Murphy has tips for jocks

When Dale Murphy retired from the Major Leagues at 37, he was confronted with a rush of feelings he never saw coming. Did he retire too early, he wondered? What should he do now? He had no degree, he had no business experience, no structure, no expectations.

The thrill of competition was gone, as was the rigid schedule he had lived for two decades. Suddenly, he went from being gone for days at a time to being home every moment. Suddenly, there was the rest of his life to live, and he was something besides a pro athlete.

"It was harder than I thought," says Murphy, the two-time Major League MVP who has settled in Alpine since retiring in 1993. "You miss it, the excitement of competing on that stage. Suddenly, you're sitting around the house. It's not a good way to live your life."

If Murphy, a man grounded firmly in family and faith, struggled with retirement from professional sports, imagine what other athletes experience.

Retirement is just one challenging aspect in the unique life of a professional athlete. From start to finish, it is a completely foreign experience for people used to living in the real world. Murphy doesn't wonder why so many pro athletes struggle with life away from their sport.

One day he was complaining to a friend about the sad state affairs among professional jocks — the drugs, violence, criminal behavior, family problems — when his friend suggested he offer his advice to pro athletes in a book.

A year and half later, with the considerable help of friends and especially his wife, Nancy, whom he calls the real writer, Murphy has done just that. "The Scouting Report" offers advice to pro athletes, from business management, to selecting agents, to handling career and family.

"I thought maybe there's some advice I could give to help them get through this occupation they've chosen that has unique challenges that aren't apparent when you first get into it," says Murphy.

Murphy gives the book instant credibility. Not only was he a seven-time all-star whose number was retired by the Atlanta Braves, but he also earned a reputation as a gentleman whose feet were planted firmly on terra firma. Money and fame will get you every time, but it didn't get him. He played 16 years in the Major Leagues and escaped with his values, family (eight children) and his money firmly intact.

Although the book is written to a small audience, it is worth reading his suggestions on how to avoid the problems that have beset the heroes that society has created.