VIDEO: Ron Guidry Remembers Thurman Munson on the 40th Anniversary of His Death
By Jerry Trotta
Friday marks the 40-year anniversary of Yankees legend Thurman Munson's tragic death. On this day in 1979, New York's captain was pronounced dead after the private jet he was piloting crashed near his hometown in Canton, Ohio. And in a touching memento, Tugboat's former teammate, left-handed hurler (and fellow legend) Ron Guidry, reflected on the death of his friend as well as his legacy to the Bombers and the sport of baseball. Prepare a box of tissues, ladies and gents. This one is tough to watch.
“If you think about tradition and pride and all of the stuff that the @Yankees are built around, that’s Thurman Munson."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 2, 2019
Ron Guidry reflects on the loss of the Yankees captain on the 40th anniversary of his tragic death. pic.twitter.com/LYoUBNUtMu
Incredibly, Mr. Guidry. Absolutely incredible.
The nine-minute clip features a profusion of tear-jerk worthy quotes and highlights, but perhaps the former Cy Young's most touching excerpt came in the final 20 seconds.
"If you think about tradition and pride and all of the stuff that the Yankees are built around, that's a Thurman Munson -- a guy who loved the organization, loved playing the game and loved being a Yankee. He was proud of that and made sure that everyone else knew how much it meant," Guidry said.
The baseball world mourned the loss of Thurman Munson on this day 40 years ago.
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 2, 2019
He was never better than in 1976, as detailed in this SI Vault piece: https://t.co/LOG4GTckW6 pic.twitter.com/ijDslMMZX0
Nothing more need be said to describe the type of player and character Munson personified.
Guidry's eulogy hit it right on the tee.