Thurman Munson spent parts of 11 seasons with the Yankees. The excellent defensive catcher was a seven-time All-Star and won the 1976 AL MVP. He also won World Series rings in 1977 and 1978 and was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1970.
Unfortunately, at the far too young age of 32, Munson was killed in a plane crash on Aug. 2, 1979. He had been learning how to fly an I/SP jet -- in order to more easily get back home to Ohio to see his family on off-days -- and had an accident on an attempted landing at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport.
Here's a video tribute to Munson:
The captain of the Yankees, Munson would end his career hitting .292/.346/.410 with 229 doubles, 113 homers, 701 RBI and 696 runs. He hit a whopping .357/.378/.496 with three homers and 22 RBI in 30 postseason games.
But, obviously, this isn't really about the numbers. It's about losing a great man well before his time. Continue to rest in peace, Mr. Munson.
