‘It’s more than just a baseball team here’

Max Murphy is officially one of us now.

Want proof? The veteran Winnipeg Goldeyes outfielder, who was born and raised in Minnesota, has now experienced one of the great local traditions — the wedding social.

“It went really well. A really good time,” Murphy told the Free Press on Wednesday with a laugh. “I had never really heard about them. Then I got here and people were like, ‘This is a thing here.’ Went to a few and they were pretty fun. Figured, ‘Why not have my own?’”

The party was held two weekends ago for Murphy and his Winnipeg fiancée, Maddie, and included plenty of Goldeyes teammates and staff, along with family, friends and even some fans. It was a vivid reminder to Murphy of why he loves playing here so much.

“It’s more than just a baseball team here,” he said. “It’s a special place. It’s not like anywhere else.”

The couple met during Murphy’s first year in Winnipeg (2021) and will be married on Oct. 4.

Murphy has done some special things over his five previous seasons with the Fish. The 33-year-old passed fan favourite Reggie Abercrombie last year for the all-time Goldeyes lead in home runs. He’s up to 102 with Winnipeg and 131 in his American Association career, which is fourth in league history.

Murphy begins this campaign just six RBIs behind Abercrombie for both the Goldeyes and the league record.

“I don’t really think about those sort of things while I’m still playing, but I know 10, 20 years down the road I’m going to look back and be like, ‘Dang, that’s pretty cool,’” he said.

The 2014 draft pick of his hometown Minnesota Twins never quite reached MLB, getting as high as Triple-A in 2019. Unlike many of the younger players in the AA, he’s no longer chasing big-league dreams. Rather, he’s playing for the love of a game, now in a city he calls home.

And the 2022 league MVP is showing few signs of slowing down.

“I don’t really think about those sort of things while I’m still playing, but I know 10, 20 years down the road I’m going to look back and be like, ‘Dang, that’s pretty cool.'”

“It’s no shock to the guys who see him every single day. He’s the kind of guy that he’s already in and out of the weight room and got a lot of his workouts done by the time anybody even shows up,” said pitcher Landen Bourassa, who has shared the field with Murphy for the past five years.

“Not everybody knows the amount of work he puts in. It’s always been constant. It’s like clockwork with him. And, of course, between the lines in games is pretty special.”

Murphy hit .277 with a team-leading 15 home runs and 62 RBI last season.

“He’s getting older but he’s still in fantastic shape. One of those players you know what you’re going to get,” said third-year Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if he hit 30 homers this year. You’re probably going to get at least get 15. You know he’s going to be an impact bat for us.”

Murphy isn’t too concerned about personal numbers. He’s more focused on being a good teammate and mentor to some of Winnipeg’s younger players.

“I try to make everyone feel comfortable and at home. Everyone can just be themselves here. Get comfortable, have fun with the guys and let’s play some good baseball,” he said.

Murphy also has his eyes on adding one more notable accomplishment to his resumé.

“I want a championship,” he said.

“That’s the last thing. We were close a couple years ago. It just didn’t work out. But you’re hopeful every year. It’s interesting every year to see what you’re going to get. You never really know. We’ve only been here for a week, but guys look really good.”

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Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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