Books and articles about Bobby Murcer

In 1965 Murcer joined a veteran Yankee team with 31 World Series rings among them. Like Maris, his lefthanded power stroke was suited to Yankee Stadium's short porch. Like Mantle, he was signed by scout Tom Greenwade as a shortstop out of an Oklahoma high school. Murcer's legacy was clear; but the nineteen-year-old rookie couldn't seem to handle major league pitching, especially lefthanders, in brief stints with the Yankees in 1965 and 1966. After two maturing years in the army, Murcer returned to New York in 1969 to find a barely recognizable Yankee team. Gone were Richardson, Clete Boyer, Maris, Howard, and Ford. Gone was Mantle, who had retired at the end of the previous season. Murcer was given the Mick's locker and, after an aborted experiment at third base, took over Mantle's position in centerfield as well and was asked by management and fans alike to fill Mantle's shoes.

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The gentlemanly Murcer took the inevitable comparisons in stride. Although he lacked Mantle's awesome power and struck out often in his early years, the line-drive hitter possessed a good Stadium stroke. Beginning with the last at-bat of the first game of a doubleheader against the Indians at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 1970, he hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats, the only Yankee other than Gehrig to accomplish that feat. During the 1971 season, Murcer began to hit more regularly to left field, cut his strikeouts by 40, boosted his average by 80 points to .331, and finished second in the batting race. His great season solidified his popularity in New York and marked his arrival as a star. Murcer hit at least 22 homers in each of his first five full seasons, with a career-high 33 in 1972. He drove in a league and career-high 102 runs that year and won a Gold Glove. In 1973, he became the youngest AL player to earn $100,000, and responded with his second and final .300 season, hitting .304.

With the Yankees' playing home games at Shea Stadium during 1974, Murcer's "Stadium stroke" resulted in numerous warning-track drives but only 10 actual home runs. The Yankees traded him straight-up at the end of the season for the Giants' Bobby Bonds, who was considered a superstar. Candlestick Park was no friendlier to Murcer than Shea. Not until he was sent to the Cubs and Wrigley Field in a five-player deal that included Bill Madlock did Murcer find another home ballpark suited to his home run stroke. He responded with his last great season, hitting 27 homers and driving in 90 runs.

A subpar performance in 1978 led the Cubs to trade him to the Yankees during the 1979 season for a minor league pitcher, and he was reunited with Piniella, Chambliss, Nettles, and his close friend Thurman Munson, who came up at the end of 1969. Murcer homered at the Stadium on the night of August 2 shortly after learning that Munson had died that day in a plane crash.

The popular Murcer was a productive part-timer for two seasons and lingered for two more before moving to the Yankee broadcast booth following his retirement early in the 1983 season. (SEW/CR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 7, 1969: At RFK Stadium, 45,000 fans, including President Richard Nixon, look on as Ted Williams makes his managerial debut for the Senators. The Yanks spoil it, winning 8–4, pinning the loss on Camilo Pascual, and routing him in the third inning with back-to-back homers by Jerry Kenney and Bobby Murcer. Playing for the old Senators, Pascual lost the '56 opener to New York, and the '57 opener to the Orioles. He won the 1960 opener against the Red Sox and, for the new Washington Senators, lost last year's opener to the Twins. Mel Stottlemyre wins his 3rd straight opening complete game, despite giving up 14 hits. » June 24, 1970: In a doubleheader with the Indians at Yankee Stadium, Bobby Murcer ties Lou Gehrig's record of four straight homers. The Yanks lose the opener 7–2, despite Murcer's 9th-inning home run off Sam McDowell. Murcer next connects off game 2's starter Mike Paul, hitting a solo shot in the 1st inning. A walk in the 4th, then a 2-run homer off Paul in the 5th, and a game-tying homer in the 8th, off Fred Lasher. New York scores in the bottom of the 9th to salvage a 5–4 win. Cleveland 1B Tony Horton hears a hoo and literally crawls back to the dugout after fanning on two of Yankee hurler Steve Hamilton's "folly floaters." Sensitive to fans' booing during the season, Horton will be hospitalized, and at 25, this is his last season. » September 30, 1971: The Senators draw 14,000 for their final game in Washington, with another 4,000 crashing. Dick Bosman gives up homers to Bobby Murcer, Roy White, and Rusty Torres and the Nats are down 5–1 in the 6th. Mike Kekich then grooves a fastball for Frank Howard, who parks his 26th homer, and thanks ThurmanMunson as he crosses the plate. The Senators take a 7–5 lead, and after Murcer makes the 2nd out in the 9th, fans swarm onto the field, causing the game to be forfeited to the Yanks, 9–0. All records stand but reliever Paul Lindblad losses the W by not recording the 3rd out, batter Horace Clarke. Of the Senators, Jeff Burroughs will be the last to retire, finishing up in 1985. » June 3, 1972: Bobby Murcer and Thurman Munson crack 3-run home runs in the Yankees' 8-run 13th inning to beat the White Sox 18–10. Murcer scores five runs on four hits. » June 27, 1972: Mickey Lolich is staked to 4–0 lead when the Tigers hit three consecutive first-inning home runs against New York's Wade Blasingame, making his American League debut. Tony Taylor leads off with a walk before Aurelio Rodriguez, Al Kaline, and Willie Horton wade in with homers to finish Blasingame. Lolich, pitching on two days rest, notches his 12th, winning 5–2. Bobby Murcer's home run accounts for one of the Yank runs. » August 4, 1972: Bobby Murcer's grand slam in the 7th clinches the Yankees 9–4 win over the Brewers. Murcer also scores twice on walks. » August 29, 1972: Yankee Bobby Murcer hits for the cycle against Texas. He's the first Yankee to cycle since Mickey Mantle in 1957: The next will be Tony Fernandez in 1995. » September 4, 1972: The Yankees split with the Orioles, losing 43 before winning 5–2. The split leaves the Yankees(69-61) in 4th place, just one-half game out of first place. The Orioles (69-60) are tied with Detroit for the lead. Andy Etchebarren's 3-run homer in the first game, off Fritz Peterson, is the big blow while the Yankees take the night cap behind the three hits, including a homer, of Bobby Murcer. » July 13, 1973: Bobby Murcer hits three home runs, all off starter Gene Garber, and knocks in all the runs in the Yankees' 5–0 win over the Royals. Mel Stottlemyre scatters six hits in racking up his 39th shut out. » October 22, 1974: The Giants and Yankees swap popular star outfielders: Bobby Bonds goes to the Yankees and Bobby Murcer heads to San Francisco. Bonds will play just one season in New York, hitting 32 home runs and stealing 32 bases, before leg injuries slowed him. Murcer swore he would never forgive the Yankees for trading him, but later he will relent when the Yanks reacquire him. » July 7, 1975: In an 8–6 loss to the Cardinals, Giants catcher Marc Hill -- as well as the Cards -- ties a mark last accomplished in 1905 when he tags out three Cards runners at home on throws from the outfield. The three Cards dealt out are: Ken Reitz, in the first inning. on a throw from LF Gary Thomasson. Reitz tries scoring from 2B on a Mike Tyson single; Ron Fairly in the 6th inning thrown out by RF Bobby Murcer on a Tyson fly ball; Bake McBride in the 7th thrown out by LF Chris Arnold when he tries to score on a Willie Davis fly. » February 11, 1977: The Cubs trade 3B Bill Madlock, the NL batting champ the past two seasons, and 2B Rod Sperring to the Giants for OF Bobby Murcer, IF Steve Ontiveros, and a minor league pitcher. Madlock leaves Chicago having hit .336 for them, which ties him with Riggs Stephenson for the top Cub career average. » May 17, 1977: The Cubs hit seven home runs and wallop the Padres 23–6. Three of the home runs are consecutive shots in the 5th by Larry Biittner, Jerry Morales, and Bobby Murcer. With a lead of 22–2, starter Bill Bonham is yanked after six frames and Ramon Hernandez finishes, allowing up four earned runs in three innings. But he 'earns' his first and only save as a Cub. He goes from Cubman to Hubman in 11 days when Chicago swaps him for Boston's Bobby Darwin. » April 29, 1979: Down 5–0 to the Braves at Atlanta, the Cubs load the bases with two out. Blackwell singles in 2, Biittner, singles in one, and Bobby Murcer hits a 3-run homer for a 6–5 Chicago win. » June 26, 1979: The Yankees reacquire the popular Bobby Murcer from the Cubs in exchange for P Paul Semall and cash. Murcer will once again thrive in Yankee Stadium hitting .273 with eight home runs. » August 6, 1979: In a night game following the funeral of Thurman Munson, Bobby Murcer drives in all five runs as the Yankees top Baltimore 5–4. Murcer has a 3-run home run and a 9th inning 2-run single. » April 9, 1981: Before 55,123 at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees gun down the Rangers, 10–3. Bucky Dent and Bobby Murcer hit homers, with Willie Randolph following Murcer's blow with a triple. Dave Winfield, in his New York debut, has two hits and two walks, and Tommy John scatters seven hits in eight innings to win over Jon Matlack. » May 29, 1982: At Minnesota, the Yanks put runners on 1B (Graig Nettles) and 2B (Bobby Murcer) with no outs. When Roy Smalley strikes out on a wide 3-2 pitch from Terry Felton, Murcer attempts to steal 3B. But Sal Butera's throw beats him so badly he retreats to 2B only to find Nettles there. Gary Gaetti tags Murcer who is standing safely alone on the base, and then throws to Kent Hrbek to catch Nettles heading back to 1B. Murcer then tries for 3B and Hrbek's throw to Felton covering completes the triple play. Alas, Felton, 0–8 coming into the game gets a no-decision, and will lose another five to finish his career with an 0–16 record.