Remembering Thurman Munson
Largest crowd ever predicted. CBS announces football crews
Good morning, all! Hope your weekend is off to a terrific start.
Forty-six years ago today the baseball world was shaken to its roots, as New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died in an airplane accident in his hometown of Canton, OH. Munson, a pilot, was practicing takeoffs and landings in his new plane, a Cessna Citation jet. Pilot error was deemed the cause of the fatal crash.
Munson became a pilot so he could spend as much time with his family in Ohio, during the long baseball season. It was not unheard of for Munson to fly home, after a Yankees game, to spend the night with his family.
I was on the air when the story of Munson’s fatality broke, hosting my nightly radio talk show on WSNG in my hometown of Torrington, CT. Cell phones were in their infancy back then. There was no such thing as a smartphone or social media. In the backroom of the station was an Associated Press teletype machine. Clack-clack-clack, the machine went, running through reams of paper and typewriter ribbons. When a bell rang, it was worthy of checking the story out. When three bells rang, you ran.
Three bells rang that night and I quickly went to a commercial break to leave the studio and run to the back room. I could not believe what I was reading. Our station was on the Yankees radio network with my show serving as a lead-in. That night the Yankees were off, which was why Munson was back in Ohio practicing on his plane.
After the commercial break, I quickly came on with the story. Phones rang off the hook. Torrington was Yankees/Red Sox country with some Mets fans sprinkled in. There were no team dividing lines that night.
Occasionally, I think of what-might-have-been had Munson’s life not been cut short. Would he have stayed in baseball? Would he have become the manager of the Yankees? Would he have lobbied for a trade to Cleveland to be closer to home? We will never know.
CBS announces broadcast crew
Another NFL season (pre) has started. CBS announced its broadcast crew for 2025.
MLB attendance record could be set
Major League Baseball is expected to set an attendance record tonight, when the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves play at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Here is a look at the racetrack-turned-ballpark.
Some other stories that caught my attention for Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025:
You don’t think the media landscape is changing? It is happening before our very eyes, where word is ESPN is about to acquire NFL RedZone. Meanwhile, the NFL will get equity in the network. Will ESPN continue with its occasional investigative journalism pieces about the NFL? Does this mean more streaming and less traditional TV for the NFL? Good questions.
Now that the Yankees have released him, I would not be surprised to see Marcus Stroman picked up by either the Mets or Red Sox.
Commanders get their stadium deal in D.C.
The Bengals are going nowhere, now that they have secured a longterm lease to stay in Cincinnati.
Holy Cow! The Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star game at Wrigley Field!
As always, thank you for subscribing and have a great Saturday.
DAN