Munson

Over at Omnivoracious, Amazon's book blog, Brad Thomas Parsons reviews former Yankee PR man Marty Appel's Munson, a biography about Thurman Munson, the former Yankee captain who died in a plane crash 30 years ago this August. Parsons writes: 

Appel documents Munson's career as a scholarship athlete at Kent State, his time in the Cape Cod league, and his quick ascension to the major leagues and the Yankees, where he won Rookie of the Year in 1970 and was eventually made team captain, the first player to hold the title since Lou Gehrig. His blue-collar work ethic and gruff but lovable demeanor made him an instant fan favorite (a shot of him making a tag at home plate was the first action photo used in a Topps baseball card). And during that Bronx Zoo era, gloriously depicted in Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning, it was the down-to-earth Munson who balanced out (and butted heads with) his flashy teammate Reggie Jackson. After Jackson made his infamous "I'm the straw that stirs the drink" comments in a Sport magazine interview, Munson was asked if Jackson was quoted out of context. Munson's reply: "For three pages?"

Sounds like a good one. I don't know much about Munson, outside of his professional accomplishments and a few other pertinent details. Once I finish rereading The Brothers K, I'm going to pick up a copy.