30 Years Later: Thurman Munson Was a Hero Among Legends
August 2, 2009 · Jeff Shull · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
On this day 30 years ago, tragedy struck as the baseball world lost one of the greats.
Thurman Munson lost his life while flying his private jet in Canton, Ohio. Munson had taken flying lessons and bought a plane so he could fly home after every game to be with his family.
That was just the type of person he was: family first, baseball second.
While attempting what is known as “touch and go” flying—where you take off and touch down and take off again—something went terribly wrong and the plane was sure to crash. In his last moments, in order to save the two friends on board, he flew the plane over a field to safety.
However, when flying over the field, the left wing clipped a tree stump. The plane hit the ground and set ablaze. Munson was paralyzed when the plane hit the stump, and the friends on board could not pull him out of the cockpit. They were forced to abandon the plane.
It’s impossible to put into words what Munson meant to the Yankee organization. He was the captain of two championship teams, a seven-time all star, three-time gold glover, and the 1976 AL MVP.
To see how incredible he was as a catcher, you need only to look at the 1971 season in which he made only one error—an error in which he was knocked unconscious by a player, causing the ball to dislodge.
Beyond the on the field triumphs, Munson was the locker room stabilizer in a well documented troublesome locker room.
The Yankee teams of the ’70s were full of high tempered personalities. Despite this, they were able to have a high measure of success, which many attribute to Munson and his ability to keep the players grounded.
To show their admiration for the lost hero, the Yankees not only retired Munsons’s No. 15 jersey, but they also left his locker in the clubhouse with his No. 15 on it, which resides next to current Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s locker.
Four day’s after Munson’s death, after the funeral was held, best friend Bobby Murcer drove in all five runs in a Yankee victory over the Baltimore Orioles, including the game winning single in the bottom of the ninth.
Before the game, the Yankee starters stood at their defensive positions, leaving the spot behind home plate empty. After some music, the fans gave a 10 minute standing ovation for Munson; the moment was euphoric to say the least.
My dad—a longtime Yankee fan from Elmira, New York—still remembers that day as one of the worst in his sports life, and described the moment he heard the news as follows:
“It was like your heart dropped out of your stomach, and it was all I could do to keep the tears from escaping.”
Rest in peace Thurman; you truly are a Yankee hero.
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
.…
thanks!!…