News
Astros remember beloved 'Peanut Dude'
Devoted to Sunshine Kids, vendor Murphy passes away
By Jason Grodsky / MLB.com
05/28/09 1:57 PM ET
HOUSTON -- A little over a week ago the Astros lost Arnie Murphy, a person who was adored and cheered by fans every day at Minute Maid Park.Murphy wasn't a former player or front office employee. He was simply a peanut vendor, whose attitude, personality and charity made every fan's experience at the ballpark even more special by simply chucking bags of peanuts into the stands.
Murphy, 61, passed away peacefully last Tuesday, May 19, in his home. He had been suffering from heart disease for several years.
The Astros paid tribute to him with a moment of silence before their game against the Brewers the next day as several family members attended the game, where he was honored with a video tribute on behalf of the Sunshine Kids that celebrated his life and charity to their organization.
"He was certainly part of the show at the ballpark," said Marty Price, the Astros' vice president of guest experiences. "Everyone looked forward to seeing him and talking to him. He was such a great guy and a positive person."
Murphy first began tossing peanuts in high school while selling bags for $4 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.
He moved to Houston in the 1970s and began selling them at the Astrodome, moving over to Minute Maid when the Astros changed facilities in 2000. His act became so well-known, it earned him six All-Star selections. Aramark, an international company specializing in food services for stadiums, arenas and businesses, sent him to sell peanuts at the All-Star Game six times.
"The fans got some comfort showing up and seeing a familiar face, a happy face," said Bob Ford, the Astros P.A. announcer at Minute Maid. "He would strike up a conversation with anybody. He was the face of the concessionaires at the ballpark, without a doubt."
While fans remember him for his craft of launching peanuts -- once being clocked at 42 mph while throwing a bag that earned him the honor of being called the Pedro Martinez of peanut vendors by People magazine -- it was his dedication to charity that made him a remarkable man.
After his wife, Betty, passed away from cancer in 1995, Murphy began working with the Sunshine Kids, a support group for kids with cancer and their families.
"After his wife died, that's when he approached us to get involved with the Sunshine Kids," Price said. "From there we stirred up this idea for 'Junior Peanut Dude' for every Saturday game, and it took off from there."
Murphy would choose one young cancer patient to spend the day with him at the ballpark, working his sidekick as "Junior Peanut Dude," welcoming them with a smile and teaching his art. He would donate the extra tips he raised from selling peanuts with the honorary Sunshine Kid back to the organization.
"Amazing things would happen with that," Ford said. "He would meet the child before the game and help them get situated and get seated, and we would usually do it in the second or third inning. He would come up and let me know what kind of shape the kid was in, whether they were in remission or not doing so well.
"He would come up and say, 'This one is not doing very well,' and we think the kid wouldn't make it a half-inning tossing peanuts with him. But after spending 15 minutes with Arnie, they came to life and there was a glow to them."
For his work with the Sunshine Kids, Murphy was named a CenterPoint Energy Hometown Hero in 2007.
"There were some kids he'd have to carry the entire time, and he'd hold on to them or put them on his back and would give them a bag of peanuts to toss. Every one of them left with a smile," Ford added. "That relationship he had with the kids was genuine, and the kids knew that."
In the end it was Murphy's heart, which was so generous and kind, that would lead to his death. He suffered a heart attack in 2005, and had recently undergone an operation to help repair a damaged heart muscle.
Murphy had planned to return to work the next homestand and then finish out the rest of the season before retiring.
"He had the operation on a Tuesday [May 19], and he said it would be a walk in the park and that he would call me on Tuesday night to let me know how it went," Ford said. "He was very optimistic until the very end. It was totally unexpected. Sixty-one years old is way too young for someone that full of life."
Jason Grodsky is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
