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Thurm: Memoirs of a Forever Yankee
Thurman Munson's memoir, written just the year before his death, returns with a new introduction about his lasting legacy and a new foreword by his wife Diana who reveals the man dedicated to family and fans above himself.
Over forty years since Thurman Munson’s death, Memoirs of a Forever Yankee revives the life of the famous New York Yankees catcher. In collaboration with longtime Yankee historian Marty Appel, Munson chronicles in his own words his path to the majors, his career success, his approach to being the first team captain in nearly forty years since Lou Gehrig, the Yankees return to glory when they won the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the breakdown of his body as he gave his all to the sport, and his absolute dedication to his wife and children above all else.
Munson, the Ohio native who quickly rose to Yankee stardom, played in an age of Hall of Famers, including a competitive relationship with teammate Reggie Jackson, a fierce rivalry with Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, and clashes with new owner George Steinbrenner on their way to championships. Munson shares further stories such as catching for pitchers Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, and Goose Gossage, who all later attributed their success to Munson behind the plate.
Appel’s conclusion gracefully recounts Munson’s tragic death at age thirty-two in the plane he was piloting and with Diana Munson writing the Foreword, they reflect on the impact Munson left in baseball and in life and celebrate his timeless legacy.
Over forty years since Thurman Munson’s death, Memoirs of a Forever Yankee revives the life of the famous New York Yankees catcher. In collaboration with longtime Yankee historian Marty Appel, Munson chronicles in his own words his path to the majors, his career success, his approach to being the first team captain in nearly forty years since Lou Gehrig, the Yankees return to glory when they won the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the breakdown of his body as he gave his all to the sport, and his absolute dedication to his wife and children above all else.
Munson, the Ohio native who quickly rose to Yankee stardom, played in an age of Hall of Famers, including a competitive relationship with teammate Reggie Jackson, a fierce rivalry with Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, and clashes with new owner George Steinbrenner on their way to championships. Munson shares further stories such as catching for pitchers Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, and Goose Gossage, who all later attributed their success to Munson behind the plate.
Appel’s conclusion gracefully recounts Munson’s tragic death at age thirty-two in the plane he was piloting and with Diana Munson writing the Foreword, they reflect on the impact Munson left in baseball and in life and celebrate his timeless legacy.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2023
Thurman Munson's memoir reveals little about the Yankee legend. Munson was an extremely private man. We learn that he was devoted to his family who he hardly writes about, baseball, and his business interests. He is even extremely guarded with his well-documented rivalries with Reggie Jackson and Carlton Fisk. Munson was a class act but a memoir should contain some revelations and insight that you can not receive on Wikipedia.
March 13, 2023
Another Great Read From Mr. Appel
Capturing Munson's grittiness alongside his devotion to his family is at the center of Marty Appel's efforts. If Munson can't be voted into the HOF by the Veterans Committee, then I would suggest they read this book after taking off their collective blindfold.
Capturing Munson's grittiness alongside his devotion to his family is at the center of Marty Appel's efforts. If Munson can't be voted into the HOF by the Veterans Committee, then I would suggest they read this book after taking off their collective blindfold.
August 7, 2026
Towards the end of this memoir, Munson writes, "I’m assured of playing for the Yankees through the 1981 season, barring a trade. . . I have a new love to make things somewhat more pleasant for me this year—airplanes. I studied for my pilot’s license and received it during the winter. Now in my twin-engine six-seater Beechcraft Duke, it’s possible to fly from New York to Canton in about an hour. . ." But of course he never made it to 1981 because he was tragically killed in an aircraft accident.
Munson is one of those really good players who were big names in their day, but have since largely slid out of the public consciousness. His early death likely contributed to this situation. Five more years or so of good play (assuming he had that many left in him) would probably have been enough to get him there, as it is he remains more of a Yankees legend than a baseball one. Over his career he was an all star seven times, won two world series, was AL Rookie of the year and Al MVP, and he won three Gold Gloves. He could crank out hits and gun down base stealers.
His book is not as good as his game. Just a standard issue sports bio here. My favorite part was how he accuses sports writers of ginning up a rivalry between him and another great AL catcher of the 70's, Carlton Fisk. Then he complains about every time Fisk got voted into the All Star game ahead of him and goes back to saying there was no rivalry a couple more times (methinks he doth protest too much). All things considered I'd probably go with Munson over Fisk in their primes, but Fisk is in the Hall of Fame because he lived and played a lot longer and racked up those big career numbers.
Anyway, Munson follows the ins and outs of various seasons and games, which after the passage of so many years is actually pretty hard to make interesting. And I wish he would give us a bit more about the fascinating characters he played with, like Billy Martin or Reggie Jackson (Thurman and his teammates admired Jackson's skills, but found his loudmouthed ego tough to stomach). And he was on the team when those two Yankee players swapped wives, permanently, (well, permanently for one of them, the other couple split up almost immediately) and a more gossipy minded man might have something interesting to say about that. Munson doesn't, probably because he was a decent human being who doesn't want to gossip about former teammates.
Anyway. Standard baseball autobiography. A good read if you are a diehard Yankees fan or someone who wants to learn about about baseball in the 70s.
Munson is one of those really good players who were big names in their day, but have since largely slid out of the public consciousness. His early death likely contributed to this situation. Five more years or so of good play (assuming he had that many left in him) would probably have been enough to get him there, as it is he remains more of a Yankees legend than a baseball one. Over his career he was an all star seven times, won two world series, was AL Rookie of the year and Al MVP, and he won three Gold Gloves. He could crank out hits and gun down base stealers.
His book is not as good as his game. Just a standard issue sports bio here. My favorite part was how he accuses sports writers of ginning up a rivalry between him and another great AL catcher of the 70's, Carlton Fisk. Then he complains about every time Fisk got voted into the All Star game ahead of him and goes back to saying there was no rivalry a couple more times (methinks he doth protest too much). All things considered I'd probably go with Munson over Fisk in their primes, but Fisk is in the Hall of Fame because he lived and played a lot longer and racked up those big career numbers.
Anyway, Munson follows the ins and outs of various seasons and games, which after the passage of so many years is actually pretty hard to make interesting. And I wish he would give us a bit more about the fascinating characters he played with, like Billy Martin or Reggie Jackson (Thurman and his teammates admired Jackson's skills, but found his loudmouthed ego tough to stomach). And he was on the team when those two Yankee players swapped wives, permanently, (well, permanently for one of them, the other couple split up almost immediately) and a more gossipy minded man might have something interesting to say about that. Munson doesn't, probably because he was a decent human being who doesn't want to gossip about former teammates.
Anyway. Standard baseball autobiography. A good read if you are a diehard Yankees fan or someone who wants to learn about about baseball in the 70s.
March 23, 2026
On August 2, 1979, I was in the middle of a heated whiffle ball game with an assortment of my friends, when I was startled to see my Dad’s face at the gate of my buddy’s backyard field. Given the fact that I was a few miles from home, and it was not quite dinner time, I was more than a little concerned. The look on my Dad’s face immediately told me that tragedy had struck.
What’s the matter Dad? What happened? Is it Mom? Georgie (my brother)? One of the girls? I pleaded, but he just motioned me out of the yard, and he quietly told me what had happened to Thurman while pulling me into a powerful embrace. I was distraught, but, at the same time, so impressed that my incredibly powerful and hard working father went right from work to where he knew he’d find me to deliver the news. He, like me, cried, which I found nearly unfathomable. I composed myself for one second, relayed the news to my astonished and equally heartbroken friends, and climbed into my Dad’s truck to mourn the loss of my favorite Yankee.
I’ve read books about Thurman Munson before, but it’s been awhile since I’ve cracked any that are upon my shelves. Through reading THURM, I realized why I’ve avoided the action. The pain of that August day is still with me, and reliving what made THURM such a unique player, through his words, made me realize why he remains my favorite Yankee to this day. Additionally, I miss my Dad, who passed in 2009, and cannot help but connect Thurm to him. Munson, my favorite player, and my Dad, my favorite role model throughout my 61 years were both key players in my life.
To clearly understand the love of baseball is to remain ever aware of the little boy living inside every man. Every baseball memory is connected to our childhoods like threads of the overall tapestry of our lives. We reflect with the passing of our heroes on the diamond, and we travel back in time to when we had the privilege to see them play. Thurman Munson was the epitome of hard-work, tenacity, and drive. He was all that parents want their young boys to become. He was an incredible player, astute businessman, a dedicated husband, and a loving, attentive father. He was a Captain worth following.
What’s the matter Dad? What happened? Is it Mom? Georgie (my brother)? One of the girls? I pleaded, but he just motioned me out of the yard, and he quietly told me what had happened to Thurman while pulling me into a powerful embrace. I was distraught, but, at the same time, so impressed that my incredibly powerful and hard working father went right from work to where he knew he’d find me to deliver the news. He, like me, cried, which I found nearly unfathomable. I composed myself for one second, relayed the news to my astonished and equally heartbroken friends, and climbed into my Dad’s truck to mourn the loss of my favorite Yankee.
I’ve read books about Thurman Munson before, but it’s been awhile since I’ve cracked any that are upon my shelves. Through reading THURM, I realized why I’ve avoided the action. The pain of that August day is still with me, and reliving what made THURM such a unique player, through his words, made me realize why he remains my favorite Yankee to this day. Additionally, I miss my Dad, who passed in 2009, and cannot help but connect Thurm to him. Munson, my favorite player, and my Dad, my favorite role model throughout my 61 years were both key players in my life.
To clearly understand the love of baseball is to remain ever aware of the little boy living inside every man. Every baseball memory is connected to our childhoods like threads of the overall tapestry of our lives. We reflect with the passing of our heroes on the diamond, and we travel back in time to when we had the privilege to see them play. Thurman Munson was the epitome of hard-work, tenacity, and drive. He was all that parents want their young boys to become. He was an incredible player, astute businessman, a dedicated husband, and a loving, attentive father. He was a Captain worth following.
February 17, 2026
Our captain
I was at Yankee stadium when Thurman hit his 1st homerun, the famous 3 M's, Yankees had hit 3 Homer's in a row, Munson, Murcer and Gene Michael. I was 10 years old. Cried when he passed away, still reminded of August 2nd. He was and still is my idol. The book took me back in time. I enjoyed the trip.
I was at Yankee stadium when Thurman hit his 1st homerun, the famous 3 M's, Yankees had hit 3 Homer's in a row, Munson, Murcer and Gene Michael. I was 10 years old. Cried when he passed away, still reminded of August 2nd. He was and still is my idol. The book took me back in time. I enjoyed the trip.
December 25, 2023
Thurman Munson
I enjoyed hearing Thurman Munson‘s voice after all these years. I feel that I really got to know him. I remain surprise that he is not a member of the baseball Hall of Fame. Perhaps, if some of the baseball writers who vote would read this book, Thurman would be where he should be.
I enjoyed hearing Thurman Munson‘s voice after all these years. I feel that I really got to know him. I remain surprise that he is not a member of the baseball Hall of Fame. Perhaps, if some of the baseball writers who vote would read this book, Thurman would be where he should be.
November 4, 2025
An easy read but very profound and I think every baseball fan should read it no matter their stance on the Yankees. Some very chilling comments knowing what soon followed the publication of this memoir.
February 22, 2024
This book was an easy read. Especially if you grew up loving the Yankees as i did. It was a shame to lose him as early in his life as we did , but if you like Yankees, you’ll like this book
April 13, 2025
3.5. I would have given it a 4, but I know I'm biased because I really, really liked Thurman Munson.
June 16, 2026
Great quick read of a great era of baseball.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews