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Jim Murray: An Autobiography
For nearly five decades, readers have been indebted to James Richardson - and to Frank McCulloch of the Los Angeles Times, who in 1961 sold Jim Murray on the idea of writing a daily sports column and began a legend. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, one of the original writers for Sports Illustrated, awarded the title Sportswriter of the Year a record fourteen times, Murray has captivated generations of readers - not merely sports fans, but all admirers of the writer's craft. In Jim Murray: An Autobiography, he chronicles his early days as a Time magazine reporter - interviewing Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne, covering the 1952 presidential campaign and the start of Richard Nixon's remarkable political career. But it is the world of sports - "corporate America in cleats" - that has given Jim his richest lode of material, stories about the people and personalities who have touched his life and the lives of millions more. Here is Muhammad Ali, who didn't fight but gave recitals; Pete Rose, the eternal fourteen-year-old and his own worst enemy (but not as long as Bart Giamatti was around); Magic Johnson, who could have taken a bunch from a local YMCA and won an NBA championship; Arnold Palmer, the man who single-handedly took golf out of the agate columns and made it page one news; wildcat owners like Jack Kent Cooke and Al Davis; and dozens more. And here is Murray speaking out against the demonizing impact of television and the persistent power of racism in sports broadcasting and reporting. Here is Murray on his youth, his ambitions and his triumphs. Here are his personal trials - the loss of his wife and his youngest son, and his ongoing fight to retain his eyesight. Here is the life story of Jim Murray - as opinionated, witty and warm as the man himself.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 13, 2024
The title describes Jim Murray as a “Pulitzer prize winning sports columnist.” Which is true but only gives a glimpse of what he has accomplished in his career as a writer. His achievements beyond the sports arena are impressive and significant enough that even the non-sports enthusiast will find the book entertaining.
For example, he traveled with Richard Nixon during the 1952 presidential election campaign when he was the candidate for Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower. Murray was there during those fateful days when there was doubt whether Eisenhower would keep or dump Nixon.
The first chapter is called, “I Saw Ruth Hit a Home Run,’ a demonstration on how far back Murray’s interest and involvement in sports runs. He gives the reader an in-depth description of the Dodgers move to LA and their early years playing in the Coliseum. The machinations that led to the new stadium being built in Chavez Ravine are very entertaining.
Murray covers the inside of golf and auto racing where he describes how deadly the sport of auto racing used to be. Men were killed in action on a regular basis, and it was just accepted as a fundamental part of the sport. His descriptions of bad boy NFL owner Al Davis and the characteristics of his teams pull no punches.
Some of the chapters deal with the personal, his battle with the real threat of blindness and his son’s losing battle with drugs really expose his personal human side. This is a rare sports book it is one that the person with only a passing interest in sports will find engaging and entertaining.
For example, he traveled with Richard Nixon during the 1952 presidential election campaign when he was the candidate for Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower. Murray was there during those fateful days when there was doubt whether Eisenhower would keep or dump Nixon.
The first chapter is called, “I Saw Ruth Hit a Home Run,’ a demonstration on how far back Murray’s interest and involvement in sports runs. He gives the reader an in-depth description of the Dodgers move to LA and their early years playing in the Coliseum. The machinations that led to the new stadium being built in Chavez Ravine are very entertaining.
Murray covers the inside of golf and auto racing where he describes how deadly the sport of auto racing used to be. Men were killed in action on a regular basis, and it was just accepted as a fundamental part of the sport. His descriptions of bad boy NFL owner Al Davis and the characteristics of his teams pull no punches.
Some of the chapters deal with the personal, his battle with the real threat of blindness and his son’s losing battle with drugs really expose his personal human side. This is a rare sports book it is one that the person with only a passing interest in sports will find engaging and entertaining.
September 14, 2019
I read Jim Murray's columns for many years when he was with the Los Angeles Times. This is not really an autobiography. Sure, the first chapter reveals where he grew up and mentions a few of his relatives, and towards the end of book he brings up the deaths of two family members, but the bulk of the book amounts to Jim Murray's recollections of some of the more colorful sports celebrities he had the good fortune to meet over the years.
May 24, 2021
Fun but not an autobiography. There is a little autobiographical information but it is mainly about a variety of sports and their representatives. A good read and for those who remember his columns very much like reading his column.
December 2, 2020
Finished half of it
June 17, 2024
Random thoughts about sportswriter Jim Murray’s autobiography:
Provenance: A birthday gift from my mother.
Expectations: I grew up reading Murray in the L.A. Times. He was the daily sports columnist but he was also an institution. His writing wasn’t just about sports, it was about life, as you’ll see below. It was also hilarious. I had very high expectations for this book.
The Story: This is really not an autobiography in that it doesn’t really tell a linear story of Murray’s life. We basically get chapters that read like his columns, and they are less about his life than the things he experienced as a writer, husband, and father. So, we get chapters about the Dodgers, and the Lakers, and golf, and boxing, and what they meant to Murray. We also get chapters about the death of his youngest son and Murray’s loss of his sight.
What it's really about: Murray’s view of the world, and the changes he lived through. Growing up during the Depression, he saw many changes between then and the early 90’s, when he wrote this book. These changes are told mostly through the world of sports, specifically Los Angeles sports, though there is a national view as well.
Could this be a movie or tv series?: I don’t think so. Murray was a great writer, with an interesting life, but I don’t see this on the screen.
Of Note: Below are some of my favorite lines from the book. You will appreciate these more if you are at least in your 50’s, like me, with some knowledge of sports, but I’ll try to explain as best I can. But this is representative of Murray’s way with words:
Writing about Walt Alston, who managed the Dodgers during the 60’s and 70’s: “Walt came from a wide spot in the road in southern Ohio called Darrtown, where the trains only stopped if they hit a cow.”
On fiery player and manager Leo Durocher: “Leo once spiked Ty Cobb, which is like biting a lion.”
“Jake LaMotta used to say he fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times and won all but five of them.”
On golfer Ben Hogan: “Hogan could impart so much backspin on a ball, he could stop it on linoleum. Or a staircase.”
“Watching golfer Sam Snead on the tee was like watching Nuryev in Swan Lake or Gene Kelly in the rain.”
“Pro basketball was divided into three parts – Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Everybody else out there was just somebody to go get the ball for them.”
“Michael Jordan played the game 10 feet off the ground. You need the Royal Air Force to stop him. He only came down periodically to refuel, then he took off again.”
“Muhammad Ali saved boxing in a very real sense. First of all, he was a stylist, not a homicidal maniac. He was fair of face and swift of foot. A fight was part ballet, part soliloquy.”
Murray was also known for making fun of cities that he visited. Although the citizens would get upset, some of the city officials would ask Murray to write about them, even knowing what the tone was likely to be:
“Philadelphia was the kind of place that even the British gave up without a fight.”
“After a certain hour, you were never to go out on the streets of New York without one or more companions, preferably ex-wrestlers. That hour is 10 in the morning.”
“Malibu looked like paradise. So, I think, did Gommorah.”
Murray did not take himself, or his profession, too seriously:
“If you wrote a column about whales in the Pacific, you’d better be good. If you wrote a column about Arnold Palmer, you didn’t even need verbs in all the sentences.”
Picking Nits: Just that it doesn’t give any real information or insight into Murray’s life. But reading him again was worth it.
Recommendation: If you grew up reading Murray every day, like I did, you will love this book. If you have no idea who he is but love sports, I think you’ll like it very much. If you don’t know much about sports history, this will not be something that you enjoy.
Provenance: A birthday gift from my mother.
Expectations: I grew up reading Murray in the L.A. Times. He was the daily sports columnist but he was also an institution. His writing wasn’t just about sports, it was about life, as you’ll see below. It was also hilarious. I had very high expectations for this book.
The Story: This is really not an autobiography in that it doesn’t really tell a linear story of Murray’s life. We basically get chapters that read like his columns, and they are less about his life than the things he experienced as a writer, husband, and father. So, we get chapters about the Dodgers, and the Lakers, and golf, and boxing, and what they meant to Murray. We also get chapters about the death of his youngest son and Murray’s loss of his sight.
What it's really about: Murray’s view of the world, and the changes he lived through. Growing up during the Depression, he saw many changes between then and the early 90’s, when he wrote this book. These changes are told mostly through the world of sports, specifically Los Angeles sports, though there is a national view as well.
Could this be a movie or tv series?: I don’t think so. Murray was a great writer, with an interesting life, but I don’t see this on the screen.
Of Note: Below are some of my favorite lines from the book. You will appreciate these more if you are at least in your 50’s, like me, with some knowledge of sports, but I’ll try to explain as best I can. But this is representative of Murray’s way with words:
Writing about Walt Alston, who managed the Dodgers during the 60’s and 70’s: “Walt came from a wide spot in the road in southern Ohio called Darrtown, where the trains only stopped if they hit a cow.”
On fiery player and manager Leo Durocher: “Leo once spiked Ty Cobb, which is like biting a lion.”
“Jake LaMotta used to say he fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times and won all but five of them.”
On golfer Ben Hogan: “Hogan could impart so much backspin on a ball, he could stop it on linoleum. Or a staircase.”
“Watching golfer Sam Snead on the tee was like watching Nuryev in Swan Lake or Gene Kelly in the rain.”
“Pro basketball was divided into three parts – Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Everybody else out there was just somebody to go get the ball for them.”
“Michael Jordan played the game 10 feet off the ground. You need the Royal Air Force to stop him. He only came down periodically to refuel, then he took off again.”
“Muhammad Ali saved boxing in a very real sense. First of all, he was a stylist, not a homicidal maniac. He was fair of face and swift of foot. A fight was part ballet, part soliloquy.”
Murray was also known for making fun of cities that he visited. Although the citizens would get upset, some of the city officials would ask Murray to write about them, even knowing what the tone was likely to be:
“Philadelphia was the kind of place that even the British gave up without a fight.”
“After a certain hour, you were never to go out on the streets of New York without one or more companions, preferably ex-wrestlers. That hour is 10 in the morning.”
“Malibu looked like paradise. So, I think, did Gommorah.”
Murray did not take himself, or his profession, too seriously:
“If you wrote a column about whales in the Pacific, you’d better be good. If you wrote a column about Arnold Palmer, you didn’t even need verbs in all the sentences.”
Picking Nits: Just that it doesn’t give any real information or insight into Murray’s life. But reading him again was worth it.
Recommendation: If you grew up reading Murray every day, like I did, you will love this book. If you have no idea who he is but love sports, I think you’ll like it very much. If you don’t know much about sports history, this will not be something that you enjoy.
April 12, 2010
An autobiography on the best sportswriter of all time. Everyone knows his famous sayings such as "Gentlemen, start your coffins!" when talking about the Indy 500, or "It was Kentucky's turn to use the cement mixer" when talking about Cincinati and it's lack of progress with a freeway, but how did this sportswriter become the best of all time. This is his story.
In this autobiography, Murray talks about such sports icons as Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Tommy Lasorda, Mario Andretti, Magic Johnson and countless others. His writing wit is unbelievable and an inspiration for talented sportswriters, including myself. Also included in the book is his interview storys on Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe.
I can't miss book for anyone looking to go into the sportswriting field or just journalism itself. My favorite part of the book is on page 212, when he begins talking about cities. A couple examples...A no-host cocktail party, it even has a nice climate. It's always winter. Only in San Francisco can a man say with a straight face, this is the coldest day since last July 6th. Only a town that calls an earthquake a fire can call what they play at Candlestick, baseball. Murray also calls Philadelphia a town that would boo a cancer cure and Oakland a town that has no there in there. You pay 50 cents to go from Oakland to San Francisco and nothing to go from San Francisco to Oakland. That says it all.
In this autobiography, Murray talks about such sports icons as Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Tommy Lasorda, Mario Andretti, Magic Johnson and countless others. His writing wit is unbelievable and an inspiration for talented sportswriters, including myself. Also included in the book is his interview storys on Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe.
I can't miss book for anyone looking to go into the sportswriting field or just journalism itself. My favorite part of the book is on page 212, when he begins talking about cities. A couple examples...A no-host cocktail party, it even has a nice climate. It's always winter. Only in San Francisco can a man say with a straight face, this is the coldest day since last July 6th. Only a town that calls an earthquake a fire can call what they play at Candlestick, baseball. Murray also calls Philadelphia a town that would boo a cancer cure and Oakland a town that has no there in there. You pay 50 cents to go from Oakland to San Francisco and nothing to go from San Francisco to Oakland. That says it all.
July 26, 2013
Jim Murray's columns in the Los Angeles Times batted home runs, hit aces, and scored knock outs as often as the athletes he loved and wrote about. He wrote about sports, and by that, the athletes, the teams, their owners, their cities, as well as the sports themselves. Here is his story about how he did it, and where it left him.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews