1973 Profile: Thurman Munson

1973 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"An excellent young catcher, Munson has the quickest release in baseball. He hits well and runs like a non-catcher. He has a fierce competitive spirit with a temper riding just below the surface.
'It's like I said a long time ago,' he said. 'I'm always fighting because I got to fight for everything I get.' Munson calls his scrappy attitude his 'gorilla instinct.'
Thurman is a strange sight, round and firm with the hint of a chest protector inside his uniform shirt. The Yankees call him Turtle. Built low to the ground, he says, 'I don't have to squat down as far as some of the others.'
Born June 7, 1947 in Akron, Ohio, Thurman earned All-America recognition at Kent State University. He was the Yankees' first choice in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft, and American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 when he batted .302."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1973 Edition

"Confidence is a Thurman Munson trademark.
He wasn't surprised when he was selected first by the Yankees in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft. He wasn't awed by the major leagues after only 99 games of minor league experience. After a demoralizing start in his 1970 rookie season, he predicted he would still hit .300. He did, batting .302 to be exact, and became American League Rookie of the Year.
Although he led all major league catchers with a .998 fielding mark in 1971, Thurm was disappointed as his batting slumped to .251. But the determined receiver bounced back last season to hit .280 and bring his three-year average to .276.
He and his roomie Gene Michael are alumni of Kent State University. Thurman excels at handball and shoots a round of golf in the low 70s. His high intelligence reaches beyond sports; he has made an early start in real estate investment, looking sensibly ahead to his post-baseball career.
But at 25, this determined young man has virtually his entire career ahead of him. With the acknowledged importance of catching, a Munson in the Yankee future could spell many pennant winning seasons."

-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook

"Thurman hit .280 last year, 29 points higher than in '71, to firmly establish himself as one of the best all-around catchers in the game today, both offensively and defensively. He had nine game-winning hits in '72, most on the Yankees.
He led the Yanks in hitting in 1970 with a .302 mark, being named Rookie of the Year. In 1971 he led all major league catchers 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.
An All-American in baseball at Kent State, Thurman became the Yanks' regular catcher with less than 100 professional games under his belt. His roommate, Gene Michael, also attended Kent State.
Thurman's outside interests include handball, golf (he shoots in the low 70s) and real estate."

-1973 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide