How has former professional baseball player AJ Murray used persistence to achieve success on and off the field?
Even the most decorated athletes can struggle when transitioning upward to higher levels of sport. Often, an athlete that is a “big fish in a small pond” in high school can become one of many when arriving at the collegiate or professional level.
My guest on this episode, AJ Murray, was the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in New Jersey in 2011. His accomplishments at Westfield High School helped him earn a scholarship to Georgia Tech. However, as a freshman, AJ managed to secure only 12 at-bats in what was a very difficult transition to the next level.
In Episode 20, AJ discusses his challenges as a freshman and why he decided to remain at Georgia Tech despite having opportunities to transfer after his freshman year. AJ went on to a successful college career and was ultimately drafted in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins.
AJ talks about the persistence required to become a successful college athlete and how those lessons have translated into his current career as a business executive.
My suggestion to high school student-athletes would be to focus on the process of self-improvement rather than comparing yourself to others. Further, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side as the saying goes. Persistence through difficulties can pay big dividends long-term.
I want to thank AJ for his kind generosity and the wisdom he shared with The Freshman Foundation Community.
You can follow AJ on Instagram @aj__murray.
You can learn more about The Freshman Foundation on our website at freshmanfoundation.com.
Thank you for listening. We’ll see you back soon for Episode 21!
Michael [00:01]
Hey AJ, how's it going?
AJ Murray [00:02]
I'm doing well. How are you doing Michael?
Michael [00:04]
I'm doing great. Thanks for coming on and joining me. For those people listening, can you tell everybody a little bit about who you are?
AJ Murray [00:14]
Yeah, so my name is AJ Murray, of course. I was a professional baseball player for about three years with the Minnesota Twins organization in Milwaukee Brewers. Before that, I went to school at Georgia Tech. So I played four years at Georgia Tech, under head coach Danny Hall down there in Atlanta. And then I'm a Westfield, New Jersey native. So I believe my brother has been on this podcast before. So that's really my sports background. And from there right now, as a professional, I work in the technology world for a public safety software company, doing a lot of project management work and consulting. But for the most part you know, that's my background professionally, and both athletically.
Michael [01:02]
Awesome. So growing up, were you a multi-sport athlete?
AJ Murray [01:08]
Yes, so always growing up I love playing football and baseball. My dad was a very good basketball player. So as a family, we always played basketball together. But always probably up until freshman year of high school, I was playing three sports year round.
Michael [01:24]
Okay, and so at what point did you start to focus on baseball as sort of your primary sport?
AJ Murray [01:31]
It came around my freshman year of high school actually. I was always three sports right up until then, and then my last game as a freshman football actually broke my ankle on my last run of the year. So that automatically took out basketball from the next in the winter. And then once my sophomore year hit, that's when I started to get a little bit more attention from college coaches. So the winter time was really dedicated to training showcases and getting ready for the spring.
Michael [02:01]
So at that point, did you drop football from your athletic career?
AJ Murray [02:06]
No, I kept football most much against some of my father's with wishes, just to know, obviously for the injury proponent of it, but I kept football. I played it all the way through senior year varsity for Westfield, so I did not give up football.
Michael [02:24]
Nice. Yeah, I played football in high school too. I loved it. I wanted to give a point. It's the best. It's a great team sport. It really, really I mean, as compared to baseball. So tell me about that as you said, you know, around sophomore year, you started to get more attention from college coaches, what did the recruiting process look like for you?
AJ Murray [02:45]
I mean in the beginning, it was a lot of physical letters you know, them sending correspondence to say, if you want to come to our recruiting camp, see the campus and get to know the coaching staff. So that was the initial round of starting to get recruited. Having a brother and sister which I'm sure we'll get into throughout this discussion, but since they've been through the process, I had an idea of how it worked. But mainly it was letters, emails, to the degree that the NCAA allowed the coaches to say, but may say, letters, camps, visits and showcases where they would come by and you know, watch but not give too much information yet.
Michael [03:28]
Okay, so what point did you start to get offers, and what point did you commit to Tech?
AJ Murray [03:36]
I am, that was my junior year. So I was getting recruited and had a lot of interests prior to July my junior year, I went to perfect Game of the World showcase there and baseball. And I believe it was the first week of July I was playing down in East Cobb, but that world would bet. And I had been to Georgia Tech, this was me and my dad walking on the canvas. I knew them because my brother played them at Wake Forest. So I was very familiar with the school and they offered me the first week of July. They was at the [inaudible 04:10] that they said I would like to come on campus see a tour, a formal tour. Not me just walk around campus and poking around. But after that, they sat me down and gave me an offer. And I committed on the same day they offered me I had a gut feeling which I wouldn't recommend everyone do but I committed on the exact same day and then that was mid-July my junior year.
Michael [04:36]
So at that point did you have other offers?
AJ Murray [04:40]
I had hints of other IR, is the first week. I have a few other offers from different schools and was talking closely with Wake Forest, Maryland had been discussions like North Carolina and Virginia. But ultimately, I will my gut pretty early and saw the opportunity at Georgia Tech and ran with.
Michael [05:01]
That's really interesting. So what was it about Georgia Tech that sort of landed for you? Like, what was your like, how did you make that gut decision to say, Hey, this is my first offer, I'm going to take it and go with it?
AJ Murray [05:15]
It was definitely in the moment decision. I spoke my, I had my mind you know, I knew the schools that were coming at me, I kind of knew the ballpark of where the offers were going to be as far as percentage wise, and I knew each of the programs and my brother went to week four. So he had a very good understanding, after playing with people talking with them, about what each school was like. So even going into the decision, I had some background knowledge. But ultimately, it felt you know, I really connected with the coaches. I read the media guide, I did some research and I knew the players that came out of Georgia Tech and the caliber that they were. So to me, that was you know, where I was going, even if I didn't know it yet, still the caliber of the school, the athletics. So once they offered me it was like, alright, we're aligned there.
Michael [06:12]
That's really interesting but you're right. I mean, think about the players that came out of Georgia Tech before you know more and their attack and I mean, there's so many really great professional players that came out of the program and that's got to help in terms of the credibility, right? And the academics, like we talked about before that combination, it would be pretty easy to sell somebody online I would think.
AJ Murray [06:34]
Exactly, it's a combination of all three. And for a lifestyle, like Atlanta is a great and growing city. So that played into factor and I want to go away for school, and get some are different. But all three of those together made a great combination and you know overall great experience at Georgia Tech.
Michael [06:55]
Okay, so after you committed right, obviously, you still in high school and you still have to play baseball, right? Like what did that look like after you committed like, did that change the way you approach things?
AJ Murray [07:08]
Never, I will admit it was kind of a lift off my shoulders like haven't been committed and going through that, because it is a very long process. And there's a lot of unknowns while you're going through it. Where you're going to end up offer is going to come in, if any are going to come in. So it was a big weight lifted. And then from there from a process or preparation, nothing really changed you know, playing the game was a little bit lighter. But for the most part, I went about business the exact same way. Maybe with a little bit more confidence too, because I think every baseball player, especially who plays summer baseball, who's trying to get recruited, there's a lot of pressure that you put on yourself to get to that level and as a competitor. Naturally you're going to feel that time and time again. But even after committing, I always felt the desire to push forward and continue to progress even though one goal was accomplished.
Michael [08:11]
Yeah, now it comes up a lot. You know, when I talked to high school kids that I work with, or people on the podcast you know, just the idea of like, now especially there's so much competition, there's so much pressure you know, to get you know committed, get an offer. And if you're uncommitted and you don't have offers coming your way, I think a lot of kids, it weighs on them really, really heavily. So in your case like, would you say the pressure was sort of more like just general or like, did you feel it when you were actually on the field like, did you ever catch yourself be like, Oh, I have to do this or perform this way, or else?
AJ Murray [08:50]
It was combination, I'd pressure on myself and pressure is a loaded word. I feel like it was just a big goal. And we've put a lot of hard work, every player goes through that. So you want to hit that goal and you want to get to the best score, get the best offer or just be able, I think in general to prolong your career on the field you know, it's hard not to play, especially when you're in the field and see everyone behind you at the big tournaments like the perfect game showcases, you know like what schools are there, you can see the hats, you can see the scouts. So naturally, you will look up and be like, look at all this opportunity. So you really have to prepare yourself and get used to playing in those situations because realistically when you go to these schools, if you get the unique opportunity to play at a big division one school, or no matter what there's always going to be someone watching you. So it's a big testing ground but there's pressure involved of course, but luckily for me being a catcher most of that was behind me so I could focus completely out in the field.
Michael [09:58]
Yeah, absolutely right, you're in the game. So it's really hard to get distracted, because you have to be on top of your game, especially when you're catching guys who were you know, throwing 90 plus miles an hour. So yeah, if you lose your focus of attention, you're gonna be in trouble.
AJ Murray [10:13]
Right. And you play your best when you're in the game to like, that's when your best performance is going to come. And you're thinking about who's in the stands, what they're thinking, what schools, you're not going to perform as well, anyways.
Michael [10:24]
Yeah, I mean, that's something I talked to athletes about all the time you know, in terms of what they can and can't control and I think that that's something that takes practice for some people. I think that you know, there's just a natural inclination to sort of think about all the stuff that's surrounding him versus just saying, hey, let me just focus on one pitch at a time or one at that at a time and not get caught up in all this other stuff because it's always gonna be there. I can't get rid of it. So we're gonna focus on it. But, so I think I probably knew that you were a catcher but did you transition from behind the play in college?
AJ Murray [10:58]
I did. So I caught all through high school. My freshman year, I did play the outfield a little bit for Westfield. But going into college, my freshman year, I was a catcher. But we did have, I believe a year ahead of me a very good you know, he was a third round pick all American catchers. So I did transfer over to first base I played a little bit the outfield da so really, anywhere I could get in the lineup, knowing that now we had a solid backstop already. So I went from catching college or in high school, basically just trying to find a spot in the field to play my first year of college and even throughout college.
Michael [11:37]
So that's a good segue, right. So like, I mean, the theme of this podcast point is to kind of talk about that transition specifically, right? So obviously, there's a lot going on that first year, you're leaving high school, you're going, you're leaving home, going to college right, just as a student, and then obviously, you're a big time athlete, then there's this whole element of like, now you're switching positions, which I'm sure didn't help. I mean, can you just talk about like in general, what that transition was like to go from Westfield to Tech?
AJ Murray [12:08]
Yeah, it's a big transition for everyone. And you know, when you're 17, 18, you don't really know you're in the moment. So lots happening around, you don't really think about all these things until you get to the age, you're now or 10 years later. But moving from west to the high, or Westfield, the Georgia Tech, I mean, was a big transition, showing up on campus having that first meeting in the locker room. You're, everyone's used to being the best player, one of the best players in your high school team, and you get to college, no matter what college you go to, everyone was probably the best player on their high school team in their state. So the room is filled with you know, you can call it teammates and competition because it's very competitive once you get there. On top of that you know, you're leaving home for the first time. Schoolwork is a lot different, like your daily life is now instead of being regimented, schedule nine periods a day that we had in Westfield to different class structures, you have to you have to get the class yourself, find your way around, and also live away from home. So it's a lot of changes all at once. All very exciting. You know, of course, it's the best time of life. But it was a big transition, because I went from, you know, AJ Murray, who was gonna hit third and Westfield lineup and catch every game, and had that like security and to you know, back to competing for a position on a team that was established was a big time ACC program, and find your way and really, almost set that scrap in a way but get yourself noticed in the lineup again. So it's very different dynamic from high school being one person to transitioning to college and of earning your stars again.
Michael [13:56]
Yeah, what was I mean, what was it like for you like, if you think back to that year, when you're sort of in that underdog role now, which was completely foreign at that point, I would imagine like, what was it like to kind of adapt to that for you?
AJ Murray [14:09]
It was a big growth period for me honestly, because I had so much security and in high school being this player and like, I knew performance was there. I had you know, my brother was a 560 height hitter in high school. So that was like my senior. So I had to get somewhere there. I had 540, so like, failure and like I was above the failure point of that point, which is an interesting thing in baseball. But you know, with New Jersey baseball, we have so many great players. I know one great player that I played against in college was Mark Zagunis and he hit like 650 in high school, which is a ridiculous average. So transitioning over to Tech, the biggest transition was you know, getting my mindset in place where now we're facing really good pitchers, a lot of good, obviously velocity breaking stuff to the mental aspect of the game and being overcome, like all the challenges of learning a new system, learning the new process of college baseball of the student life lifestyle, and being able to still perform on the field.
Michael [15:23]
Yeah, so on the mental side of it, I'm just curious like this is I mean obviously, sports psychology and mental skills training is sort of evolved in the last 10 years and is very, very prevalent at every level now, quite frankly, me professionally for sure, you probably had some exposure to it in the Twin system and the brew system at some level in college, was that a thing? Like when you're in college, do you guys have any sort of mental skills training?
AJ Murray [15:48]
It did, we had Jordan sac was great at this. They have what we call the Total Person Program. So it was a conference for all the student athletes come in, no matter what sport you were led by a Georgia Tech Alumni. And that was where you went there, you did your personality tests, you learn more about like your own traits, your work style, both you know, of course, for sports performance, but also for academics, and hopefully a career one day. So that combined together in this Total Person Program, and then we had you know, sports performance coaches, and psychologists come in, and we do workshops. But from there is really once you got that education, the implementation, the execution was really had to be personal. It always is, but we did have the resources in place to start moving that around.
Michael [16:41]
That's awesome. So I know, you told me this that your freshman year you had 12 bats, right. And interestingly enough, I saw your brother this week and we were talking about that, and he was telling me that he was like sort of encouraging you or at least brought up the idea of transferring out but you decided to stay. We talked about that, I think that's really interesting.
AJ Murray [17:04]
Yeah, yeah, it was actually didn't know if I was gonna talk about it today. It came up on my mind like where we're going to talk about my freshman year was, it was very different for me, because I did have 12 bats. I wasn't getting a lot of playing time those [inaudible 17:20]. You know, I think people have been through college baseball, especially as a freshman, there are bats at the end of the game. Typically, you warmed up three or four hours ago. So they're not like you're not in the game getting true at bats. But at the end of the season, I was set to go to Harrisonburg and play in the valley baseball league or summer ball. And my brother, my dad, of course had a great relationship with the Wake Forest Coach, and there was an opportunity if I wanted to transfer out. To me, I really loved my team at Georgia Tech. I personally did not feel like I needed more than those two, I think I didn't play up to more than 12 of bats. I think there are great players in front of me. I knew my performance and how I worked over the fall has transferred into the spring, I did get some opportunities early to start a few games as a freshman. But at the end of the year, I still I felt confident that those 12 bats were what I should have gotten. I wish we got a little bit more. But it didn't warrant it taking away the opportunity of the next three years ahead to build and to grow and to really fight to get into lineup. So it was taking like a safe decision to try and go somewhere else. My brother and I are, my brother my father and I were talking about, but I knew like Georgia Tech was the place for me and I was hungry to like fight back against the lineup.
Michael [18:50]
I personally, I love that. You know, and I've talked about this with college athletes, freshmen who have had a rough freshman year, and I always sort of encourage them to bring it back to what's the point here, right? If you want to play professionally right, and if you're in the ACC there's at least a chance that that's a reality in the future. I happen for your brother, it happened for you, right? There are a lot of guys that come out of a great league. So that first year yes, it's disappointing, I would imagine but at the same time, like you still have multiple years to grow and develop to the point where if the goal is to play professionally, you've got time to get there. Just don't have to up and move right away. I think it's admirable because I think now with the transfer portal with the way things are in every sport, people are just, they're just bouncing around. What do you think about that?
AJ Murray [19:41]
I mean, as you can tell, my decision was to stay. So I don't think it's a great decision. I wouldn't recommend it whatsoever just because this game is such a process and if you don't understand that process, no matter if it's you know, working to get into you know, starting lineup working on new skill to get better? You can't just jump to a better situation because it feels like the right move at the time. Yeah, so I think most young players are looking for like, Where can I play where I kind of play now and they lose kind of why they're playing the game in the first place. Like it really isn't about where you are, who you're playing for. I think you can get lost in that whole world. Whereas like, embracing the challenge, like fighting theater spot, working hard, and like really challenging yourself to like, think in new ways. So I would encourage people, if you're in a tough situation where you don't think of being enough playing time you know, stick it out for a new role and work your way back in line up.
Michael [20:56]
You know, I think the word you used a couple of times, and maybe you just said there, but you said it before for sure, it's opportunity. And I think as somebody who played high school baseball for multiple years as a starter, and then I didn't go on to play in college like, I look at people like you and I go like I would have killed it just put a uniform on and scavenge the dog out, right. And I think people lose perspective about like you said, why they play like, do you really love baseball so much that doesn't matter, right? Obviously everybody wants to perform and contribute. I mean, we all feel that way, if you're a competitor. But at the same time, it's like, well, you have this chance, like a lot of people don't get. And so I think there is this element of like thinking too much about self and like what's in it for me versus like, hey, what am I getting out of this and like, what's the bigger picture here?
AJ Murray [21:40]
Exactly, yeah, it's a great point. And you can only learn that through going through. I think everything is an opportunity, it's a great opportunity to play for your high school team. Moving into college and athletically, your high school team is truly like, really your last team that you'll play for and a weird you know, if I know what to podcast, but my fingers moving in quotation marks, it's a weird way to put it as you're still on teams. But you know, in college, everyone's from different places you know, you're not trying out particularly, but you're fighting to get a spot and it's a different organization. And then once you get to professional like, it's your job, it's an opportunity. It's the best opportunity in the world but it's very much like you're fighting each day to like, keep your position to progress up and all of which is an opportunity at your hands. I think that's the best word to use.
Michael [22:40]
Yeah, so talk to me about freshman year ends, you kind of get past the decision to state you're in a state put like, tell me about what happened from the end of that year until your sophomore year? Like what did that look like that jumped to the next year?
AJ Murray [22:56]
It was probably like the biggest growth stage that I had in college that freshman year into sophomore, mainly because I had to look back and be like, Hey, I [inaudible 23:06] not like I wanted to come in here. No stars freshmen, I have big goals. Like what did I do wrong? Like how can I get better? And what do I need to work on? Both physically on the field, skill wise and mentally of course, because you need you need all three things working in unison. And when I looked back on my freshman year, I took a honest look at the time I was 6’1 maybe 230 to 235 pounds I was big in good and decent shape strong. But I did not feel no very athletic and mobile behind the plate. My swing didn't feel as sharp as would be as it did in the past. So I felt like I had to you know get in better physical shape and like lose weight. Like still keep strength but be flexible. Be mobile in a way that I could really maximize. You know what we work on because Georgia Tech at the time and still does have a very great strength and conditioning program. So we're all strong dudes work and but it made me realize I needed to get in better physical shape, and hopefully affect my performance and then preparation was going into games. I needed to get back to like some of my grassroots getting to the field early taking extra batting practice focusing more on getting ready for the actual game now that in summer ball I was playing every day has back to playing every day. It's a great opportunity to get into routine, catch, like learn the game and really segue into the fall and compete for starting position.
Michael [24:44]
Yeah, man, that's a really and listen at that point. You're still only probably 19 years old. That's a pretty mature point of view. Because I think that it would really been easy for you to lose motivation right after that year, first year where you're like, oh like, you know I'm not I'm not getting a chance or like, I'm not as good as I thought I was right. Instead, you kind of leaned into it, so to speak. And you said, Okay, this is what I need to get better at, and I think that that's what it's all about. I think that's really, really cool. So just kind of talk to me about the progression from sophomore year to the point that you sort of finished up there. I mean, I'm not gonna ask you to get into too much detail, but what is the rest of your career look like? What was the trajectory into the point that you went on to play pro ball?
AJ Murray [25:26]
Yeah, it shot up after that honestly, that transition point was the culmination point of college. I got in really great shape, I really found a swing that I was comfortable with. And my fall just exploded like, physically I got very strong, I was in great shape. But also on the field, I felt very confident. I had a good summer playing, they moved me over to first base. So after that, my sophomore year, I played all 64 games at first base, hit around fifth or sixth in the lineup, and ultimately had like a very good like come back here to establish myself in the lineup, but overall otherwise, like our team is excellent kind of started to take on more of a leadership role at the end of the sophomore year, just because anytime you transition out, you have your juniors, new seniors getting training or leaving. And moving into my junior year, I became more much more of a utility you know, getting the lineup type player IDPH played first base, I started catching a little bit more. And then I think that was really where more of the skills, soft skills of being a leader working with the day to day of managing you know, the younger guys coming up mentoring them, but also like working to win an ACC championship get to the regionals get the College World Series. In my senior year, they put me back behind the plate for about I think 20 games. And difference between my senior year in the first two which got me to pro ball was that my sophomore my junior year. My MO in high school was I was a power hitter, I hit a home run to hit for doubles. I was a run producing hitter. And my sophomore, my junior year, I was putting up good numbers. But my power numbers weren't quite there where the scouts were looking to give me a professional opportunity. And luckily, at the time at Georgia Tech, we really did a lot of work at maximizing my swing and really getting the ball in the air to drive the ball. And ultimately open that opportunity to play professionally. So my senior year was my best year, I had about 280 with 15 home runs, and I was catching again. So that really brought my draft value up. So I attribute that a lot to like Georgia Tech, giving me that chance to go back behind the plate just because now it's turned into “Catcher University,” like there's a ton of great catchers coming out. But that catapulted me into pro ball and establish myself as someone who can still catch and has you know, a lot of games left under the knees. But also can put up the power numbers that you know, professional organizations are looking for.
Michael [28:16]
So where's that or not, where I mean, they're coming from the scouts, but how are you getting that feedback? And this is just me being curious, like from the scouts right there, from for the professional teams are saying like, hey, you need to be doing more of this. Are you getting direct feedback or is that just sort of like intuition like, hey, I need to be generating more power or like, what does that look like to get that feedback?
AJ Murray [28:38]
Yeah, it's a good question. And it wasn't direct feedback whatsoever. It's mainly the people I had above me and around me. One guy, my family, like my brother is by far you know, I think he could be the Commissioner of Major League Baseball with how knowledgeable and how much he does now. So I put that out there for him. And then my father of course, got drafted and played and understood the game. And then all around me, like Georgia Tech, there's professional players coming back and using our facilities. So the conversations are flowing all around. So I had a lot of guidance coming in. Not that it gave me extra pressure, but it helped everyone aligned like get me to a certain point of where my value was and where the opportunity was gonna come. That's where all the conversations were based around.
Michael [29:29]
Gotcha, that makes sense. Was I'm just curious because launch angle thing then.
AJ Murray [29:34]
It was, yeah. I went to the area. I think that's the most fascinating thing to track like the swing progressions and I haven't been doing committee lessons or been around the cage too much. But launch angle was a thing. I graduated from the backspin era, like getting down on the ball to getting more lift, which was that era of baseball. So yes, I was the launch angle on it, at the very beginning of launch angle.
Michael [30:04]
Nice. So you were drafted after your senior season?
AJ Murray [30:11]
Yes, of the senior side, right.
Michael [30:13]
Okay, and so talk to me about that transition into pro ball. What does that, what did that look like for you?
AJ Murray [30:21]
It was another big transition. Just because much like moving from high school to college. Now you're going from college, which is like a very established routine, you have a lot of resources behind you. Same thing in professional ball, but very different. To being on your own like, this is your career, you're finally getting the opportunity to get to play professional baseball. But again, you're starting at Ground Zero, like once you get drafted, you go into short season rookie ball, and the process starts all again, like the climb up, which is the most exciting part. But yeah, it's a big challenge. And now you're not only competing against great players from you know, that state in Georgia, the country coming on the team fighting, you're playing against people from all around grade, high school players, great college players, great international players. So the pool of who you're competing against the rise up increases, and also the level of play. This skyrockets you know, now you're facing you know, every drafted pitcher from the best college teams every night, their bullpen you know, everyone's coming out going hard. The coaching style is different, the lifestyle is very different. So it is, I would say a much bigger, a very big transition from college that to that, and taking a lot of personal responsibility for your career. Whereas in college, we had a ton of resources you know, strength coach, your nutrition coach, guide your teammates around, you had a great support system to you really on your own you know, making your own career in baseball, which is the coolest thing ever. But it still is a very big challenge that needs a different mindset and work ethic to achieve.
Michael [32:11]
Yeah, it's a job at that point, right. And you know, you hear the stories about minor league baseball, I know guys who played in the minor leagues you know, riding the buses and not making a lot of money and you know, bouncing around. It's you know, it's got to be hard you know on a day to day basis, especially if things aren't going your way.
AJ Murray [32:34]
I think yeah…
Michael [32:35]
Go ahead.
AJ Murray [32:36]
Yeah, I think one thing I failed to mention during my college years is that in the summertime, I mentioned Virginia, but I also had two summers up in Cape Cod. So myself, after my sophomore year, I played under coach shift there for about 5 to 10 games on a 10 contract. So I didn't play a lot of summer ball after my sophomore year. And then I went home and that's when I started to work on my swing with my dad, my brother, I'm going into my junior year. And then after my junior year, I went back to chat in Manhattan, I think an awesome summer. Both statistically, I hit over 317, Cape League all-star. So things were just clicking everything felt good to play in that transition into senior year. But code shift and like Chatham in general, a lot of great players have flowed to that program. That is where I test a lot of like, being able to handle that transition, because they do treat you very much like a professional. They're much like our college program. So the case really prepared a lot of like the mental processes, along with Georgia Tech, like handle that transition a little bit better. I think in my opinion that I just want to swing back to before we go on the professional route.
Michael [33:53]
Yeah, now that's help, right. Like just to be put in an environment that's more similar to the professional environment just have to have exposure to it has to be a help, right?
AJ Murray [34:05]
Right.
Michael [34:06]
And one thing I was thinking about, and this is kind of an indulgent question for me, but was the cape league would that?
AJ Murray [34:12]
It was, yes.
Michael [34:14]
Okay. Can you talk to me about the transition from aluminum metal to wood bat because I started playing wood bat as an adult. And I swear by the fact that I feel like kids should play with a wood because they have to learn how to hit the ball, a barrel at all. When you hit, when you miss hit the ball with wood, it's a totally different game. Can you just talk about that transition? Because I'm just, I'm curious as to what that was like for you?
AJ Murray [34:42]
Yeah. It's a great question because high school they did use wood bats in the summer league, that's a thing that we had. And then the wood back from college was being [inaudible 34:54]. It was the beginning of BB core, or the bats were getting better but it was still very different from what we were using a high school with the old BESR bats. If anyone, I know the fresh. The kids these days don't know much about BSR. But it was like hitting with you know, a nerf bat, right?
Michael [35:12]
Right
AJ Murray [35:13]
Almost, yeah exactly, which is why they definitely shouldn't change it. But yeah, the wood bat transition teaches you like, I think how to be a hitter, like a true baseball hitter. Just because it's not as forgiving as the as another bat of course, you really feel the ball hit the bat more than you do, of course on metal. And it teaches you, you know, your swing, your deficiencies, and opens you up. Of course, you know, if you get jammed with a wood bat, like things fine out of your hand, you get one off the end like, these are all things you can physically feel in your hand. But you really have to hone in on your swing and get down to the nitty gritty of what's working and what's not because you need to very finite space to hit a baseball on the barrel of a wood bat.
Michael [36:03]
Yep, so we agree on this topic. I was just curious.
AJ Murray [36:06]
Yeah, we definitely did. I'm a wood bat fanatic.
Michael [36:10]
I'm a huge proponent. And I love playing with wood back because it was just a much truer game. It's a lot of fun to learn how to play like again, as an adult like, I feel like I learned how to play baseball at 25 playing with a bat because a totally different baseball game. And that one was fun to learn and that for me, like the opportunity to play once I got started playing again, it was like I'm having fun, it wasn't for money, or it wasn't for anything. It was just to play baseball, and I really dug that. And I did that you know, it's something that a lot of players you know, they think their careers are over and a lot of guys come back to baseball after and they just, they love it. So I kind of is off track but that's just I had to go down that road.
AJ Murray [36:49]
I'm a baseball naturalist. So like if you ever want to run with baseball, he can't find joy, like here in the fresh crack and wood bat or like a good pine tar and wood bat is like heaven to me. I don't know what it is the aesthetic, smell the feel there's nothing better.
Michael [37:11]
Totally. So how long did you play professionally?
AJ Murray [37:15]
I played about three seasons, so to the twins in my last year with the Brewers.
Michael [37:22]
Okay. And ultimately what like how is that, how was it to make the decision to move on from professional baseball?
AJ Murray [37:34]
It was difficult you know, there's progression over time with the twins ahead, but two good years and then my third spring trading things just weren't really panning out. I wasn't hitting as well, I think had the opportunity to break camp. So I stayed an extended spring training. And then they eventually released me so I had a whole another choice ahead of me, it's like I've ended two and a half years not really how I want to end it with the twins. I still had college about 12 credits left to finish and get in graduate and get that done. But ultimately, that the Brewers came back and called gave me the opportunity to go up to their AA team to catch bullpens be kind of a reserve player just in case anyone went down and it didn't pan out. So at that point, I was ready for a transition. I felt like it was time to explore different realms. Because you know, minor league baseball is great, it's a grind, it's the best opportunity in the world. But you're playing 140 games a day, you're riding those buses, you're making minimal money, trying to support yourself. So it is a challenge, but during the season in the offseason to support yourself and live just because as every buddy will know like, life only gets more expensive when you leave home and have your own career. So all those decisions were coming in, which led to like pursuing going back to school. So staying in shape in case an opportunity came up but joining the professional realm.
Michael [39:15]
So ultimately, I mean, the last stop didn't work out. But ultimately it was your choice sort of to move on?
AJ Murray [39:24]
It was. I was in a good spot with the Brewers, they invited me back to camp or I think they're gonna invite me back to camp. But it came down to my decision at the end of the day. At the time felt like it was a good transition point but it was a different experience that I was expecting by at the end of my career.
Michael [39:53]
Yeah. So tell me about what you started to do professionally or what you do professionally now that you're out of baseball?
AJ Murray [40:02]
Yeah, so it was that transition out of baseball, and it happens to everybody. No matter if it's you know, after high school, after college, after professional, everyone's gonna have that moment in time where it's like this is no longer part of my life. So it was no big eye opening experience, like what's next. Baseball’s really been my life for the past 20 years, or 18, 20 years. It was difficult, I won't lie, it was difficult to like, find something that you're as in tune with, as you're passionate about. I think that is the biggest challenge of college, like really honing into baseball, but also branching out and finding your passions and your academics and topics, that I would recommend a lot of parents and kids put emphasis on not just wanting on the baseball side. But I wanted something you know, outside of sports, I wanted to challenge myself and find an industry and I stumbled across this company, I'm working for now called Mark 43, and glass door, it’s a startup. A lot of their attributes of everything they held as a company, were a lot of things that I held myself to as an athlete, and it was the opportunity to build a company from the ground up and work on a team. So the mission oriented nature of work that I do is for public safety, so we work with first responders. So mission critical and high pressure software that we work with. So I found a job as a sales rep at that company. Because athletes naturally you know, we always get sales opportunities, we're used to working with different people adjusting and of course, have good work ethic. So I got a sales role, and since then, I did that for a couple years and then transition to more of a consultative internal implementation role for our software. So a lot different from catching your 95 in the heat in Florida for working behind a desk on a computer.
Michael [42:13]
Yeah, but I think you're right, though the sales environment is very, very, but it's definitely analogous to sport right, in the sense that it's very competitive, it's very performance driven, right, you kind of motivate yourself, and you sort of make your own way, and find different ways to solve problems. Whereas, you know, maybe a less you know, sort of a more traditional role where you're sort of like doing the work. So this tends to be a little bit more you know, not as maybe interesting or fun. But I think it's really cool that you're in the startup environment. I've always gravitated to that. I've worked with startups as a consultant. And I mean, I've got my own business where it's just me, but I think it is really cool to work in an environment where you're building something from the ground up and it's mission critical, right? Like you, you aligned with the mission versus just kind of showing up for a paycheck, which obviously money matters, like you said, but yeah, at the same time and also, it's great if you can work in a place where you believe in what you're doing.
AJ Murray [43:06]
Absolutely.
Michael [43:08]
So just a few more questions before we wrap up, did you ever give any thought to staying in baseball, like after your career was over as a coach or in some capacity?
AJ Murray [43:23]
I did, and I stayed in it for a while after that while I accepted or in the in between period I was doing you know lessons, I was working camps. Of course, my brother has his teams over there, North Jersey, so I was helping out in those practices. And then once I got into the swing of things in the professional world, you know, schedules change, travel goes up. So took away a lot of time during the week that I was going home, doing lessons at night, but I stayed in sports for probably about a year after I was playing. And then as we work out more busy, but now transitioning into a new role that I'm having more time, I do have that hunger to get back out there and find some local players to work with. But I think my brother takes a lot of that on between the two of us thankfully. But I would like too personally, I'm going to I know this role that I'm in the company is probably the next two years. I will one my find my way back to baseball overtime.
Michael [44:29]
Yeah, and you know listen, as a father who coaches baseball, I would say that if it's ever in your plans to have children and you coach baseball as just a volunteer coach, it is by far one of the greatest things that you'll do. You know, I just I love it, especially because there's so many kids who, like they just play baseball for fun. You know, it's not a job. It's not want to play in high school or college. It's like they show up to play and teaching them the kids who really you know, who are just there to learn as really a fun thing. So I mean, I hope for it to come back into your life at some point you know, in some capacity because it's really great. So I guess looking back on all of it, right, like, specifically the college time, like what was the most challenging thing for you as a student athlete right, that transition, but also just sort of managing that all those hats that you wear as a student athlete at the high level?
AJ Murray [45:26]
Yeah, the challenge was, it's really a full time job. I think everyone hears a time and time again, there's a lot of high expectations of you. You're getting a great opportunity and managing that the day to day and being consistent, because you're waking up at 6AM to go work out, you have an 8AM you know, our lecture that you have to go through, all the while you have to mix in your own meals, find your way to get around, and then get the practice on time and make sure all your homework and all your schoolwork done. And then you keep in touch with you know, friends, family, girlfriends, at the time. So there is a lot in the melting pot that you're just not used to. So for me, it was consistency and getting a routine you know, that only comes with time and experience no freshman year is a lot different than my sophomore and senior year where you know, I was living in the dorms with roommates, like on your own for the first time versus over the years getting an apartment getting a roommate. By the time I was a senior, I felt like I was you know, one of the older guys at 22 or 23. But you know, I was much more prepared. I think from my freshman year, my senior, like waking up in the morning, having meals prepped, having everything ready to go is something you just learned throughout you know, your freshman to senior year of how to manage like, everything around you and your schedule and the demands, but also just managing yourself. Because at the end of the day, like you have to be present. Time is going to go by very quick, and you have to control everything in your own life and make it your own.
Michael [47:02]
Yeah. So if you had to give one piece of advice to a student athlete, high school kid who's listening to this or their parents, like what would it be? Like, what would your advice be about preparing for the transition from high school to college athletics?
AJ Murray [47:19]
My would be, just do what excites you and you know, fall or trust the process because and be, I think you have to be present you know. Everything in high school, we're taught to think like, what's next? Where am I going? What am I doing, gonna miss what's right in front of you and the opportunity at hand like today's game says opportunity to play and enjoy the game just for the game itself. I think you mentioned that before. So I think that's the biggest thing is not losing sight of your why, of what you're doing and why you're, who you're doing it for and why. Which you know, you can only get from experience and time. For me, like, I think my brother definitely talked like we lost our father during my junior year of college. So like, that forced me to like, look at why I was playing the game, for what reasons and like brought me back down the earth from being no big division one program? And those demands just like, what am I doing here? Like, why am I playing? So to players and to parents, like look at the opportunity at hand and take advantage of it. Like you get four years to go to a great, hopefully a great academic school, you're around people, you're going to meet new friends, both on your team and outside, you're going to learn a lot of new things about yourself, open up new doors professionally new relationships that are truly going to last the lifetime. So when you look at your decision to go be a college baseball player, you're making a much bigger investment decision for your life than anything else, because it's four years, but it's four years that are gonna kind of drive the course of where you're going in life that I don't think is thought of when you're 17 or 18. And I'm sure parents know this, I'm not a parent, but I'm sure it's in the back of their head. But it's a big decision that I think you need to really hold true to because sometimes it's not always the big school, it's going to make you the happiest or it's gonna give you the most fulfillment. I think I've learned that in the professional world playing for the twins in the Brewers like there's a pitcher on the twins. He didn't play in college. He went to a liberal arts school and then started playing men's league softball and got a contract because someone found him in the men's league and he's you know, on the same field as you know that the catcher from Florida State, the pitcher from Vanderbilt and you know, 18 year old I get from the Dominican Republic who has been in the system for three years. So the opportunity like you don't have to be in one place to get the opportunity that you think you're going to get. Trust the process, enjoy the game for what it is. If you play and you love it, results will come and opportunities will follow. So I think that's the biggest thing. Don't follow on where and what and just focus on why and get back to the roots.
Michael [50:29]
That's great advice and also a really nice way to end. So AJ, I want to thank you for coming on to the podcast. This is great. I can talk about baseball with you, I'm sure for hours if we could.
AJ Murray [50:40]
Appreciate with that.
Michael [50:45]
Alright, man, I appreciate you coming on and take care of yourself. We'll talk to you soon.
AJ Murray [50:49]
All right. Thanks for having me. Have a great fourth.
Michael [50:51]
You too. Thank you.