As one of his first tasks, Murphy secured the services of manager Gil Hodges, under contract to the Washington Senators, by acquiring Hodges in a November 27, 1967, trade for pitcher Bill Denehy. Murphy's promotion to the GM role also coincided with the Mets' unveiling of some of the best young pitching talent of the era—including Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, and others. With Hodges in command, the 1969 Miracle Mets stunned the baseball community by winning the NL East, sweeping Atlanta in the NLCS, then defeating a heavily favored Baltimore Orioles squad in five World Series games.