Mars shortstop Danny Murray doesn’t let much get by him. A shark? That’s a different story
ADAMS TWP — It’s a missed snare on a Florida beach that eats at Danny Murray more so than any one in the baseball infield.
“I was surf fishing, and I usually don’t catch a lot when I’m surf fishing,” said the Mars junior shortstop. “But I had a shark on, and then it started coming in. The shark got off the line, and I was like, ‘Ah, you gotta be kidding me.’
“Next thing you know, it swims right by my feet. ... I stepped out of the water. I was done after that. It was a good 2-, 3-footer. It was enough to give you a scare.”
On the baseball diamond, the Mount St. Mary’s commit — who moonlights as a fisherman, regularly casting his line from a kayak in Connoquenessing Creek — plays a position for Mars (3-6, 1-4 in WPIAL Section 3-5A) in which he can’t let much get past.
He’s played the entire left side of the infield, though, which has helped him round his game well.
“His roles have changed, whether it was playing third base as a freshman or coming in playing second base,” Planets coach Jason Thompson said. “He made second-team all-section and now (comes) in to play the shortstop role. He bounced around a little bit in the order, just fitting what the team needs.
“It’s just somebody that has been steady, it’s consistent. It’s a guy that has put the work in.”
Not including stats from Tuesday’s unfinished matchup with Fox Chapel, Murray has slashed .324/.469/.459 this season, along with three doubles and five RBIs.
Thompson took notice of how Murray approached footwork and fielding angles at an “unnatural” spot when he manned third two seasons ago. Second base came a little easier for Murray, and he looks at home at his current position now, too.
“I think some people don’t realize that when you’re in the infield, you’re in every single play, even if you’re not gonna get the ball,” Murray said. “You’ve gotta know what you’re gonna do when you get the ball in every different scenario. ... And also the aspect of reading hops off the grass, as well.”
“It looks like he’s played shortstop a very long time, and he really hasn’t,” Thompson said.
At the plate, Thompson has seen Murray shift from needing to work away, trying to slap it through the left side of the infield, to hitting with power. Improvements in strength, seeing the ball and swinging have allowed him to drive pitches.
Murray prefers shortstop because of the range it demands. He likes being in control and getting involved in pick-off attempts.
“I think at short, you get the most amount of action, for sure — and I like getting all that action,” Murray said. “You want the ball in your hand.”
Thompson believes Murray’s hard work and willingness is beginning to show.
“Just the reps that he puts in on his own and the intensity he plays with, you can kind of see how the years’ worth of work is really starting to pay off dividends now,” Thompson said.
