Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-099

Nixon phone call with Murtaugh on Pittsburgh Pirates and World Series

Sunday, October 17, 1971 · 4:18 PM–4:19 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Murtaugh, DannyConversation011-099 on Tape 11 (tape position 02:38:04–02:39:12)StartSunday, October 17, 1971 at 4:18 PMEndSunday, October 17, 1971 at 4:19 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-099 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417190093 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon called Pittsburgh Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh to offer personal congratulations following the team’s World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles. During the brief conversation, the President praised the team's collective defensive performance and specifically lauded the individual contributions of Roberto Clemente and Steve Blass. Nixon also commended Murtaugh's calm leadership throughout the series.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • World Series
  • Danny Murtaugh
  • Roberto Clemente
  • Steve Blass
  • Baseball

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Danny Murtaugh talked on the telephone from 4:18 pm to 4:19 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-099 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-099

 Date: October 17, 1971
 Time: 4:18 pm - 4:19 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 The President talked with Danny Murtaugh.

        Congratulatory comments
             -Victory of Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles
                   -Roberto Clemente
                   -Stephen Blass

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

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Hello?
Danny, I just want you to know that I saw the game on television, and you can be mighty proud of the Pirates.
You beat a great team, and yours was a great team.
And I must say, the way you sat in that dugout without ever being flappable, that's really something.
That's right.
Well, I know that, of course...
Clemente, of course, was fantastic and blast, but really with a team effort, the fantastic defense you had, I thought, was really outstanding.
That second baseman, you know, they said he couldn't field, and I didn't see him miss a chance the whole series.
Well, I know all the press has already talked to you.
I just wanted you to know it's a great effort, and you can be mighty proud of it.
Yep, yep.
I must say, I was hoping I'd get out there, but I'm a little busy right now, but I caught most of the game on TV.
Right.
I bet Pittsburgh tears the town up when you get back.
You bet.
Good luck.
Bye.

Also recorded on October 17, 1971

  • 011-100 4:19 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:19 pm and 4:22 pm.
  • 011-101 4:22 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl Weaver talked on the telephone from 4:22 pm to 4:23 pm.
  • 011-102 4:23 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:23 pm and 5:52 pm.
  • 290-001 5:46 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:46 pm and 6:09 pm.
  • 290-002 5:46 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:46 pm and 5:52 pm.
  • 011-103 5:52 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 5:52 pm to 6:09 pm.
  • 290-003 5:52 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 6:09 pm.
  • 011-104 6:09 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 6:09 pm to 6:13 pm.

All 17 conversations from October 17, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-099, October 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417190093). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-099 (accessed November 1, 2026).