• Card series: Beginnings: 1880's
• City: Washington, D.C.
• Team: Nationals
• League: National League

Jeremiah J. Murray (1865-1922) officiated more big league games than he played as a catcher. He began in organized ball in 1883 in the Interstate Association with the Reading Actives for whom he caught nine games before playing briefly with the league champion Brooklyn Greys. This was the year before Brooklyn would join the American Association as the Atlantics. Throughout his time in baseball, Murray would alternate short stints with major league clubs between longer periods in the minors. He made it to the Providence Grays of the National League in ‘84, the Louisville Colonels of the AA in ‘85, then back with the Washington Nationals in ‘88, returning to D.C. with the Statesmen during their sole year in the AA, 1891. Four years later Murray came up as a NL umpire, handling 112 games and recording seven ejections. He continued sporadically to fill in through the 1905 season.

• Murray was blessed to debut with Old Hoss Radbourn’s famed Providence team and, despite his very brief time as a September reserve, was included in the team honors bestowed by manager Frank Bancroft which included a fine gold badge emblazoned with Champions 1884 in blue
• In all, Miah played a mere 34 games over his decade around major league ball