Thurman Munson, baseball player, 113 home runs, 1969-1979

Thurman Munson

Born: 6/7/1947 in Akron, OH, USA

Died: 8/2/1979 in Summit County, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1969-08-08 | Final Game: 1979-08-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Thurman Lee Munson

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Biography

Thurman Munson was a prominent American professional baseball player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during his career from 1969 to 1979. Born in 1947, Munson established himself as a key figure for the New York Yankees, where he played as a position player in 1,423 games. He finished his career with an impressive .292 batting average, totaling 1,558 hits and 113 home runs, along with 701 RBIs and 48 stolen bases. His offensive prowess and leadership on the field earned him seven All-Star selections and recognition as the American League Rookie of the Year. Munson's playing style embodied the grit and determination of the 1970s Yankees, a period characterized by fierce competition and a resurgence of the franchise following years of decline. He was known for his fierce competitiveness and defensive skills as a catcher, helping to lead the Yankees to three World Series championships during his tenure. His tragic passing in a plane crash in 1979 cut short a promising career, but his legacy lived on, culminating in his posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009. Munson remains a beloved figure in Yankees history, remembered not only for his impressive statistics but also for his heart and commitment to the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1423 5344 696 1558 229 32 113 701 48 438 571 0.292 0.346 0.410 0.756 8432.3

Career AVG .292 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +14.0% above league average.

Career OBP .346 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.

Career SLG .410 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +8.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.756 vs. league average 0.699 across their career seasons — +8.1% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1969 NYY AL 26 86 6 22 1 2 1 9 0 10 10 0.256 .248 (+3%) .320 (+3%) .369 (-6%) .689 (-2%) -19.4
1970 NYY AL 132 453 59 137 25 4 6 53 5 57 56 0.302 .253 (+19%) .325 (+18%) .385 (+8%) .711 (+13%) 1292.9
1971 NYY AL 125 451 71 113 15 4 10 42 6 52 65 0.251 .249 (avg) .316 (+6%) .365 (+1%) .682 (+3%) 366.8
1972 NYY AL 140 511 54 143 16 3 7 46 6 47 58 0.280 .243 (+15%) .310 (+10%) .353 (+3%) .664 (+6%) 697.0
1973 NYY AL 147 519 80 156 29 4 20 74 4 48 64 0.301 .256 (+17%) .325 (+11%) .378 (+29%) .703 (+21%) 2044.8
1974 NYY AL 144 517 64 135 19 2 13 60 2 44 66 0.261 .256 (+2%) .324 (-3%) .369 (+3%) .693 (avg) -49.7
1975 NYY AL 157 597 83 190 24 3 12 102 3 45 52 0.318 .257 (+24%) .327 (+12%) .374 (+15%) .701 (+13%) 1553.4
1976 NYY AL 152 616 79 186 27 1 17 105 14 29 38 0.302 .255 (+18%) .320 (+5%) .360 (+20%) .681 (+13%) 1366.0
1977 NYY AL 149 595 85 183 28 5 18 100 5 39 55 0.308 .264 (+16%) .329 (+7%) .401 (+15%) .730 (+11%) 1321.1
1978 NYY AL 154 617 73 183 27 1 6 71 2 35 70 0.297 .257 (+15%) .323 (+3%) .378 (-2%) .702 (avg) -18.9
1979 NYY AL 97 382 42 110 18 3 3 39 1 32 37 0.288 .265 (+8%) .329 (+3%) .397 (-6%) .727 (-2%) -121.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
30 129 19 46 9 0 3 22 5 19 0.357

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1978 ALCS NYA 4 18 2 5 1 0 1 2 0 0 0.278
1978 WS NYA 6 25 5 8 3 0 0 7 3 7 0.320
1977 ALCS NYA 5 21 3 6 1 0 1 5 0 2 0.286
1977 WS NYA 6 25 4 8 2 0 1 3 2 8 0.320
1976 ALCS NYA 5 23 3 10 2 0 0 3 0 1 0.435
1976 WS NYA 4 17 2 9 0 0 0 2 0 1 0.529

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 5 5 43 0 0 3
3B 1 1 0 0 0 0
C 1278 1265 6253 742 127 82
OF 27 24 46 0 3 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1969 NYA C 25 24 119 18 2 0
1970 NYA C 125 119 631 80 8 11
1971 NYA C 117 114 547 67 1 4
1971 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1972 NYA C 132 132 575 71 15 11
1973 NYA C 142 142 673 80 12 11
1974 NYA C 137 137 743 75 22 10
1975 NYA 1B 2 2 20 0 0 1
1975 NYA 3B 1 1 0 0 0 0
1975 NYA C 130 129 700 95 23 14
1975 NYA OF 2 2 5 0 0 0
1976 NYA C 121 118 537 78 12 8
1976 NYA OF 11 9 9 0 2 0
1977 NYA C 136 136 657 73 12 4
1978 NYA C 125 126 666 61 10 4
1978 NYA OF 13 13 32 0 1 0
1979 NYA 1B 3 3 23 0 0 2
1979 NYA C 88 88 405 44 10 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1277
First Base 5
Third Base 1
Left Field 3
Right Field 24
Designated Hitter 77

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1976 Most Valuable Player
1976 Player of the Week Week of 1976-07-23
1976 TSN All-Star C
1976 TSN Player of the Year
1975 Gold Glove C
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-05-01
1975 TSN All-Star C
1974 Gold Glove C
1974 TSN All-Star C
1973 Gold Glove C
1973 TSN All-Star C
1970 Rookie of the Year

Featured In Rankings

#14
Top 20 Catchers in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 14 of 20
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College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Kent State University Kent OH 1967, 1968

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1978 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 9.0 392 0
1977 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 70.0 392 1
1976 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 304.0 336 18
1975 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 69.0 336 0
1974 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 6.0 336 0
1973 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 43.0 336 0
1970 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 15.0 336 0
1970 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 23.0 24 23