"After hitting .302 to win Rookie of the Year honors in 1970, Thurman Munson ran into the sophomore jinx last season and batted only .251. Manager Ralph Houk feels the quick-throwing catcher should rebound this season.
'I think last year will help him because too many kids having a good first year feel there's no problem the next season,' said Ralph.
Munson is another successful Yankee draftee. He was the number one pick in 1968 after a great year at Kent State. It took only one season of minor league ball to ready him for the big time, and the feeling around the league is that he should be one of the top catchers for years to come."
-Brenda Zanger, Major League Baseball 1972
"His compact build makes him perfect for the job of catcher.
Thurman overcame a terrible start in 1970 to bat .302 and was American League Rookie of the Year. He had the same kind of start and recovered again in '71 when he made the AL All-Star team. He has good bat control and usually swings No. 2 in the Yankee lineup - an unusual slot for a catcher.
Born June 7, 1947 in Akron, Ohio, Munson was New York's first selection in the June 1968 free agent. He was an All-American at Kent State University and spent only one full season in the minors before coming up to the Yankees for keeps. He spent most of the 1969 season on active military duty.
Thurman has a strong, quick, and accurate arm and baserunners have learned not to take liberties with him."
-Hal Bock, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1972 Edition
"Few teams are good without a first-rate catcher. Thurman Munson is first-rate.
Rookie of the Year, 1970. Leading Yankee hitter, 1970. American League All-Star, 1971. Top fielding catcher in the major leagues, 1971. All that packed into the first two years of what will surely be a spectacular career.
But Thurman comes from the school of self-driven competitiveness. He strives to get better every day. He expects to throw out every runner attempting to steal. He expects to drive in every Yankee baserunner. Early in his rookie year and batting in the low .200s, he said to Elston Howard without a flicker of doubt, 'I'm going to hit .300.'
His average was .302 at season's end.
An All-American at Kent State, Thurman was the Yankees' number one selection in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft. His rapid development, even for a number one pick, was a happy bonus; ninety-nine minor league games were enough seasoning for Thurm. He was ready to take on the American League.
Pennant winners are built position by position until all the pieces are in place. For the New York Yankees, the position of catcher is set."
-The New York Yankees Official 1972 Yearbook
"Thurman was selected to the 1971 All-Star team in only his second year in the major leagues as he continued to impress as one of the top young catchers to come along in years. He led all major league receivers in fielding with a .998 mark, committing just one error in 615 chances. This also tied a Yankee record, set by Elston Howard in 1964, for the highest fielding average by a Yankee catcher in one season. Running on Thurman again proved to be dangerous as he threw out 23 of 38 who attempted to steal while he was behind the plate. His two-year total in this category is 63 runners thrown out in 107 attempts to steal.
Rookie of the Year in 1970 despite getting just one hit in his first 30 at-bats, Thurman again got off to a slow start at the plate in 1971, collecting just two hits in his first 30 at-bats. He led the club in hitting in '70 with a .302 average and hit .251 last year.
Thurman, just 24 years old, became a Yankee regular with less than 100 games of minor league baseball. He was an All-American in baseball in 1968 at Kent State, which is also the alma mater of teammate and roommate Gene Michael. His off-the-field activity is mostly on the golf links, where he also excels, shooting in the '70s."
-1972 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
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