Unrefined Thurman Munson was a near unanimous selection as 1970 American League Rookie of the Year, and won the 1976 Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the third Yankees' catcher to do so. He was a tough competitor and an on-field leader who was eventually named captain of the Yankees. On August 2, 1979, he died tragically at the age of 32 when the plane he was piloting crashed, leaving his family, the baseball world, and the Yankees with a great loss.
Quotes About Thurman Munson
"[Munson was] a man who lived a lifestyle that some would characterize as old-fashioned. He was a man who believed in his family and gave all he could to the game." — Ohio State Senator Thomas Walsh, after the death of Thurman Munson in 1979.
Teams Thurman Munson Played For
New York Yankees (1969-1979)
Where does Thurman Munson rank among baseball greats?
Thurman Munson ranks #18 among the Top 50 all-time at C. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1976 Munson hit for a higher average and had better power numbers in other seasons, but in 1976 he guided the Yankees to their first pennant in 12 years. He hit .302 with 186 hits, 27 doubles, 17 homers and 105 RBI. In the post-season he hit a red-hot .475 with 19 hits in nine games, and five RBI.
Murcer's Tribute On August 3, 1979, a day after Munson died in a plane crash in Canton, Ohio, a memorial tribute was held at Yankee Stadium. More than 51,000 fans attended the tribute, which included Munson's teammates and representatives of major league baseball. Three days later at the funeral, Yankee outfielder Bobby Murcer delivered the eulogy for his fallen friend. The next day, in his first start since the tragedy, Murcer rallied New York from a 4-0 deficit. In the seventh inning he belted a three-run homer off Dennis Martinez to pull the Yanks to within one run. In the bottom of the ninth, with runners on second and third, Murcer lined a single to left field, scoring both runners for a dramatic and emotional 5-4 win.
Pine Tar Game #1 On July 19, 1975, in a game that the Yanks lost 2-1 to the Twins, Munson had an RBI-single nullified in the first inning when it was ruled that the pine tar on his bat exceeded the 18-inch limit. Eight years later, the Yankees would get a measure of revenge when they nabbed George Brett for the same infraction.
Born Thurman Lee Munson was born on June 7, 1947, in Akron, OH.
Related Players Carlton Fisk was the primary catcher who Munson was compared to during his career. In 1973 they fought in Fenway Park after Munson plowed into Fisk at the plate... Bobby Murcer became Munson's best friend on the Yankees... Munson helped ensure that George Brett wasn't unfairly pummelled in a brawl between the Yanks and Royals in 1976... In the 1976 World Series, many compared Munson to Johnny Bench, the Reds' Hall of Fame catcher... Munson and Reggie Jackson were at odds in 1977 over an interview Jackson did in which he denigrated Munson, and claimed that Reggie was "the straw that stirs the drink" for the Yankees.
Hall of Fame Voting
Year
Election
Votes
Pct
1981
BBWAA
62
15.5%
1982
BBWAA
26
6.3%
1983
BBWAA
18
4.8%
1984
BBWAA
29
7.2%
1985
BBWAA
32
8.1%
1986
BBWAA
35
8.2%
1987
BBWAA
28
6.8%
1988
BBWAA
32
7.5%
1989
BBWAA
31
6.9%
1990
BBWAA
33
7.4%
1991
BBWAA
28
6.3%
1992
BBWAA
32
7.4%
1993
BBWAA
40
9.5%
1994
BBWAA
31
6.8%
1995
BBWAA
30
6.5%
Post-Season Appearances
1976 American League Championship Series
1976 World Series
1977 American League Championship Series
1977 World Series
1978 American League Championship Series
1978 World Series
Post-Season Notes In the 1976 World Series, Munson set a record with seven straight hits, all but one of which were singles. In 1990, Billy Hatcher tied that mark.
Awards and Honors
1970 AL Rookie of the Year
1973 AL Gold Glove
1974 AL Gold Glove
1975 AL Gold Glove
1976 AL MVP
Notes In 1978, when the Yankees were chasing the first-place Red Sox in early September, Munson went 8-for-16 in the series that became known as the "Boston Massacre" The four games were played from September 7-10, in Fenway, and the Yanks won by scores of 15-3, 13-2, 7-0 and 7-4. The sweep pulled the Bombers into a tie for the AL East lead... Since 1980, the Thurman Munson Awards dinner has helped raise more than $8 million for children and adults with developmental diseases. Munson's widow, Diana, helped start the charity event which is held in Manhattan each January.
Transactions June 7, 1968: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (4th pick) of the 1968 amateur draft.
All-Star Selections
1971 AL
1973 AL
1974 AL
1975 AL
1976 AL
1977 AL
1978 AL
Replaced Jake Gibbs, who was the transitional catcher between Elston Howard and Munson. Gibbs was stuck behind Howard from 1962-1966, before settling in as the starter for 1967 and 1968. When Munson emerged in 1969, Gibbs was again shelved, serving as #2 backstop through 1971.
Replaced By Jerry Narron, and ultimately Rick Cerone.
Best Strength as a Player Leadership and clutch hitting. In a career in which he had a .292 average, Munson hit .307 with men on base, and .302 with runners in scoring position.
