Thurman Munson’s arrival in the Bronx in 1970 heralded the beginning of the great Yankees dynasty. In 1968, Thurman Munson was a big strapping catcher out of Kent State who the Yanks picked as the fourth overall pick on the MLB draft. Munson hit .301 for Binghamton that summer and was promoted to the AAA Syracuse Chiefs the next spring. Munson was pounding the International League pitching at a .343 clip when he made his big-league debut at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 1969. The next season he became the team’s starting catcher and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Throughout the decade Munson helped shape the pitching staff that would bring three pennants and two World Championships to the Bronx and cement his reputation as the best catcher in the American League. Munson was leading the Yankees to what looked like their fourth consecutive pennant when he was tragically killed in a plane crash on August 1, 1979.

This evocative portrait of the Yankees top prospect was taken during his 1969 season with the Syracuse Chiefs. Even at this early stage, Munson’s face shows the gritty determination that would epitomize his storied career and help lead the Yankees to back-to-back World Championships. His cocked head and sly smile illustrate his inherent confidence that would make him the “heart and soul” of the Yankees. A tremendous Type 1 photo that captures the legendary Yankees at the very start of his big-league journey. The photo measures 8” x 10” and the image is printed to the edge of the paper without a border. There is what appears to be a random black ink mark above Munson’s forehead, which does not take away from the beauty of the photo but is mentioned for sake of accuracy.  Edges show light wear while the reverse has some staining, likely from glue. The remains of a caption slug tag are found on the right center edge. A pencil notation “2 lower left” is handwritten at the center and “Thurman Munson” is scripted at the lower edge. The image has been encapsulated and graded a Type 1 Authentic by PSA.