On August 2, 1979, The Yankees lost their catcher and captain Thurman Munson in a flying accident. He was just 32 years old.
Munson had been flying for over a year and owned a Cessna Citation I/SP jet so he could fly home on off days to see his family in Canton, Ohio. He was practicing takeoffs and landings, known as touch-and-goes, at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport with friend Jerry Anderson and flight instructor Dave Hall. On the third attempt, the aircraft sank too low before Munson increased engine power. He hit a tree causing him to fall short of the runway and collide with a tree stump. The plane immediately burst into flames upon landing.
Hall and Anderson both survived. Hall received burns on his arms and hands and Anderson received burns on his face, arm and neck. Munson suffered a broken neck and would have most likely been a quadriplegic had he survived. He died of asphyxiation due to the inhalation of super heated air and toxic substances. After a thorough investigation, the FAA released their findings:
…the pilot’s failure to recognize the need for, and to take action to maintain, sufficient airspeed to prevent a stall into the ground during an attempted landing. The pilot also failed to recognize the need for timely and sufficient power application to prevent the stall during an approach conducted inadvertently without flaps extended. Contributing to the pilot’s inability to recognize the problem and to take proper action was his failure to use the appropriate checklist and his nonstandard pattern procedures which resulted in an abnormal approach profile.
The Yankees opened a four game set with the Orioles in the Bronx the day after the tragedy, and paid tribute to their fallen captain in a pregame ceremony. The starters stood at their defensive positions, leaving the catchers box empty. Cardinal Terence Cooke read a prayer and there was a moment of silence before America the Beautiful was played. The 51,151 fans in attendance burst into an eight minute standing ovation.
On August 6, the team attended his funeral in Canton with close friends Lou Piniella and Bobby Murcer giving eulogies. The Yankees beat the Orioles 5-4 that night with Murcer driving in all five runs. He had a three run homer in the seventh and a two run single in the bottom of the ninth.
George Steinbrenner retired Munson’s number 15 immediately upon his death. On September 20, 1980, a plaque was erected in Monument Park in the captain’s memory.
Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next … Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him.
Munson’s locker has never been reassigned. The empty locker remained as a tribute in the original Yankee Stadium and was moved, in one piece, to the new stadium when it opened.
The Thurman Munson Awards, held every February in New York, honors athletes for their work on and off the field to remember the Yankee legend while raising money for a great cause. The event has raised more than $13 million for the AHRC New York City Foundation, which supports programs such as schools, summer camps and job training programs to enable children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.
Had his life not been cut tragically short, he would have undoubtedly had a Hall of Fame career. He had a .292/.346/.410 batting line, hitting 113 homers and 229 doubles. He was a seven time All Star, a three time Gold Glove winner, the Rookie of the Year in 1970 and the 1976 MVP. The Yankees lost the heart and soul of their team 37 years ago today, and not a day goes by that he isn’t missed.
