The 10 Best Catchers In New York Yankees History
3. Thurman Munson
In 1970, Thurman Munson’s first year in the show, he took home the AL’s Rookie of the Year and he won the MVP in 1976 after slashing .302/.377/.432 with 17 home runs. He is the only Yankee to win both of those awards.
Munson was the first man to become team captain since Lou Gehrig and put together three straight yeats of a .300 batting average and 100 RBIs. In 1978, but he led his squad to its third pennant in a row and helped win back-to-back World Championships.
In tragic fashion, Munson’s life was taken in a plane crash on August 2, 1979. Owner George Steinbrenner ordered the retirement of his Number 15 immediately and a year later his Plaque in Monument Park was ready.
Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.
