Klapisch: Finishing second never hurt this much: Thurman Munson and the 1976 World Series
From Bob Klapisch at The National Pastime Museum on October 6, 2017:
George Lee “Sparky” Anderson, the manager of baseball’s greatest teams of the mid-1970s, stepped into the press conference room after putting finishing blows on the New York Yankees in the 1976 World Series and the Cincinnati Reds’ emphatic four-game sweep. This was no small takedown: The Bombers were an excellent team, having won 97 games, finishing 10½ games ahead of the second-place Baltimore Orioles, and were catalyzed by Billy Martin’s first full year as their manager.
The Billy-Steinbrenner wars were still on the horizon. It would be another summer before Reggie would become Martin’s enemy by declaring himself the straw that stirs the drink. The New York City tabloids didn’t dramatize their coverage of the Bombers—they simply covered them. It wasn’t just the Yankees who were pleasing to the eye, their ballpark was a draw as well. Yankee Stadium, unveiled after a two-year renovation, couldn’t have made the ticket buyers happier.
Read the full article here: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/finishing-second-never-hurt-much-thurman-munson-and-1976-world-series
Originally published: October 6, 2017. Last Updated: October 6, 2017.