This lot closes on May 23rd, 2021 at 10:00 PM EDT for initial bids.

Few people embodied the grit, attitude, and skill needed to be a catcher in Major League Baseball more than the late Thurman Munson. Munson, selected fourth overall in the 1968 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, quickly established himself as a top prospect when the catcher from Akron, Ohio, batted over .300 during his two seasons in the minor leagues. Munson would make his MLB debut late during the 1969 season, earning the starting catcher position the next year. The 1970 season would see Munson establish himself as a force to be reckoned with, both at-bat and behind the plate. Munson would post an astounding batting average of .302, a feat he would accomplish over 5 times during his 11-year career, hitting 6 home runs and driving in 53 RBI to earn the 1970 American League Rookie of the Year honors. Munson, an outstanding defensive player also won three Gold Glove Awards during his tenure behind the plate, recording only a single error during the 1971 season. The same season saw Munson catch 36 of a potential 59 base stealers and the first of his seven All-Star selections, solidifying his place behind the plate as a savvy and keen-eyed plate minder.

Lou Piniella once dubbed Munson “the greatest competitor he’d ever seen,” applied his tough-as-nails presence behind the plate during the mid-70s that saw Munson engaged in a rivalry with Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, with the publicity-shy Munson taking umbrage with the praise heaped upon Fisk. The two, who according to sportswriter Moss Klein, “The Fisk-Munson rivalry was at the core of the Yankees-Red Sox tension of that era,” came to a head on August 1st, 1973 at Fenway Park when Munson barreled into Fisk at home plate, instigating a bench-clearing brawl. Munson’s grit, competitiveness and acumen on the baseball diamond saw him named the captain of the New York Yankees in 1976, a title last held by Lou Gehrig in 1939. Munson was an integral part of the Yankees teams that made three consecutive World Series appearances from 1976-78, winning two consecutive World Series championships in 1977-78. Munson is the only catcher in MLB postseason history to post a .300+ batting average, slashing .357, post 20 or more RBI with 22, and post 20 or more defensive caught steals with 24. Munson’s career was tragically cut short when the novice pilot’s Cessna Citation I/SP aircraft he was piloting, crashed during a botched landing attempt at Akron-Canton Airport. The New York Yankees retired the number 15 in his honor, and the gruff-yet approachable catcher being honored in the Yankees Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.

Presented here is an Official League Baseball signed by late New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson. “WORTH” is stamped in black on the east panel of the baseball. “CORK CENTER NO.900-CC” is stamped in black on the west panel. “OFFICIAL LEAGUE BASEBALL TORSION CORE” is stamped on the north panel of the baseball in black. Munson signed his name on the sweet spot with a blue ballpoint pen. The signature is bold, and the baseball contains a scuff mark above Munson’s signature and elements of light toning. The Official League Baseball signed by Yankees great Thurman Munson comes with an LOA from PSA/DNA for the signature. This item also comes with a LOA for the signature that graded an 8.

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