Considered the “heart and soul” of the Yankees, Thurman Munson was named the first team captain since Lou Gehrig. Munson is the only Yankee to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. Tragically in 1979, Munson died at the age of 32 while practicing landing his Cessna Citation at Akron-Canton Airport. Awards: All-Star ( 7x ), World Series Champion ( 2x ), AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove ( 3x ).
