Hundreds of Fishtown locals lined the field to see the unveiling of a mural dedicated to Sean’s memory in right field. ![]() Before the first pitch on Friday night, Sean Murphy was immortalized in a pre-game ceremony. Three days of on-field competition ended with the 12-and-under Fishtown Aces team taking home the trophy, beating Roxborough 5-4 in a wild championship game.Īway from the action on the field, the weekend was filled with raw, emotional moments. There was festival atmosphere in and around Shissler Field all weekend long, with tee shirts, food, programs, and even a family-friendly block party at the Ukrainian Club. Their hard work culminated in success, despite the unfavorable weather conditions over the weekend. They spent hundreds of hours making connections, soliciting donations, and scrawling ideas in marble notebooks. The pair worked tirelessly to make the event something truly special. “We really wanted to make it about the kids, to put them at the center of it,” Dougherty said. When the idea for a youth tournament was floated, it seemed like a no-brainer to the duo, who both serve as local coaches. Gorey and lifelong friend Dave Dougherty took the lead in planning a large-scale memorial event for Sean shortly after his death. He explained that his relationship with the Murphy family and the respect he has for Sean’s parents, Ray and Lorraine, were major factors in sparking his drive to keep Sean’s memory alive. He turned the baseball program around when we were kids,” Gorey said. “He’s the reason why most of us love baseball. Gorey largely attributes his success and the success of many of his friends in Fishtown to Ray Murphy, Sean’s father. Like you would see on a TV show,” Billy Gorey said of the Murphys. “They were like the perfect family growing up. ![]() ![]() In the months since his tragic death, the Fishtown community has rallied behind the Murphy family, one of the most beloved fixtures in the neighborhood. In September, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office finally reported that the cause of Murphy’s sudden death was “natural,” stemming from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare disease of the heart muscle. The cause of his death remained a mystery for months. He was found unresponsive and alone in his car in a parking lot in Phoenix, AZ and declared dead by paramedics on the scene. Sean Murphy pitching for the Oakland A’s in the Minor Leagues.
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