You played against Thurman? When?
Thurman is one of my all-time favorites.
I was at Yankee Stadium in July of that year and a friend and I decided we wanted to go to one more game that season. We pulled out the schedule and picked August 3. (August 2 was an off day.) It turned out to be the memorial game. Boy, what an occasion.
When Thurman's picture came on the scoreboard, there was such a long, loud ovation that I thought the Stadium would fall down. Seriously.
The only other time I thought it migh tcome down was Mickey Mantle Day.
Thurman Munson was one of the few Yankees I actually liked as a kid. Not a nice guy, from all I've read, but man, could he play, and did he always give it everything he had.
Munson's crash was a little different from Lidle's; he was a fairly experienced pilot (500 hours or so) but had just taken delivery of a Cessna Citation business jet. He was conducting touch-and-go landing practice with a couple of friends along for the ride, and forgot to extend the flaps, hitting the ground about 900 feet short of the runway. Sadly he was the only fatality, the two passengers got out with only minor injuries.
I've seen a ballgame in Thurman Munson Stadium in Akron, OH. Nice little facility, it was a good place to see some AA ball while on a business trip.
}:-)4