Thurman Munson Biography

Thurman Munson was an American professional baseball player. He is best remembered as the ‘heart & soul’ of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, whom he helped win two World Series championships. A seven-time All-Star, he had a batting average of .292 with 701 runs batted and 113 home runs. He was named as the catcher on the College Baseball All-American Team in 1968. Munson was a three-time Gold Glove awardee, and he also managed to earn the American League (AL) MVP Award and Rookie of the Year Award in his short career. He was born in Akron, Ohio, to an army veteran and a homemaker as the youngest of their four kids. He learned to play baseball from his older brother and was the captain of the baseball, basketball, and football teams in high school. Munson switched to catcher from shortstop during his senior year and joined the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 1967. He was acquired by the New York Yankees for the 1969 season and played for the team until his death in 1979. Known for his outstanding fielding, the talented player met a tragic end at the age of 32 when he died in a plane crash.