1972 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"When he was 18, Bobby Murcer broke into organized baseball, hitting .365 in 32 games, but he made an incredible 34 errors in the same span of time. The Yankees should have known the infield wasn't the place for the Oklahoma Kid, but they didn't move him to the outfield until 1969 when he was 23.
Once established in center field, Murcer settled down and finally matured into a solid major leaguer last season when he wound up second in the league in hitting with a .331 average. A wild swinger who had produced only a .250 lifetime mark going into 1971, Murcer changed his ways.
'I was getting tired of striking out and not hitting much,' he explained. 'So I made up my mind to cut down on my swing and just hit the ball where it was pitched instead of pulling everything.' The theory paid off with 94 RBIs and 25 home runs, both highs for the club. Still a little erratic in the field, Bobby has the speed and arm to become an outstanding all-around player."
-Brenda Zanger, Major League Baseball 1972
"Bobby emerged as a genuine superstar last year, finishing among the top five in the American League in runs, hits, runs batted in and average. His .331 was only six points behind batting champ Tony Oliva.
He came to the Yankees as a shortstop and flopped in the field there and at third base before finding a home in center field.
Born May 20, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, his baseball career was interrupted by two years in the Army. When he returned the Yankees assigned him Mickey Mantle's old locker. Bobby has shown Mantle-like power with 73 home runs in three seasons; in 1970 he tied a major league record with four home runs in four consecutive times at bat in a doubleheader. Not coincidentally, Bobby was signed by Tom Greenwade, the same scout who discovered Mantle."
-Hal Bock, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1972 Edition
"Rarely has a player established himself as a major star so swiftly as did Bobby Murcer in the course of the 1971 season.
The talented Bobby came to the Yankees with well deserved publicity, but with the burden of being cited as Mantle's successor - raised in Mantle's state, discovered by Mantle's scout, and assigned to Mantle's locker. That's a full measure of pressure for a 23-year-old youngster, whatever his natural ability.
The first two years were less sparkling than Bobby - and the fans - had expected.
And then came 1971. Pow! Second only to Oliva for the A.L. batting championship. American League All-Star. Led Yanks in runs. Hits. Doubles. Home runs. Runs batted in. Walks. Batting. Runner-up to Oliva as A.L. Player of the Year. In short, Bobby Murcer became a star.
What happened?
'I just taught myself to go with the pitch,' Bobby explains. 'I cut down on my strikeouts, resisted a temptation to overswing, and never slumped.'
The tradition of great Yankee center fielders is in good hands."
-The New York Yankees Official 1972 Yearbook
"Bobby skyrocketed to All-Star status last season. He was second in the league in hitting with .331, second in runs scored with 94, third in total bases (287), tenth in homers (25), fourth in RBI's (94), and fourth in walks (91). Only 25 years old, many expect Bobby to continue to improve at the plate. He also made great strides as a center fielder.
As a youngster, Bobby's favorite ballplayer was fellow Oklahoman Mickey Mantle. He was signed by the man who brought Mantle to the Yankees (Tom Greenwade) and was given Mantle's locker at Yankee Stadium.
A good baserunner, Murcer stole 14 last year. He cut his strikeouts from 100 in 1970 to only 60 in 1971. Bobby once hit four home runs in four consecutive official times at bat against Cleveland to tie a record.
A fine all-around athlete in high school, he won All-State honors in baseball and football and All-City in basketball."
-1972 New York Yankees official spring training scorebook
"Bobby skyrocketed into All-Star status last year. He was second in the league in hitting (.331), second in runs scored (94), third in hits (175), third in total bases (287), 10th in homers (25) and fourth in bases on balls (91). He also made great strides as a center fielder. Bobby was originally signed as a shortstop and was switched to third base before nestling in his present position in the outfield.
Still just 25, many believe that Bobby still has a long way to go before finally reaching his peak with the bat. He tied a major league record by hitting four home runs in four official times at bat in a doubleheader against Cleveland on June 24, 1970, when he rapped a homer in his last at-bat in the first game, and three in the second game.
An all-around tough competitive athlete with good speed, Bobby was a three sport star in high school as he was All-State in baseball and football, and All-City in basketball at Southeast High in Oklahoma City. His baseball idol has always been Mickey Mantle, which seems natural enough since he comes from the same state as Mickey, was signed by the same scout, Tom Greenwade, and currently occupies Mickey's old locker at the Stadium. If he keeps going, 'Lemon,' as he is called by his teammates, might soon attain the popularity of famed #7."
-1972 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
MURCER IMPROVES
"Bobby Murcer, runner-up for the American League batting title in 1971 with a .331 average, was hitting only .206 at the end of May. Then Bobby turned aggressive and went on a wild batting steak that produced 15 hits in his next 24 times at bat (a .625 pace), including two home runs, a pair of doubles and seven RBIs."
-1972 New York Yankees Scorecard and Official Program
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