{"product_id":"thurman-munson-a-baseball-biography","title":"Thurman Munson: A Baseball Biography","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen in 2000 the Baseball Writers Association of America elected the ever-durable Carlton Fisk to the National Baseball Hall of Fame  many fans quietly pointed to the Halls omission of Fisk greatest American League contemporary  Thurman Munson. And when in 2001 the writers honored Kirby Puckett  the Twins star forced to retire with glaucoma after a brilliant but brief 12-year career  the same fans began to raise their voices in support of Munson  another short-timer who was once the toast of his teams hometown. In a position that requires the strapping on of hot  awkward equipment and the torturous alternation of standing and squatting  most catchers struggle to maintain electrolytes  let alone a respectable batting average. It is  in fact  a position so demanding  that men deemed good ball-handlers or pitcher confidants might hang on in the big leagues for years despite their drag on a teams offensive production. Munson  like Fisk and National Leaguer Johnny Bench  was a tough-as-nails backstop  a Gold Glove winner  and the unquestioned leader of his team. Like Bench and Fisk  too  though to a lesser degree  Munson had home run power. But the Yankee captain was in  at least one respect  an even rarer breed of catcher--one who manages despite the physical and mental demands of his position to finish each year somewhere near the .300 mark. Munson  who ranked in the top 10 among A.L. hitters five of the nine full seasons he played  was widely considered one of his generations great clutch hitters. When the star catcher died at age 32  he was still in his prime  and it seems clear to many that on August 2  1979  misfortune denied Munson his place in Cooperstown. Outlived by his contemporaries  who went on to post more impressive career numbers  and now overshadowed by the accomplishments of catchers from the current batter-biased era  Munsons chances for recognition grow increasingly faint. But for all the praiseworthy things he did on the field in his short career  Thurman Munson accomplished as much in between the innings and games he labored through. And it might be his influence for which hes ultimately remembered. In this work  author Chris Devine pays special attention to Munson as teammate  friend  husband  and father.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986131480629,"sku":"ByrdShop_0786410892","price":42.57,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780786410897.jpg?v=1770888402","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/thurman-munson-a-baseball-biography","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}