Lonnie Murray | |
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Occupation | MLBPA-Certified Player Agent |
Lonnie Murray is a Major League Baseball (MLB) agent. She was the first Black woman to be certified as a player agent by the MLB Players Association.[1]
Murray says sports were a large part of her life, including playing sports while growing up, but she had not considered a career in it.[2] She worked in the nonprofit sector, including for Coaching Corps.[2] She met her partner, Dave Stewart, when he was on the board of a nonprofit.[3] She joined the staff of Sports Management Partners, the San Diego–based agent firm founded by Stewart, helping run the business with him.[3]
In 2014, when Stewart became general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, he planned to transfer ownership to Dave Henderson, but Henderson's health problems limited his involvement.[3] Murray became a player agent by the MLB Players Association in 2015, with restrictions in place to prevent a conflict of interest involving Stewart's team.[3]
As of 2020, Murray represented approximately 40 players, mostly minor leaguers.[4]
Murray has been vocal about the systemic racism in baseball.[4][5] She represented Bruce Maxwell, the first MLB player to kneel for the national anthem.[6]
Murray is also supportive of efforts to increase the percentage of women who are sports agents.[7] She supports other women to become sports agents.[8] Murray represents Bianca Smith, the first Black woman to coach professional baseball.[9]
In 2021, Murray and Stewart were one of two Black-led redevelopment groups approved by the Oakland City Council to advance a bid to purchase the Oakland Coliseum site.[10]
Murray and Stewart live in Poway, California.[11] She has a son named Tarik.[3]
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