Murray Cook (baseball)
Encyclopedia
George Earl Murray Cook is a Canadian
scout and former front office executive in Major League Baseball
. He was the general manager
of three MLB teams: the New York Yankees
(1983-1984); the Montreal Expos
(1984-1987); and the Cincinnati Reds
(1988-1989).
farm system in 1962. He then became a scout and farm system administrator, serving Pittsburgh as assistant director of minor league
operations (1972-77), then director of scouting (1977-82). He was named the Yankees' scouting director in January, 1983.
was fired. With manager Billy Martin
at the helm the whole season, the team showed a marked improvement, posting a 91-71 record, good for third place. However, George Steinbrenner
fired Martin for the third time after the season, and brought in Yogi Berra
as the new manager. Cook had little say in these matters. Murray Cook earned Steinbrenner's wrath when the Oakland Athletics
selected pitcher Tim Belcher
from the Yankees in the free agent compensation draft on February 8, 1984. Belcher had been the first player selected in the 1983 amateur draft but had refused to sign with the Minnesota Twins
at the time; the Yankees had scored a coup by selecting him in the secondary phase of the January 1984 amateur draft and signing him to a contract a few days later. However, they had already submitted their list of protected players for the free agent draft and were unable to add the newly-signed Belcher, leading to his selection by the Athletics. A furious Steinbrenner reduced Cook's responsibilities, leaving a void in the front office until he named Clyde King
as his replacement on April 9. Cook inherited the title of Vice-President and Director of Scouting in the shuffle, as Steinbrenner stated that "I take the blame of asking a young man to move too fast too soon". He stayed in that role for a few months until he submitted his resignation on August 20, 1984, explaining that he wanted to have a decision-making role again.
, followed five days later by general manager John McHale
. Cook was hired on September 5. His first action after taking over was to hire Buck Rodgers
, who had just won the Minor League Manager of the Year Award by leading the Expos' AAA farm team, the Indianapolis Indians
to a 91-63 record and the American Association
championship.
Due to a tight budget set by the Expos ownership, Cook had to rely on trades instead of signing free agents. He traded away Gary Carter
, Bill Gullickson
, and Jeff Reardon
in order to acquire promising minor league talent. He became known for picking up prospects that other teams were willing to discard, such as Dennis Martinez
and Pascual Pérez
. He also used the Rule V Draft to acquire Jeff Parrett
.
was taking over as general manager. Over the next few weeks, rumours began circulating that the firing was not for baseball reasons. In fact, Murray Cook had been dismissed for having an affair with Pamela Brochu, wife of Expos President and CEO Claude Brochu
. Cook broke up with his wife of many years to marry his former boss's wife.
being banned from baseball. Cook was replaced by Bob Quinn
after the season.
, joining Boston after nearly a decade as a scout for the Florida Marlins
. Since the season, he has been the East Coast regional crosschecker for the Detroit Tigers
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
scout and former front office executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was the general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of three MLB teams: the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1983-1984); the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1984-1987); and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1988-1989).
Pirates and Yankees
Cook began his baseball career as an infielder in the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
farm system in 1962. He then became a scout and farm system administrator, serving Pittsburgh as assistant director of minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
operations (1972-77), then director of scouting (1977-82). He was named the Yankees' scouting director in January, 1983.
Yankees
Cook was promoted to general manager of the New York Yankees on June 30, 1983 after Bill BergeschBill Bergesch
Louis William Bergesch was an American Major League Baseball executive. He is a former front office executive for several teams. He began with the Omaha Cardinals farm team in the 1950s. He was then Assistant GM of the Kansas City Athletics in 1961 and organized the New York Mets farm system in...
was fired. With manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
at the helm the whole season, the team showed a marked improvement, posting a 91-71 record, good for third place. However, George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
fired Martin for the third time after the season, and brought in Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
as the new manager. Cook had little say in these matters. Murray Cook earned Steinbrenner's wrath when the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
selected pitcher Tim Belcher
Tim Belcher
Timothy Wayne Belcher is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award in for the National League...
from the Yankees in the free agent compensation draft on February 8, 1984. Belcher had been the first player selected in the 1983 amateur draft but had refused to sign with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
at the time; the Yankees had scored a coup by selecting him in the secondary phase of the January 1984 amateur draft and signing him to a contract a few days later. However, they had already submitted their list of protected players for the free agent draft and were unable to add the newly-signed Belcher, leading to his selection by the Athletics. A furious Steinbrenner reduced Cook's responsibilities, leaving a void in the front office until he named Clyde King
Clyde King
Clyde Edward King was an American pitcher, coach, manager, general manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. King, whose career in baseball spanned over 60 years, was perhaps best known for his longtime role as a special baseball advisor to George Steinbrenner, late owner of the...
as his replacement on April 9. Cook inherited the title of Vice-President and Director of Scouting in the shuffle, as Steinbrenner stated that "I take the blame of asking a young man to move too fast too soon". He stayed in that role for a few months until he submitted his resignation on August 20, 1984, explaining that he wanted to have a decision-making role again.
Expos
On August 30, the Montreal Expos' fired manager Bill VirdonBill Virdon
William Charles Virdon is a former outfielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A premier defensive outfielder during his playing days as a center fielder for the St...
, followed five days later by general manager John McHale
John McHale
John Joseph McHale was an American first baseman and executive in Major League Baseball who served as the general manager of three teams: the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, and Montreal Expos...
. Cook was hired on September 5. His first action after taking over was to hire Buck Rodgers
Buck Rodgers
Robert LeRoy "Buck" Rodgers is a former catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he helmed three major league teams: the Milwaukee Brewers , Montreal Expos and California Angels , compiling a career won-lost mark of 784–773 .-Playing career:Rodgers attended Ohio Wesleyan...
, who had just won the Minor League Manager of the Year Award by leading the Expos' AAA farm team, the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
to a 91-63 record and the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
championship.
Due to a tight budget set by the Expos ownership, Cook had to rely on trades instead of signing free agents. He traded away Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
, Bill Gullickson
Bill Gullickson
William Lee Gullickson is a former major league baseball pitcher who played for six different major-league teams, in Canada, the U.S...
, and Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
in order to acquire promising minor league talent. He became known for picking up prospects that other teams were willing to discard, such as Dennis Martinez
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
and Pascual Pérez
Pascual Pérez (baseball)
Pascual Gross Perez was a right-handed baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees....
. He also used the Rule V Draft to acquire Jeff Parrett
Jeff Parrett
Jeffrey Dale Parrett was a pitcher for the Montreal Expos , Philadelphia Phillies , Atlanta Braves , Oakland Athletics , Colorado Rockies and St...
.
Scandal
On August 11, 1987, The Expos called a hasty press conference to announce Cook had been fired and Vice-President for Baseball Administration Bill StonemanBill Stoneman
William Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...
was taking over as general manager. Over the next few weeks, rumours began circulating that the firing was not for baseball reasons. In fact, Murray Cook had been dismissed for having an affair with Pamela Brochu, wife of Expos President and CEO Claude Brochu
Claude Brochu
Claude Brochu, CM , is a Quebec businessman.He was named president of the Montreal Expos baseball club by Charles Bronfman in 1986, replacing John McHale....
. Cook broke up with his wife of many years to marry his former boss's wife.
Reds
After the 1987 season, he was hired to replace Bill Bergesch (the same man he had replaced in New York) as GM of the Cincinnati Reds. The finished second in 1988 and won three more games than the previous season. However, in 1989 the Reds fell to fifth due to the turmoil surrounding manager Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
being banned from baseball. Cook was replaced by Bob Quinn
Bob Quinn (baseball grandson)
Bob Quinn is a former Major League Baseball general manager. He served as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds from to and of the San Francisco Giants from to . He had previously served as general manager of the New York Yankees. His grandfather, also named Bob Quinn, was also a baseball...
after the season.
Later career
From 2002 through 2006, Cook was a major league scout for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, joining Boston after nearly a decade as a scout for the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Since the season, he has been the East Coast regional crosschecker for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.