Though Murcer would find himself playing for the San Francisco Giants in 1975 after the blockbuster trade that brought Bobby Bonds to the Bronx, I have him as a Yankee based on his 1974 action.
He and Thurman Munson were the stars of the “lean years” between 1964 and 1976, with Murcer making the All-Star team four times while also taking home a Gold Glove in 1972.
For three straight years, between 1971 and 1973, he placed no worse than ninth in the American League MVP voting, and was a fan favorite.
After spending 1975 through part-way through the 1979 season playing for the Giants and Chicago Cubs, he made it back to the Yankees and would play out the final four years of his 17-year career with the team he started out with, retiring during the 1983 season before moving on to a long-lasting broadcast career.
In 17 seasons, Murcer hit 252 homers along with 1043 runs batted in and 972 runs scored, with a .277 average in 1908 games.
Absolutely missed since his passing in 2008, he really was such a nice person who I had the privilege of meeting on more than one occasion at card shows and Yankee events. Always an easy-going guy.
R.I.P. Bobby.
