Rookie of the Year: Thurman Munson, 1970

Catcher, New York Yankees

Age:  23 (June 7)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190 

Prior to 1970:

A native of Akron, Ohio, Munson began playing midget league baseball before moving on to junior boys and American Legion ball. At Canton’s Lehman High School he played football and basketball, as well as baseball, where he first was utilized as a catcher, although his primary position was shortstop. After batting .581 as a senior, he was named to the All-Ohio high school team. Offered numerous college football scholarships, he instead accepted a baseball scholarship to Kent State University where he excelled and received College All-America recognition. Selected fourth overall by the Yankees in the 1969 amateur draft, Munson signed for a $70,000 bonus. Initially assigned to the Binghamton Triplets of the Class AA Eastern League he hit .301 in 71 games along with 6 home runs and 37 RBIs while also developing his skills behind the plate. Promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League in 1969, he was also inducted into the Army Reserve, serving at Fort Dix in New Jersey and playing with Syracuse when possible (and compiling a .363 average in 28 games). Promoted to the Yankees in August to fill in for catcher Frank Fernandez, Munson batted .256 in 26 games and hit his first major league home run. After a brief return to Syracuse, he was called back up to the Yankees in September and threw out 7 base runners during the final month. With Fernandez traded to Oakland, Munson was set to take over the primary catching duties in 1970.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in 132 games

C – 125, PH – 12

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 526

At Bats – 453

Runs – 59

Hits – 137

Doubles – 25

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 6

RBI – 53

Bases on Balls – 57

Int. BB – 6

Strikeouts – 56

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 7 [18, tied with six others]

Average - .302 [7]

OBP - .386 [9]

Slugging Pct. - .415

Total Bases – 188

GDP – 13

Hit by Pitches – 7 [10, tied with six others]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 14, HR - 3, RBI – 28, AVG - .263, OBP - .381

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 5/24, (in 4 AB) at Baltimore 7/8, (in 4 AB) at California 7/28, (in 5 AB) vs. Baltimore 8/8

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – 1 on six occasions

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 5

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. Baltimore 5/18, at Boston 6/21 – 11 innings, at Baltimore 7/8

Pinch-hitting/running – 3 for 9 (.333) with 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI & 2 BB

Fielding

Chances – 719

Put Outs – 631

Assists – 80

Errors – 8

Passed Balls – 10

DP – 11

Pct. - .989

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

19^th in AL MVP voting (15 points, 4% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Thurman Munson, NYY: 23 of 24 votes, 96% share

Roy Foster, Clev.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Yankees went 93-69 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 15 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles, while leading the league in triples (41, tied with the Minnesota Twins & Kansas City Royals). The slow-starting Yankees went on a 17-7 tear in June that brought them within three games of the first-place Orioles, but a July batting slump kept them from coming any closer, although a strong August kept them in second to stay for the club’s best finish since 1964.

Aftermath of ‘70:

During the 1971 season, Munson was knocked unconscious and hospitalized following a collision at the plate with Baltimore catcher Andy Etchebarren but missed minimal time as he demonstrated his toughness and determination. He was an All-Star for the first time on his way to batting .251 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .335 on-base percentage. Additionally, he led AL catchers with a .998 fielding percentage and by throwing out 61 % of runners attempting to steal against him. In 1972 a long-running feud with Boston catcher Carlton Fisk was ignited when Fisk slid hard into Munson in a play at the plate (the two would ignite a major brawl the following year as their rivalry intensified). For the year, Munson continued to establish himself as a top all-around backstop as his average rebounded to .280 with a .343 OBP and 7 home runs with 46 RBIs. Defensively he placed second in the league with 71 assists. A very methodical hitter, in 1973 Munson batted .301 with 20 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .362 OBP while receiving his first Gold Glove for his defensive performance. He finished twelfth in league MVP voting. Bothered by injuries in 1974, Munson’s average dipped to .261 and his OBP to .316 while he totaled 13 home runs, 60 RBIs, and a strained forearm hindered his throwing ability. His production rebounded in 1975 to .318 with a .366 OBP, 24 doubles, 12 home runs, and 102 RBIs. Named team captain by manager Billy Martin in 1976 in recognition of his role as a team leader, Munson had an MVP season, batting .302 with 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .337 OBP. The Yankees topped the AL East on their way to winning their first pennant since 1964. He hit .475 in his first taste of postseason action that ended with being swept by Cincinnati in the World Series. The arrival of slugging outfielder Reggie Jackson in 1977 ignited discord between the two, especially when critical comments appeared in print. The Yankees repeated as AL pennant winners and Munson batted .308 with 18 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a .351 OBP. In the World Series triumph over the Dodgers in which Jackson starred, Munson hit .320 to contribute to achieving a championship. Heading into 1978, the veteran backstop expressed a desire to be traded, preferably to Cleveland, to be closer to his Ohio home, a desire that the Yankee front office did not follow up on, not desiring to send away a popular and productive player. The ensuing season was tumultuous and ended with the Yankees beating Boston in a tie-breaking playoff to win the AL East. Munson batted .297 with 27 doubles, 6 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .332 on-base percentage. Advancing to another World Series matchup with the Dodgers, New York won four straight games after losing the first two to take the title. Munson again hit well in the Series with a .320 average, 3 doubles, and 7 RBIs. Intense and insecure, Munson had a strained relationship with the New York media but was an effective team leader. In 1979 he was dealing with severe shoulder and knee pain but was hitting .288 with a .340 OBP when his career, and life, came to a tragic end in August when the private jet he was flying crashed while he attempted to land at Akron-Canton Airport. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Yankees, Munson batted .292 with 1558 hits that included 229 doubles, 32 triples, and 113 home runs. He scored 696 runs and compiled 701 RBIs and a .346 OBP. Appearing in 30 postseason games, he hit .357 with 3 home runs and 22 RBIs. A seven-time All-Star, he also was awarded three Gold Gloves and placed in the top 20 in AL MVP voting five times. The Yankees retired his #15 and placed a plaque in his honor in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.