Dale Murphy’s restaurant was one more way to witness his innate goodness

The first time that Chuck Douglas met Dale Murphy, he was skeptical.

The man was way too nice.

“I told my wife, ‘Nobody can be this wonderful,’” Douglas told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this summer. “So when we had the opportunity to do the business, I was like, ‘I need to be around him a little bit more.’”

Douglas ultimately received the confirmation he needed. The food-service business operator and the Braves legend went into business together, opening Murph’s at the Cobb Galleria in 2017. With the restaurant within walking distance of Truist Park, it was a staple for many Braves fans.

However, as the mall undergoes renovations, Murph’s will close its doors Tuesday.

Murphy, now 69, and Douglas partnered in the restaurant business for eight years — certainly long enough for someone’s wonderfulness to show cracks, but evidently not long enough for Murphy’s.

“I’ve been around a lot of athletes,” Douglas said in a back office of the restaurant during a break. “He’s the most genuine, loving person you’ll ever meet.”

Stories of Murphy’s goodness have been widespread in Atlanta since his days as a superstar center fielder for the Braves, the bulk of an MLB career that spanned 1976-93. He won back-to-back National League MVP awards, made seven All-Star appearances and won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and the Roberto Clemente Award for his character and contributions to the community.

As a business partner who saw Murphy in a much different setting than most, Douglas had his own memories.

“He’ll come in here and try to run some food, wash dishes,” he said. “He’s that kind of person.”

Douglas recalled an instance when Murphy was bringing food out to customers and then wasn’t to be found. It turned out he had taken a seat at the table he had just served and was chatting with the guests, fans of his.

Earlier this summer, a youth baseball team visited the restaurant, Douglas said. He gave the young athletes more of his time than was planned, gathering them in a circle and talking with them about baseball, life and how to be a better person.

Douglas recalled a time when he and Murphy had some sort of disagreement. Douglas called Murphy’s wife, Nancy, to share his concern that he had damaged the relationship.

She told him not to worry, Douglas said, telling him, “He’s never been mad at anybody in his life.”

I visited the restaurant in June, when it was hosting a program for students that the MLB players union supports, STEM League. The extent of Murphy’s involvement was offering the space for the competition, serving lunch and sharing a message with the children.

When he showed up, he could have gone about it a number of ways. But he spoke with organizers to learn about the STEM program. He asked children at one table if he could join them, then observed, asked questions and seemed genuinely interested in the game they were playing.

He pulled out his camera to take pictures. (Unrelated, but the students were part of Horizons Atlanta at Woodward Academy, a summer learning program that does heroic work for children from underserved communities.)

He spoke with other guests at the restaurant, taking photos and signing autographs. In conversations, he sought to make connections with them.

There were two other former ballplayers at the event, neither of them anywhere close to his stature. I’m not even sure he knew who they were before that day.

But when they were called up to join Murphy in front of the children, he greeted them like old friends.

When he spoke to the students, he encouraged them to develop their brainpower and to be good teammates. As many probably knew little or nothing about him, he might have used the opportunity to casually bring up the many highlights of his career.

He did not. Rather, to illustrate the importance of being a good teammate, Murphy spoke of his experiences when he struck out and made errors.