Catching up with former NL MVP and Portland's own Dale Murphy
During recent visit, former Atlanta Brave recounts learning baseball as a youth in Portland and how MLB can improve. Baseball can be a confounding game. Dale Murphy knows that better than most. Considered a five-tool player when he was drafted in 1974 out of Portland's Wilson High, Murphy was hyped as the next Johnny Bench when he joined the Atlanta Braves. The catching thing didn't work out (though he was behind home plate for 87 games in the major leagues). When throwing accurately to second base became troublesome, Murphy gave first base a try — initially borrowing a glove from...