This day in NY sports history: Aug. 2, 1979

August 1, 2010

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Thursday, Aug. 2, 1979

Yankees captain Thurman Munson died when the small jet he was piloting went down short of the runway at Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio. Munson's plane clipped the top of some trees on the approach and, though his two passengers survived, the 32-year-old catcher couldn't be rescued. Munson had regularly flown back to his hometown of Canton to visit his wife and three children on off days. Munson's memory was honored at Yankee Stadium the following day in a pre-game ceremony that included an eight-minute ovation from the 51,151 fans. Beloved for his intensity, leadership and clutch hitting, the catcher was a career .292 hitter and a seven-time All-Star. He had received Rookie of the Year honors in 1970 and the American League MVP award in '76 and was part of two championship teams.