THURMAN MUNSON

Being the 17th anniversary of Thurman Munson's death, this one is not going to be remembered in the same vein as in some of the past years, but Thurman was one of my favorites, so here we go.

Stories have been told about Thurman, about how insecure he was, as a catcher and as a man. They say he spent his entire career trying to get the respect he felt was due him. The popularity of other catchers, such as Johny Bench and Carlton Fisk, tormented Munson. Furthermore. he may have been a superb athlete, but he was built like a fireplug. Some of the Yankees called him Squatty Boy. On one occasion, the Yankees' daily press notes listed the AL assist leaders. Among catchers, Fisk was listed with 27 and Munson with 25. Munson, incensed, wanted to know why he was being shown up. He proceeded to drop three third strikes in the next game so that he could throw to first and take over the lead in assists.

Thurman Munson, an Ohio boy, was born in Akron: grew up in Canton: made All-State in baseball, basketball and football: and went to Kent State on a football scholarship. After the Yankees chose him as their first-round pick in the June '68 draft, he dropped out of school and signed for $75,000. He played only 99 games in the minors. After batting .256 in 26 games in 1969, Munson took over as the Yankees' regular catcher in 1970. He won the Rookie of the Year award after hitting .302, and he quickly established himself as an excellent defensive catcher. He was in control, and from day one was never afraid to tell even the veteran Mel Stottlemyre which pitch he wanted. A few years back, when rookie Domingo Jean was shaking off Mike Stanle,. I said that it that was Thurman, Tugger (as his teammates called him) would have kicked his butt right there on the field. His reflexes were exceptional and his quick release on throws to second was breathtaking.

He admitted that he had trouble coming to terms with the media. "I'm a little too belligerent," he said. "I cuss and swear at people. I yell at umpires and maybe I'm a little too tough at home sometimes. l don't sign as many autographs as I should, and I haven't always been very good with the writers."

When the Yankees played in Shea in '74, Munson strained his forearm early in the season, but he never gave it time to heal and he never let on how serious the injury was. Like the fighter he was, he just kept on catching. 1974, a year when Lou Piniella would play Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run" after a Bomber victory. Yes, the Yankees were the Team On The Run, but the injury plagued Thurman Munson hit a disappointing .261, with 60 rbis. He committed a career high 22 errors, almost all of which were on throws, some of which curved embarassingly, into right-center. He refused to talk about his problem to the press. He snubbed them or snarled at them. This only added to his gruff image.

His forearm healed during the winter and he hit .318 with 102 rbis in 1975, establishing himself as one of the game's best clutch hitters. He was also named the Yankee's first team captain since Lou Gehrig.

Thurman finally got his chance for postseason play in '76 and led the team to a championship the following year. Thurman also can be remembered for giving Reggie Jackson his famed nickname, "Mr. October." Thurman was being interviewed by a reporter after Jackson's World Series' feats. The reporter asked Munson for his opinion of the Reggie Show. Thurman insinuated that he only hit in October, and added sarcastically. "Yeah. Mr. October."

Thurman could have finished his career with heroics in the late '70s. I don't want to throw a bunch of stats at you; as Casey Stengel said. You can look it up. And you know the story of his early passing, so I don't want to touch on that, either. The rest of my article deals with what might have happened if that plane hadn't crashed.

In 1978 Thurman was on the decline, but his pride was stronger than the pain. Munson was sitting more than in the past. At times he found it difficult to crouch down behind the plate. If life went on for Thurman he might have been forced to play another position. He played a decent first base and held his own in the outfield. There was always the option of being the DH. Thurman might have been too proud to give up catching, but his love for the game might have outweighed that. You could conceive of number 15 finishing his career as a first baseman.

There was always the possibility, one that give Yankee fans a chill just to think about, that Thurman could have finished his career in Cleveland, closer to home. It was to get home quicker to see the family that he loved so much that he began flying in the first place. He died in 1979, in a plane recommended by his good friend, Wayne Newton. But I promised not to talk about that.

Thurman Munson might have landed a spot in Cooperstown if he was allowed to complete his career, although I don't think he would have been elected on the first ballot. He had baseball smarts and would have been a great manager. Looking back on him, I can say that Thurman always gave 110%. It would have taken a forklift to get him off the field. He was a good on-field role model for the young players of today and will always remain in this fans' memory. Thurman this article's for you.