But the show must go on, and the Yankees brought in Rick Cerone as the next Yankee backstop for the 1980 season and beyond. Replacing a fan favorite, two-time champion who was on a Hall of Fame path was no small task.

Who was Yankee catcher after Thurman Munson?

Narron went behind the plate as Yankees catcher one day after starting catcher and team captain Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash that took place 40 years ago Friday. Narron was the Yankees' backup catcher, a 23-year-old rookie, in 1979.

What was Thurman Munson's last words?

Hall said in his deposition that Munson's last words were “Help me, Dave. '' The two men could not free Munson and fled as smoke and flames entered the cockpit.

Who was better Fisk or Munson?

Fisk's slugging average (. 457) was superior to Munson's (. ... Munson's career WAR or WIns Above Replacement was 43.3 for his 10 full complete seasons. Fisk's career WAR was 63.7 for his 21 complete seasons.

What happened to Thurman Munson's locker?

Thurman Munson's locker is in the Yankees Museum. Thurmon Munson's locker remains in Yankee Museum along with one of his jerseys. Thurman Munson played as a catcher for the New York Yankees for 11 seasons.

Yankees honor Thurman Munson during pregame

When did Thurman Munson pass away?

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The stunning death of legendary Yankees catcher Thurman Munson in a plane crash on August 2, 1979, still resonates all these years later. Munson was using his Cessna Citation to commute between New York and Canton, Ohio, where his family lived.

How old was Thurman Munson when he passed away?

During an off day on August 2, 1979, during the Yankees 1979 season, Munson died at age 32 while practicing landing his Cessna Citation I/SP aircraft at Akron–Canton Airport. He suffered a broken neck as result of the crash, and his cause of death was asphyxiation.

Is Thurman Munson a Hall of Famer?

Since integration, Munson's 46.1 career WAR ranks eighth among players who caught in at least two-thirds of their career games; all seven ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. Even when we include catchers of bygone eras, Munson's career WAR exceeds that of five catchers who are Hall members.

Was Thurman Munson good?

Munson ranked in the top 10 among American League hitters in 5 times, was the first catcher to have 4 consecutive seasons with 180 hits, had three consecutive seasons hitting . 300 while driving in 100 RBI and perhaps his generation's great clutch hitter-batting . 357 in the post-season.

Who was number 16 for the Yankees?

Whitey Ford's number 16 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1974. Ford won 236 games for the New York Yankees (career 236–106), still a franchise record. Ford is tied with Dave Foutz for the fourth-best winning percentage in baseball history at . 690.

How did Thurman Munson crash his plane?

According to flight records, it was at 4:02 that Munson lost control of his plane and it fell from the sky about 1,000 feet short of a runway, careening into a field and coming to a halt when it crashed into a large tree stump.

Is Roger Maris in the Hall of Fame?

To date, Maris has not been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Is Carlton Fisk in the Hall of Fame?

He finished his career with 2,356 hits, 376 home runs, 1,330 RBI and a . 269 batting average – along with three Silver Slugger Awards and one Gold Glove Award. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Where did Thurman Munson go to college?

Born in Akron, Ohio, he grew up in nearby Canton. He graduated from Lehman High School in Canton and nearby Kent State University, where he was a teammate of pitcher and later broadcaster Steve Stone. Munson was selected by the Yankees with the fourth pick in the first round of the 1968 amateur draft.

Why did Roberto Clemente's plane crash?

The 1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash was an aviation accident that occurred on December 31, 1972, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. As a result of inadequate maintenance, the aircraft's No. 2 engine failed after takeoff.

What Yankees pitcher died in a plane crash?

Both people aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident: New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his certificated flight instructor Tyler Stanger.