On the 30th anniversary of Thurman Munson’s passing, I thought it would be appropriate to review Marty Appel’s new book on his life, entitled “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain.” As a Yankees fans who grew up on the 90′s version of the Yankees, I really did not know much about Munson other than the way he died. While there have been a number of biographies on players such as Mantle, Ruth, and DiMaggio that have informed my opinion of those greats, Munson had remained largely a mystery to me, as well as to most fans born after his playing days. Yet, before Derek Jeter took the mantle of the Yankee captaincy, prior to Don Mattingly’s stint as New York’s favorite son, there was Munson.
The book gives a detailed account of Munson’s life, and is clearly written by somebody who had plenty of access to Thurman and those close to him. Munson seemed like a conflicted character, tough and brusque on the field and the clubhouse but with everyman qualities that endeared him to the Yankee faithful. The first half to two thirds of the book is loaded with a look at the man through a series of anecdotes and interviews that touch on his early life and his playing career, while the last portion of the book is dedicated to the details of his death and the aftermath. Particularly fascinating is the look at Thurman’s incredibly poor relationship with his father, which helped shape the complex man that captured the heart of many New Yorkers. It is a good read, and the book is not overwritten, so it comes off almost conversationally, as if you were sitting with the author listening to him recount Munson’s life.
In regard to Thurman’s playing career, he died at age 30 in the prime of his career. Just for comparison’s sake, this was what Jonah Keri said about Jorge Posada and his HOF chances:
5 All-Star Games
5 Silver Sluggers
2 Top-10 MVP finishes (he had a legit MVP argument in 2007)
Career 277/380/479 hitter at the toughest position on the diamond
Multiple World Series, if that matters to you (I can see an argument either way)
Still hitting and likely to tack on a couple more decent to good yearsAnd finally…Career OPS+ of 124
For comparison’s sake:
OPS+
Piazza 142
Cochrane 128
Dickey 127
Hartnett 126
Bench 126
Berra 125
Campanella 124
POSADA 124
Simmons 117
Fisk 117
Carter 115
I-Rod 110
Munson, to that point, had:
7 All-Star Games
3 Gold Gloves
3 Top-10 MVP finishes (he won in 1976)
Career 292/346/410 hitter at the toughest position on the diamond during an era when offense was down
Multiple World Series, if that matters to you (I can see an argument either way)
Had a shot to tack on a few more solid years
And finally…Career OPS+ of 116
His numbers compare fairly well to Fisk’s, and he was a significantly better receiver than Carlton. Munson had a decent shot at putting together a Hall of Fame career, but tragically passed away before he could put a bow on it. Today, we remember the greatness of the Yankee Captain, Thurman Munson.
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4 Responses to Book Review: Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain
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TIQ IQ
Munson was a fine player, not quite HOF though. Worth noting he died at 32 not 30 and he was in the midst of his second straight decline year. Sadly no one knows what more he could have done but just looking at cold stats and trends I’d say the hall wasn’t in his future.
Probably not, but Fisk and Posada have both had bounceback trends later in their careers. Unlikely, but we will never know. Good catch on the age thing, not sure how I messed that up.
Posada has had bounce backs but even he isn’t headed for the hall so I doubt Munson would have bounced back enough to get in.
I was a BIG Munson fan but let’s be honest, he was in decline when he died. I don’t think he would have made the HOF if he played out the rest of his career. How would have wound up just outside the bubble, like Mattingly.