Today
on the blog, we have a fun addition to my 1960's "dedicated rookies",
my 1966 edition for Bobby Murcer, a beloved man not only in the Bronx
but wherever he laid his ball-cap over his illustrious career:
Murcer
made his MLB debut in 1965, appearing in 11 games for the New York
Yankees and hitting .243 with a homer and four runs batted in while
putting in time at shortstop.
After
21 more games in 1966, he lost two years to military service before
coming back as a full-time Big League outfielder in 1969, slugging 26
homers with 82 RBIs and a .259 batting average over 152 games.
Murcer really did have a very nice career, especially those seasons
between 1969 and 1977 when he drove in over 80 runs eight times, while
topping 90 five of those seasons.
He hit as high as .331 (1971) while hitting as many as 33 homers (1972), while also leading the league in runs scored with 102 in 1972, OBP with a .427 mark in 1971 and total bases with 314 again in 1972.
He made five straight All-Star teams from 1971 through 1975, and was in the top-10 in MVP voting three straight years: 1971-1973.
Much more importantly, the man was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, as I can attest to, meeting him on more than a few occasions.
He was just as “real” as it got.
Rest in Peace Bobby. You are truly missed.
He hit as high as .331 (1971) while hitting as many as 33 homers (1972), while also leading the league in runs scored with 102 in 1972, OBP with a .427 mark in 1971 and total bases with 314 again in 1972.
He made five straight All-Star teams from 1971 through 1975, and was in the top-10 in MVP voting three straight years: 1971-1973.
Much more importantly, the man was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, as I can attest to, meeting him on more than a few occasions.
He was just as “real” as it got.
Rest in Peace Bobby. You are truly missed.
