40 Years Today

The news broke in the late afternoon of August 2nd, 1979. An off day for the Yankees, a day to head home after playing the White Sox in Chicago. A day to escape the stress of a deeply disappointing season, when hopes for a third straight championship were replaced by the painful reality of a 14-game deficit to the playoff bound Orioles. A day for families, hobbies, anything but baseball.
For Thurman Munson, it was a day to spend at home in Canton, Ohio, to fly his prized Cessena private jet. Along with his instructor and a friend, Munson left the Akron-Canton Airport just after 3:30 to practice take-offs and landings. The first three went well; the fourth landing ended in tragedy.
The Captain, the catcher, the career-long Yankee, the heart and soul of the franchise's 1970s return to prominence, gone in a moment. A locker left empty and preserved in that state forever -- even after being moved across the street to the current Stadium. A spot to remember a tenacious excellence, talent and tenacity and number never to be work by another Yankee.
I wish I could say I had a photo of Munson in action; but I did bring a camera to the Stadium on August 9th, 1972. Check the scoreboard for the opener of a doubleheader; zoom in on the Yankees lineup. Batting second and catching, number-15, Thurman Munson.
The man and the image have merged into a legacy that's part of Yankees heritage. Decades later, fans, too young to have seen Thurman play, see his image in action on the Stadium video screen and look for 15 on the panel of retired numbers. Third from the right on the upper row, between Whitey Ford and Elston Howard. A Yankee Forever.


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