The plane crashed right down the road from me. Remember seeing the terrible wreckage in person. What a shame, man.. Went to high school with his daughter Tracy. He also came to my baseball midget league banquet. He was getting ready to sign with the tribe too!. What a unbelievable talent, miss you stud.
WOW! I'm a Pirates fan but like Yankees too and Thurman was my favorite. So sad you had to actually see the wreckage. Did you actually meet Thurman at the midget league banquet? And you went to high school with Tracy. That's very cool. Ya, there will never be another Thurman. Wish they'd get him in the HOF. R.I.P. Thurman #15
Steve, I'd also heard wild rumors about the Indians and even the Pirates trading Dave Parker for Thurman 1 for 1. There is an interview on here where Thurman tells Howard Cosell that he had asked about going to Cleveland.
Thurman’s rookie year 1970 is when I became a Yankee fan. Even though I have family ties to the team I always thought of Thurman as my favorite and he still is. RIP THURMAN LEE MUNSON. GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.
I was 13 years old and went to watch an American Legion game with my buddy and his dad in Lowell, MA. I remember the word being passed around the crowd. Munson was the rival to my beloved Carlton Fisk, so I hated that guy in that way you feel about rivals, but when we learned of his passing, it was just sadness. RIP Thurman Munson.
As a young Yankee fan of course I remember him doing the Game of the Week with Gowdy and Joe. Always extremely well informed and asked good questions and was willing to demonstrate at any time how the pros handled things as tips for young baseball players. A classy, kind good man. A very fine ball player. I remember being in my freshman year in college learning that Thurman Munson had passed... I was devastated.
I remember watching him with the Yankees and the Oakland A’s. I also truly enjoyed listening to him as a Minnesota Twins analyst. I was heartbroken when he left the Twins broadcast booth
I was 13 ... remember the whole weekend. The image of Home Plate being empty is etched in my mind forever. Then, when Murcer and Piniella hugged after that amazing win the game after the funeral. I think we all cried and jumped for joy at the same time....oh Captain, our Captain...RIP
Will always remember this day, we were in 12 yrs old All-stars, playing in our Little League State Finals Tournament, in Bullhead City, Az…before the National Anthem played, PA announcer said, “we have tragic news for our country, and shared the plane crash news, w loss of Thurman Munson “
Phillies fan here, but I will never forget that day. My best friend and I would play wall ball if we couldnt get enough kids to play a full game. I met him at the school and he told me Thurman Munson died in a plane crash. He was a Cardinals fan but we both were saddened by the news. He was a star in baseball. Every kid knew him. I was 10 years old
Even though my cousin played for the Yankees from 1954-1962 his career was before my time. Bill Skowron is my cousin. But Thurman was and still is my favorite Yankee.
My birthday was Aug. 1 and my girlfriend and I were going to the beach the next day. Heard the shocking news on the car’s radio. Twenty years later I’m driving in PA and I hear about Payne Stewart. I was a huge fan of his.
When I was doing play by play in LAFAYETTE, LA., for an independent team in the Indy TEXAS-LOUISIANA LEAGUE, our mostly home games pitching coach for the BAYOU BULLFROGS was hometown guy(from suburb CARENCRO) RON GUIDRY, LOUISIANA LIGHTNIN’, himself. We actually played our home games in his old college ballpark. Because of RON G.’s connection to THURMAN MUNSON, a writer for Esquire magazine came down in 1999(20TH.ANNIVERSARY) to orchestrate the photographing of GUIDRY, and to interview him. I brought that writer MIKE PATERNITI up into the booth and talked to him on the air. Guidry really wanted to pay tribute to his friend, but I certainly was not going to broach the subject with him. He still felt the loss hard twenty years later. Most players loved THURMAN, and that included the ones who liked REGGIE in the BILLY MARTIN feud that cost BILLY his job. R.I.P. to THURMAN MUNSON, and sadly, to his former manager. Munson was the best hitting for average catcher in the A.L., bar none. Oh, and RIP to Munson’s bud BOBBY MURCER who spoke at the funeral, and later that same day in a pregame speech to the team in the clubhouse where he was in tears, before he promptly went out and had the winning hit for the YANKS in the old YANKEE STADIUM.. remarkable. Meanwhile, the piece on Munson’s death and how it affected his NY YANK teammates, is in that issue of ESQUIRE. I have it in storage. I do not remember the month.. It was likely in the summer.. The photog wore longer shorts, with big suspenders, and to match his shorts, brown shoes or boots with knee high socks and a short sleeve shirt. He was from JOLLY OLD ENGLAND.. Anyway..it was a Sad Deal even for a KC ROYALS fan like me..😥 The best to all of their families, today.. sigh.
The only catcher in the HOF who had a shorter career than Munson is Roy Campanella. Campanella is considered by some as the greatest catcher of all time, even better than Johnny Bench. Thurmon Munson has never been seriously mentioned in the same breath as Campanella. He had a great career, and Munson making the HOF would get no argument from me, but based on how short his career was, his worthiness is far from being an obvious selection. Yes, his career was cut short by his tragic death, but other players' promising careers have also been cut short by career-ending injuries, which are tragic in their own way, and the HOF doesn't care.
Two of my longtime buddy’s meet and showed him a King Air aircraft when he was shopping to upgrade aircraft. Although a nice guy they they thought him to be way overconfident of his abilities considering his lack of experience in high performance aircraft and low flight time. Sad…
If the NBA can honor Bill Walton as one of the 75 best players of all time, just based on when he was healthy, MLB can certainly recognize the accomplishments of Munson's abbreviated career.
I'm not one for letting in the merely very good not great players as is so common anymore, I'm more of a small Hall guy. Not even a Yankee fan. But Munson and Mattingly belong. My God, that news was horrible. Still not over it.
My respect mister John, unfortunately I dont have privilege to met you but my Father is your former golf ⛳ partner longtime ago in the sixties you pitch for the White Sox at the time long live To you⚾👍
I was drilling a bowling ball for a customer in the basement of the Melville TSS Sporting Goods dept. when I heard. Whatever I think of thurman I think of rubber fragments in my nose from those bowling balls. Odd how the strong memory of that tragic day has that sort of connection.
He was really a likable person. Nice guy. Good ball player. Wish he chose to do something else that day. What a shame. Should have been a HOFer. Later Captain!
Personally, I will never consider the BBHoF to be credible until Thurman Munson and Curt Flood are part of it. Munson was one of the greatest catchers of all time and Flood is one of the most influential athletes of all time.
Ted Williams a world class and hall of fame pilot said ‘Munson didn’t deserve to be a pilot cause he was too damn reckless ‘ As he lay dying Thurman’s last words to his shaken up co pilot were ‘ I fucked up’
He had the perfect 70's catcher mentality and look. Gruff, unshaven, growly, tough, scruffy " I dont wanna be Reggie's friend", all describe Munson. Without Reggie though, they don't win the chips...
sad day. I wanted to grow up to be Thurman Munson. After that my mitt sat in the bottom of my closet for 20 years. They just dont make them like that anymore.
Munson, in just 11 seasons, had the stats (113 HR, .292 BA, 696 Runs and 701 RBIs, Rookie of the Year, MVP 2x WS, 7x All-Star, 3x golden gloves), for induction into the hall, posthumously. Why the BBWAA didn't follow through is not clear. Cooperstown Board of Directors can also bypass the BBWAA and induct players, directly.
Better than average stats for sure, but Munson's slugging pct. and OPS were very mediocre. He was having an awful year at the plate the year he died. Only 3 homers in 97 games played. The year before he hit only 6 homers in 154 games. That's awful for a catcher.
@@kellykarcher7179 You gonna keep Campanella out because of his last years? Bench? Jackie Robinson? 😮 He was the first hitter since Ted Williams to have 3 straight years of .300 average and 100 RBI. I think you have to go all the way back to Bill Dickey to find another catcher who did that. And Thurman's post season record was stellar.
@@TheBatugan77 A MLB Player doesn't make the HOF due to postseason stats or stats over a 3 year period. If they did, Kirk Gibson and Josh Hamilton would be in. As a player, Munson was quite good (not great), but wasn't even close to the likes of Campanella, Bench or Robinson who are all ranked in the Top 5 players at their position. As I stated earlier, his career slugging pct. and OPS numbers were not very impressive. I truly believe this is the reason why he has not been inducted into the HOF...
Munson was an idiot, he refused to go to flight school. When Beech Aircraft would not sell him a jet unless he went to flight school he went to Cessna and immediately was allowed to fly a jet without training and subsequently crashed.
He deserves much respect for his play and leadership. However, I lost all respect for his character when, upon hearing of the killing of the 4 students at Kent State, his alma mater, Munson said he wished they had killed more. Wishing more human beings killed is beyond the pale for me.
He was an absolute careless pilot. JFK junior and Thurman were really lousy pilots 😢 who deserve all the blame in the world for their deaths. FAA reports gave him a boatload of significant errors in his dereliction of duty. Insurance company never paid his policy due to his reckless piloting
@@tyronejoihnson7046 when you play in NY and egos are involved, a soap opera is good for business but jackson was crying in right field after munson's death and i think they'd made amends. i love both of those guys. believe what you want.
When I heard the news August 2nd 1979 about Thurman Munson died in the plane crash I was on the boardwalk seaside heights New Jersey very sad day for me 😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪
I remember going inside from playing ball and my mom met me at the door and walked in with me. She first delicately told me and then brought me to the tv. I think it was Steve Bosh on WPIX 11 who was reporting. It was only 2 years after Elvis' death and it had that same feel... hard to believe. I still have the morning paper from 8/3/79.
I was at the first game the Yankees played after Thurman's funeral. So heartbreaking. Thurm will ALWAYS be "Our Captain".
still hurts to this day! I loved Munson,
I remember like it was yesterday I was 14 when Munson died a delivered blow RIP 🙏
My favorite player as a child, Thurman Munson. RIP to the captain.
Thurman Munson was my favorite player also. The Baldwin brothers family dog was named Munson .
Same here. I got to see him hit a homer at Yankee Stadium when I was a kid. A truly great Yankee! 👍
The plane crashed right down the road from me. Remember seeing the terrible wreckage in person. What a shame, man.. Went to high school with his daughter Tracy. He also came to my baseball midget league banquet. He was getting ready to sign with the tribe too!. What a unbelievable talent, miss you stud.
Thurman was going to sign with the tribe ?
WOW! I'm a Pirates fan but like Yankees too and Thurman was my favorite. So sad you had to actually see the wreckage. Did you actually meet Thurman at the midget league banquet? And you went to high school with Tracy. That's very cool. Ya, there will never be another Thurman. Wish they'd get him in the HOF. R.I.P. Thurman #15
Steve, I'd also heard wild rumors about the Indians and even the Pirates trading Dave Parker for Thurman 1 for 1. There is an interview on here where Thurman tells Howard Cosell that he had asked about going to Cleveland.
@@johnfontinha2174 He requested it
@@timcarroll490 Oh yeah I met him and got his autograph. Tracy was 2 years younger than me pretty girl too, She lived down the road from me.
Thurman’s rookie year 1970 is when I became a Yankee fan. Even though I have family ties to the team I always thought of Thurman as my favorite and he still is. RIP THURMAN LEE MUNSON. GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.
I was 12. He was my favorite player. I was so damn sad.
15 The Captain Thurman Munson always remembered ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾
I was 10 years old and remember that horrible day vividly.
A horrible shock to the baseball world.
Die hard Yankee fan especially as a Kid Thurman Munson heart ♥️ soul of Organization 15# what a professional and true family man
I still have all of the newspaper clippings from the day(s) after the crash -- it was a tough blow to handle back then.
I was 13 years old and went to watch an American Legion game with my buddy and his dad in Lowell, MA. I remember the word being passed around the crowd. Munson was the rival to my beloved Carlton Fisk, so I hated that guy in that way you feel about rivals, but when we learned of his passing, it was just sadness. RIP Thurman Munson.
Munson was the reason I’m a Yankee fan, and always will be.
I'm a Die Hard Sox Fan... But I Respected Munson for his Great Talent😢
Yankee fan here. Tim Wakefield 🙏
As a young Yankee fan of course I remember him doing the Game of the Week with Gowdy and Joe. Always extremely well informed and asked good questions and was willing to demonstrate at any time how the pros handled things as tips for young baseball players. A classy, kind good man. A very fine ball player. I remember being in my freshman year in college learning that Thurman Munson had passed... I was devastated.
I am was devastated when I heard the news.
I grew up a Yankee fan and a Pirate fan in Utah. I lost my two favorite players in plane crashes. RIP Thurman and Roberto.
God Bless Tommy John!!! 🥰 God Bless Thurman Munson!!! 🥰 R.I.P. Thurman!!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
I remember watching him with the Yankees and the Oakland A’s. I also truly enjoyed listening to him as a Minnesota Twins analyst. I was heartbroken when he left the Twins broadcast booth
Munson? or TOMMY JOHN?
I don’t remember TJ wearing the Kelly and gold. Munson died when he was still playing.
Please, explain your comment..
Thanks..
I was 13 ... remember the whole weekend. The image of Home Plate being empty is etched in my mind forever. Then, when Murcer and Piniella hugged after that amazing win the game after the funeral. I think we all cried and jumped for joy at the same time....oh Captain, our Captain...RIP
I still have all of the newspaper clippings from the day(s) after the crash -- it was a tough blow to handle back then.
I did a book report on Tommy John when I was in, I think, 5th or 6th grade, about how he bounced back after the surgery!
I dont know why T.J. isn't in the H.O.F.? What almost a 300 game winner??Who did he piss off ?? 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
Will always remember this day, we were in 12 yrs old All-stars, playing in our Little League State Finals Tournament, in Bullhead City, Az…before the National Anthem played, PA announcer said, “we have tragic news for our country, and shared the plane crash news, w loss of Thurman Munson “
I still have all of the newspaper clippings from the day(s) after the crash -- it was a tough blow to handle back then.
Phillies fan here, but I will never forget that day. My best friend and I would play wall ball if we couldnt get enough kids to play a full game. I met him at the school and he told me Thurman Munson died in a plane crash. He was a Cardinals fan but we both were saddened by the news. He was a star in baseball. Every kid knew him. I was 10 years old
I was a Royals fan, but this hit me so hard.
John was a terrific savvy pitcher
you can see at 0:59 he begins to relive it, what he said to his wife and he stops himself as he begins to break down
Even though my cousin played for the Yankees from 1954-1962 his career was before my time. Bill Skowron is my cousin. But Thurman was and still is my favorite Yankee.
Munson actually survived the crash but was paralyzed from the neck down and died of asphyxiation from the smoke.
Therefore he didn't survive the crash. Dummy.
"Awh Man" Never knew that! Maybe a Blessing? Roy Campanella never did well after his Paralysis. Who Does?
My birthday was Aug. 1 and my girlfriend and I were going to the beach the next day. Heard the shocking news on the car’s radio. Twenty years later I’m driving in PA and I hear about Payne Stewart. I was a huge fan of his.
One of those most difficult times in pin stripes. You can see TJ has never fully recovered, never forget.
Reminds me of Frank Costanza calling Jerry....George is dead, call me back!
The two worst days of my childhood were:
1. Munson's plane crash
2. Ali getting pummeled by Larry Holmes
Take it from someone who knows, if those were your worst childhood days you were blessed.
Ali sure got the dogshit (🐕 💩) slapped outta him, didden he? Heh heh heh.
😊😅😂😀😁😆
Miss you One Five!!!!
Tommy John 👍👍
When I was doing play by play in LAFAYETTE, LA., for an independent team in the Indy TEXAS-LOUISIANA LEAGUE, our mostly home games pitching coach for the BAYOU BULLFROGS was hometown guy(from suburb CARENCRO) RON GUIDRY, LOUISIANA LIGHTNIN’, himself. We actually played our home games in his old college ballpark.
Because of RON G.’s connection to THURMAN MUNSON, a writer for Esquire magazine came down in 1999(20TH.ANNIVERSARY) to orchestrate the photographing of GUIDRY, and to interview him. I brought that writer MIKE PATERNITI up into the booth and talked to him on the air.
Guidry really wanted to pay tribute to his friend, but I certainly was not going to broach the subject with him. He still felt the loss hard twenty years later.
Most players loved THURMAN, and that included the ones who liked REGGIE in the BILLY MARTIN feud that cost BILLY his job.
R.I.P. to THURMAN MUNSON, and sadly, to his former manager.
Munson was the best hitting for average catcher in the A.L., bar none.
Oh, and RIP to Munson’s bud BOBBY MURCER who spoke at the funeral, and later that same day in a pregame speech to the team in the clubhouse where he was in tears, before he promptly went out and had the winning hit for the YANKS in the old YANKEE STADIUM.. remarkable.
Meanwhile, the piece on Munson’s death and how it affected his NY YANK teammates, is in that issue of ESQUIRE. I have it in storage.
I do not remember the month..
It was likely in the summer..
The photog wore longer shorts, with big suspenders, and to match his shorts, brown shoes or boots with knee high socks and a short sleeve shirt.
He was from JOLLY OLD ENGLAND..
Anyway..it was a
Sad Deal even for a KC ROYALS fan like me..😥
The best to all of their families, today..
sigh.
Can never forget hearing the news and not believing what I had just heard
I really liked Thurman
Still can't figure out why he is not in the HOF!!!
The only catcher in the HOF who had a shorter career than Munson is Roy Campanella. Campanella is considered by some as the greatest catcher of all time, even better than Johnny Bench. Thurmon Munson has never been seriously mentioned in the same breath as Campanella. He had a great career, and Munson making the HOF would get no argument from me, but based on how short his career was, his worthiness is far from being an obvious selection. Yes, his career was cut short by his tragic death, but other players' promising careers have also been cut short by career-ending injuries, which are tragic in their own way, and the HOF doesn't care.
That was a sad day for all baseball fans. Thurman will always be remembered. God bless his family.
Two of my longtime buddy’s meet and showed him a King Air aircraft when he was shopping to upgrade aircraft. Although a nice guy they they thought him to be way overconfident of his abilities considering his lack of experience in high performance aircraft and low flight time. Sad…
Tommy John belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Munson had no business flying around in a jet.
Great catcher. Horrid pilot. Despite his tragic death he wasn’t worthy of hall of fame 😢
Thurman Munson should be in the Hall of Fame. I'm not a Yankees fan but I know this and it needs to happen.
If the NBA can honor Bill Walton as one of the 75 best players of all time, just based on when he was healthy, MLB can certainly recognize the accomplishments of Munson's abbreviated career.
I'm not one for letting in the merely very good not great players as is so common anymore, I'm more of a small Hall guy. Not even a Yankee fan. But Munson and Mattingly belong. My God, that news was horrible. Still not over it.
My respect mister John, unfortunately I dont have privilege to met you but my Father is your former golf ⛳ partner longtime ago in the sixties you pitch for the White Sox at the time long live To you⚾👍
I was drilling a bowling ball for a customer in the basement of the Melville TSS Sporting Goods dept. when I heard. Whatever I think of thurman I think of rubber fragments in my nose from those bowling balls. Odd how the strong memory of that tragic day has that sort of connection.
He was really a likable person. Nice guy. Good ball player. Wish he chose to do something else that day. What a shame. Should have been a HOFer. Later Captain!
Personally, I will never consider the BBHoF to be credible until Thurman Munson and Curt Flood are part of it. Munson was one of the greatest catchers of all time and Flood is one of the most influential athletes of all time.
Munson ignorted the warnings of being unlicensed and untrained on that model----very sad and certainly preventable.
Still hurts you can tell
Ted Williams a world class and hall of fame pilot said ‘Munson didn’t deserve to be a pilot cause he was too damn reckless ‘ As he lay dying Thurman’s last words to his shaken up co pilot were ‘ I fucked up’
I was 11 years old when it happened
So many owner/pilots crash their highly complex personal jet aircraft…. need to read up on what was the determined cause
Just a terrible day for this then 15 yr old Yankee fan. ;(.
I understand Carlton Fisk took it badly as well.
The Dodgers stood by this guy, then he stabbed them in the back
Most people dont now that Tommy John was named after a famous surgery
He had the perfect 70's catcher mentality and look. Gruff, unshaven, growly, tough, scruffy " I dont wanna be Reggie's friend", all describe Munson. Without Reggie though, they don't win the chips...
sad day. I wanted to grow up to be Thurman Munson. After that my mitt sat in the bottom of my closet for 20 years. They just dont make them like that anymore.
There's my friend Shaun Clancy!
I’m to young to remember JFK death but I remember Thurman Munson.
You see its still fresh and so awful, also this man belongs in the HOF
Munson, in just 11 seasons, had the stats (113 HR, .292 BA, 696 Runs and 701 RBIs, Rookie of the Year, MVP 2x WS, 7x All-Star, 3x golden gloves), for induction into the hall, posthumously. Why the BBWAA didn't follow through is not clear. Cooperstown Board of Directors can also bypass the BBWAA and induct players, directly.
Oh, he boxed too...I didn't know that *_Gold_* Gloves ;-)
Better than average stats for sure, but Munson's slugging pct. and OPS were very mediocre. He was having an awful year at the plate the year he died. Only 3 homers in 97 games played. The year before he hit only 6 homers in 154 games. That's awful for a catcher.
Greatness,thank you for posting his stats been a Yankee fan since a kid
@@kellykarcher7179
You gonna keep Campanella out because of his last years? Bench? Jackie Robinson? 😮
He was the first hitter since Ted Williams to have 3 straight years of .300 average and 100 RBI. I think you have to go all the way back to Bill Dickey to find another catcher who did that. And Thurman's post season record was stellar.
@@TheBatugan77 A MLB Player doesn't make the HOF due to postseason stats or stats over a 3 year period. If they did, Kirk Gibson and Josh Hamilton would be in. As a player, Munson was quite good (not great), but wasn't even close to the likes of Campanella, Bench or Robinson who are all ranked in the Top 5 players at their position. As I stated earlier, his career slugging pct. and OPS numbers were not very impressive. I truly believe this is the reason why he has not been inducted into the HOF...
Yup kids that's who the surgery is named after.
Nobody said he was eloquent...
Munson was an idiot, he refused to go to flight school. When Beech Aircraft would not sell him a jet unless he went to flight school he went to Cessna and immediately was allowed to fly a jet without training and subsequently crashed.
He deserves much respect for his play and leadership. However, I lost all respect for his character when, upon hearing of the killing of the 4 students at Kent State, his alma mater, Munson said he wished they had killed more. Wishing more human beings killed is beyond the pale for me.
Wasn't Munson only a catcher?
No, they also let him bat.
Tommy John lives in a huge echo chamber.....
He was an absolute careless pilot. JFK junior and Thurman were really lousy pilots 😢 who deserve all the blame in the world for their deaths. FAA reports gave him a boatload of significant errors in his dereliction of duty. Insurance company never paid his policy due to his reckless piloting
Tommy needs a tooth!
T. John was a cry baby his whole career. Never accepted responsibility when he lost, always someone else's fault.
Was Reggie a person of interest?
no but if you look closely you can see him crying in right field like a lot of other people cried after munson's death.
@@marcyfan-tz4wj they say Reggie was laughing because he no Munson were enemies.
@@tyronejoihnson7046 when you play in NY and egos are involved, a soap opera is good for business but jackson was crying in right field after munson's death and i think they'd made amends. i love both of those guys. believe what you want.
The third vegetable hisologically extend because snowboarding inadvertently carry by a rich prose. illegal, spicy gliding
My thoughts exactly!
Well, I feel your logic, but, I wouldn't go that far.
ggggggggggggg
Unless you consider the interstellar accordion turnip myosin liturgy, as swung for synopsis chimney whiskers.
Thurman had prior problems with his plane.Billy Martin said that in a deposition.But Thurm was a stubborn guy.Whst a waste.
When I heard the news August 2nd 1979 about Thurman Munson died in the plane crash I was on the boardwalk seaside heights New Jersey very sad day for me 😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪
👍😪
After mantle, maris . Thurman munson was mister yankees. Its was why .he was captain .lovery player.❤still missing you.⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️
I was eight years old and not a Yankees fan but I vividly remember that day and was shocked! It was the first sports tragedy I could remember!
I remember going inside from playing ball and my mom met me at the door and walked in with me. She first delicately told me and then brought me to the tv. I think it was Steve Bosh on WPIX 11 who was reporting. It was only 2 years after Elvis' death and it had that same feel... hard to believe. I still have the morning paper from 8/3/79.
I know you! Boy do I miss Foley’s
Irony that Tommy was a Dodger in 1977 and 1978 and they lost to the Yankees and in 1979 he was a Yankee and Thurman's teammate