American professional baseball player Daniel Murphy currently plays second base for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. Sports Speaker Daniel became the subject of intense media and national attention at the beginning of the 2014 season after taking a 3-day paternity leave of absence in the days surrounding the birth of his son, Noah. While several radio show hosts and others were critical of his decision to take more than 1 day off, many have come to the defense of his decision and his time off was allowed under the MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement. Daniel’s manager Terry Collins was also quick to come to the aid of his second baseman, fully backing his decision to support his wife in her time of need and reiterating Daniel’s dedication to the team and the game of baseball.

Daniel joined the New York Mets organization in 2006 as a 13th round draft pick out of Jacksonville University. After just 2 seasons in the Minor League, Daniel was called up to the majors team and batted a stout .313 in 131 plate-appearances for the team. He began his career initially as a third baseman and would fill spots for the Mets in left field and first base before becoming the team’s full-time second baseman in 2012. It seems 2014 is set to be a big year for Daniel on the diamond after a 2013 season that proved he is one of the best second baseman in the league. Daniel started in 161 of 162 total games that season, and recorded a .286 batting average. His 188 total hits were second most in the National League behind the St. Louis Cardinals Matt Carpenter. The speedy infielder led the National League in successful stolen base rate stealing 23 bases in 26 tries for a percentage of 88.4%.

Daniel’s decision to be a supportive husband above all else including his career as a professional baseball player not only gives the public a better glimpse of his character, but have also made him popular among mom’s everywhere.