This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/4/2021
On August 2, 1979, the baseball world was stunned to learn that Yankees catcher and team captain Thurman Munson had perished in a plane crash. The Yankees backstop had carved out a reputation as being indestructible, the anvil upon which three pennants and two World Championships were forged. The day after Munson’s accident, longtime teammate and close friend Catfish Hunter was trying to comprehend the tragedy when Yankees equipment manager Pete Sheehy came over to him and said in Hunter’s words, “Hey Catfish! You deserve this uniform and Thurman would have wanted you to have this.” The jersey, which became a treasured keepsake for Catfish, was the home jersey worn by Munson during the 1978 World Series. That the Yankees were even in the Series that year was a testament to Munson’s dynamic leadership which helped push his teammates from being 14 games out of first place on July 20 all the way back to a one-game AL East playoff win over Boston. The Yanks then went on to beat Kansas City for the pennant and faced the Dodgers in the World Series. Munson was on fire in the Fall Classic, beating the LA pitching to the tune of .320 with three doubles as New York won their second consecutive Championship. This jersey, donned by Munson during that magical post season and gifted to his good friend, was prominently displayed at the Yankees Museum from June 29, 2018 - July 25, 2019 in their exhibit “Comeback! – Celebrating the 1978 New York Yankees.”
The jersey is a classic white pinstripe with the timeless intertwined “NY” logo in navy tackle twill on the chest. A Wilson size 44 label is sewn in the lower left front tail along with a “78 1” strip tag. The collar has a white strip tag with “Munson” embroidered in navy script. The back has Munson’s “15” in navy tackle twill. As you would expect to see on the jersey worn by Thurman Munson, there are countless stains and abrasions found throughout. Munson was one of the hardest working men to ever step foot on a ball field and it is rare to find a photo taken of him that does not find him in a uniform covered in dirt and sweat. Additionally, the back of this ’78 gamer shows the marks from his catcher’s equipment and the pine tar with which he coated his bats. A tremendous piece of baseball history from one of the exciting pennant races of all-time. This jersey comes with a letters of provenance from Catfish Hunter and the New York Yankees Museum curator Brian J. Richards.
Estimate: $100,000