Lot # 189: August 3, 1979 Yankee Stadium Ticket Stub - First Game Following Thurman Munson's Death

Category: Baseball Tickets

Starting Bid: $100.00

Bids: 2 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring, 2022 Premier Auction",
which ran from 3/16/2022 9:00 PM to
4/2/2022 9:00 PM



The tragic 1979 passing of Yankees Captain Thurman Munson was a watershed moment in the life of many a New York baseball fan.  The great catcher had been the subject of quite a bit of controversy during the season, his knees causing pain and speculation that he might be forced to switch positions, and his devotion to his family causing speculation that he might be forced to switch teams.  To help him spend more time at home, Munson obtained his pilot's license, and on a Yankees off day, August 2, 1979, Munson was killed in a plane crash while practicing takeoffs and landings.

Much is made of the "Bobby Murcer Game," the August 6 game after Munson's funeral service, where Bobby Murcer drove in all five of the Yankees runs in a dramatic and emotional 5-4 Yankees victory over the Baltimore Orioles.  Few recall that the Yankees actually played three games prior, including a home game on Friday, August 3 - the day after Munson's death.  The Yankees had considered forfeiting this game, or cancelling it, but Munson's wife Diana convinced the team that Munson would not have wanted the Yankees to do anything but play.  In front of a crowd of 51,151 (note all the 1s and 5s), catcher Jerry Narron remained in the Yankee dugout while Robert Merrill sang "America the Beautiful," and then Scott McGregor squared off against Luis Tiant.  The flat Yankees lost the game, 1-0.  Young Yankees fans - including the future owner of Love of the Game Auctions - cried.

Presented here is a ticket stub from that August 3 game, the first game Yankee fans would see without their captain and beloved catcher.  In FAIR+ condition, the stub exhibits some visible wear, creasing and fading, along with paper loss at the perforation.  A tremendous document of New York Yankees history.

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