to keep you out, especially in summer ball.
But as soon as he could play, Murton was suiting up for the Gatemen. He played in only 16 games, but he hit .400 and his presence in the lineup helped power the Gatemen into the playoffs. Once there, they surged, with Murton helping lead the way. In five playoff games, he had four hits and scored five runs. The Gatemen won their second consecutive Cape League championship.
Murton had a huge hand in both. As Cape League fans, I think we like to latch on to players who seem to “get it.” It’s fun following prospects and watching radar guns, but in the end, we love seeing players who view the league the same way we do — as a really unique and special place.
By all accounts, Murton was one of those guys. When you factor in his 2001 season — in which he hit .324 with 28 RBI — it’s no surprise that he was elected to the league’s Hall of Fame just six years after he was on the field.
After the Cape
The Red Sox picked Murton with their first-round pick in the 2003 draft. He shined in the minors and was traded to the Cubs in the Nomar Garciaparra trade. He made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2005 and spent parts of four seasons in Chicago. He was traded to Oakland, then Colorado. In 2009, he split time between Triple A and the bigs in Colorado. In December, his contract was sold to Japan’s Hanshin Tigers, and it appears he’ll continue his career there.
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Will –
Anxious to see the top 10. When are they going to be posted?
I should be able to crank all of them out this week. Finally.