1976 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Coming off his finest year, having led the club in batting (.318), hits (190) and RBI (102), Thurman was also voted his third straight Gold Glove as the league's outstanding defensive catcher, despite 23 errors.
He was the only catcher to handle the speedy Angels. He nailed them seven times in 11 steal attempts. Versus the rest of the league, the Angels stole over 200 bases and were successful two out of three times.
Born in Akron, Ohio, pitchers value his expertise at calling at a game and rely on his pitch selection. He has remarkably quick reflexes and a quick release of the ball, and is extremely confident."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
"This is just to offer the Yankee opinion that Johnny Bench is not a bad catcher to have on the team, but also to claim that the Yanks are pretty happy to have his American League counterpart, Thurman Munson.
'The Munse' was Rookie of the Year in 1970, and what a fine choice that was, for after six seasons, he's had four All-Star selections, three Gold Glove awards and a trio of .300 years. Last year may have been his best, as he continues to demonstrate the ability to improve each season through the same rugged determination so evident to even the casual fan.
Thurman is the unofficial field captain of the club, for he's got everything but a general's uniform on when the Yankees are on the field. Recognized as the best man at calling a game in the league, the Canton, Ohio native is now making New Jersey his home, along with that valuable real estate behind home plate in Yankee Stadium. As heir to the Yankee catching legacy of Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra and Elston Howard, Munson has played his role to perfection."
-The New York Yankees Official 1976 Yearbook
"Munson had one of the finest seasons in the American League last year, retaining his position as the most highly regarded catcher in the league. Named to his fourth All-Star team, and chosen again by the players at season's end to the Sporting News All-Star team, Thurman was voted a Gold Glove for the third consecutive year.
His season was a model of consistency as his average never fell below .311, and he wound up third in the league in batting, behind Carew and Lynn. Thurman was also third in hits with 190, 164 of which were as a catcher, the rest as a designated hitter, left fielder, right fielder, first baseman and third baseman, as he expanded his versatility. He tied for fifth in the league in RBIs, as he became the first Yankee since 1964 to drive in 100. Thurm batted safely in 117 of the 157 games he played, 56 of them producing two or more hits, and 14 with three or more hits. He led the league in hitting from May 4 to May 25.
An All-American at Kent State, Thurman was the Yankees' number one draft choice of 1968 and played in only 99 minor league games before winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1970, his first of three .300 seasons. A year later, he made only one error and fielded .998, tying Elston Howard's Yankee catching record.
The current link to the great Yankee catching tradition of Dickey-Berra-Howard, his lifetime batting average of .286 is tied for 14th on the all-time Yankee list.
Thurman is a great competitor, gifted with unusually good speed for a catcher, and is rated as probably the finest all-around athlete on the club."
-1976 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide
"Munson had his best season last year, hitting .318 with 102 RBI. He was third in the league in batting and in hits, as his average never fell below .311 all year. Thurman has also won three consecutive Gold Gloves.
Hitting with good power this year, he had 20 home runs in 1973. Thurman was Rookie of the Year in 1970 when he hit .302. He is the first captain of the Yankees since Lou Gehrig.
This is Thurman's fifth All-Star Game."
-1976 All-Star Game official program
No comments:
Post a Comment