Remembering Bobby Murcer on his Birthday

Written by: Drew Sarver on 20th May 2009

Remembering Bobby Murcer on his Birthday | read this item

Murcer1 Today would have been Bobby Ray Murcer’s 63rd birthday. It’s hard to see that in writing… in the past tense. Bobby was taken way too early from us last year due to cancer. I miss his Oklahoma twang and his good-natured needling with his fellow Yankees broadcasters.

If you were a kid in the late 1960′s/early 1970′s and were a Yankees fan, there’s a good chance that Bobby Murcer was your guy. Those Yankees teams ranged from mediocre to just plain bad, but Bobby was a constant. An All-Star caliber player, Bobby had unfairly inherited the center field birthright that had belonged to DiMaggio and then Mantle. It was ridiculous to think that anyone could have matched those players’ star power let alone their statistics. Especially since Bobby wasn’t surrounded with anywhere near the talent that his predecessors were.

murcer41 But he played hard, day in and day out, and created excitement with his home runs to the short porch in the old Yankee Stadium, his hustle, and his defense. Bobby put together a great career in New York. Then the Yankees decided to refurbish Yankee Stadium and temporarily shared Shea Stadium with the Mets. Bobby’s offensive game was never quite the same.

To make matters worse, on October 22, 1974, the Yankees shipped Bobby to the left coast for San Francisco Giants outfielder Bobby Bonds. I was devastated, as were all Bobby Murcer fans. And, as he would later tell it, so was Bobby.

Bobby spent two seasons by the Bay before he was shipped to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Madlock. It was kind of cool seeing Bobby in Wrigley as well as sporting the number 7 on his back. But it was not the same. Then came June 26, 1979, and Bobby was back in a Yankees uniform, acquired in a deal for minor leaguer Paul Semall.

74yearbook1 Bobby raced to Toronto and was inserted in the Yankees lineup the very night of the trade. I was still in a daze from hearing the Yankees had reacquired him and suddenly there he was, wearing #2 (manager Billy Martin now wore #1) and batting third. He had two hits and two walks and the Yankees crushed the Blue Jays 11-2. Happy days were here again. Much of those good feelings went away a little more than a month later, however, when our beloved Captain, and Bobby’s good friend, Thurman Munson perished in a plane crash.

Bobby’s eulogy and his subsequent one-man Orioles wrecking crew on the playing field the night of Thurman’s funeral will always be remembered. Bobby was a little older the second time around with the Yankees, so that led to being platooned, and eventually to retirement in the middle of the 1983 season. But in between, he finally got to the World Series with the Yankees in 1981. Post-retirement meant a job in the Yankees broadcast booth and one season as the Yankees assistant GM.

Bobby carved out a nice little niche for himself working alongside murcer31 the likes of Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, and many, many more colleagues at YES, WPIX, Fox, and WWOR. Bobby’s broadcast career also enabled his fans to stay connected to him. Though he didn’t win any World Series rings, isn’t a Hall of Fame member, and spent a good number of years away from where he belonged, the Yankees fans always gave Bobby a nice ovation in both his career and post-career days.

Looking up to Bobby as a kid was made even more special when I learned what a genuinely great person he was off the field. It was a lot of fun recounting his career and life in his book, “Yankee For Life: My 40-year Journey in Pinstripes“. I also had the opportunity to meet Bobby as part of a sponsor’s night at the Stadium. I even came away with an autographed baseball card. Bobby was also a tireless worker for the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), helping out those baseball alumni who had fallen on hard times. He raised more than a $1 million dollars for the American Cancer Society with an annual golf tournament, and helped raise money and awareness for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombings.

Bobby's son Todd, wife Kay, and daughter Tori

The day Bobby was traded to San Francisco in 1974 couldn’t compare to the day I learned Bobby had cancer or the July day last year when I found he had succumbed to the disease. It not only hit home because of what Bobby meant to me as a kid and as an adult, but brain cancer also took my Mom at just 71 years of age in 2001. I know what Bobby’s family went through and is going through.

If you or someone you know has been affected by a brain tumor, you can learn more at the National Brain Tumor Foundation website.

Here are some of my favorite Bobby memories that I was fortunate enough to witness in person:

I can’t remember too many specifics from the pre-1975 games, but it seemed like Bobby homered every time we went to a game.

Bat Day, 1971 – My wishes are fulfilled. I get a Bobby Murcer bat!

Opening Day, 1981 – Bobby hits a pinch-hit grand slam, just out of the reach of Texas Rangers‘ outfielder John Grubb. The Yankees roll 10-3.

September 26, 1981 – Bobby hits a pinch-hit, walk off 3-run home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4.

October 21, 1981 – Bobby is in the World Series at last. Game 2, he lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt in his lone plate appearance of the night. The Yankees win 3-0 over the LA Dodgers.

August 7, 1983 – Bobby Murcer Day at the Stadium. The Detroit Tigers crushed the Yankees, but the game was secondary.

Great times I only saw on TV or heard on the radio:

June 24, 1970 – Bobby hits 4 consecutive home runs in a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.

August 29, 1972 – Bobby hits for the cycle. Only one other Yankee, Tony Fernandez in 1995, has achieved the feat since.

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Topics: American Cancer Society, Bobby Murcer, Lou Piniella, National Brain Tumor Foundation, NY Yankees, Thurman Munson

kay murcer says:

May 20, 2009 at 5:38 pm

Thanks Drew, for this very sweet tribute to my adorable Bobby. Todd emailed it earlier today, and told me of your note to him as well… I’m always touched by those of you who let us know the impact Bobby had on your lives, and how much you miss him too. He’s in my heart and thoughts about 50 times a day, and on special occasions even more. So you honor us with this rememberance, and I hope our paths cross somewhere down the road so I can thank you in person. Having survived a similar journey, I feel a kinship already. Fondly, kay m
Steve Lefkowitz says:

May 20, 2009 at 10:17 pm

Kay,

It was a real spring like day in New York and I woke up not feeling the sparkling sun blinding me through the shades, I got dressed not ready to go out to where the birds were chirping in harmony, I went on my business almost in a cloud on a totally cloudless day; I walked passed the newstand that I do everyday it seems and I look at the trash on the front cover of all the tabloids and even though I saw them I couldn’t tell you what they said or what picture was shown, but I did stare at the date , May 20th…….the day after my only other hero was born, my dad….he was 87, God Bless Him…….But I went back to my computer and googled Bobby Murcer and saw that of course today was his birthday; he would have been 63 years young. And an emptiness came over me and I started to weep; right there on Fifth Avenue, but I really didn’t care because I realized what I try not to think about every minute of every day, the times I spent with Mr. Bobby Murcer; the amount of talks we had; the inspiration that would just seep from his body to yours…..Yes today is a very special day; Today is the anniversary of God putting one of his best angels on the face of this earth.

I miss him so; but he lives in all of us that is good and will as long as we handle ourselves the way Bobby did with a cheerful smile and a genuine concern for the people……
Mike Bohrofen says:

May 21, 2009 at 2:36 am

Hey Kay, Todd & Tori,

I just got home from the first night of the Big 12 Baseball Championship and I had an e-mail from Melvonna S on this tribute to Bobby on his birthday. I was just thinking how ironic as I had spent a good deal of time today talking about Bobby today. The out town people always want to talk about the great baseball players that are from Oklahoma and Bobby’s name always comes up. Well you know me that’s when I get tell them of our high school days and playing on the Basketball team with Bobby and wondering if his old green 55 Chevy was going to get us to the game. As I watched my grandsons as bat boys for OU tonight I was thinking about Brent and Todd when they were at the University of Oklahoma and how quick they grew up. We had so much fun putting the old Big 8 Baseball tournaments when Bobby was one of the owners of the AAA 89ers at All Sprots Stadium. As I end this I realize it’s so not ironic, as for the last 30 years that I have been associated the big 8 and big 12 baseball championships I’ve talked about Bobby at all of them and I’m sure I will continue too. The bust of Bobby at the Brick Ball Park is great I saw a lot people looking at it and reading the inscription. Bobby was and is a true inspiration to all of us, a real stand up guy and the BEST. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with all of you.
Mike, Bobbie, Brent, & Amy Bohrofen
Virgil Houtkooper says:

May 21, 2009 at 10:42 am

Kay,Todd, Tori Memories go back to 1967 when Dittie and I first met Bobby and Kay in Seira Vista, Arizona. We were there at the request of Uncle Sam after being drafted into the US Army. Bobby and I went through our AIT secondary training at Ft Hauchua. On weekends spending time relaxing and attending Sunday worship services. We were sent different ways after our Graduation from our schooling. After I returned from Veit Nam we spent time together in Florida during Bobby’s spring training. We back to Iowa and Bobby and Kay of to start their life and family each on separate paths. Remembering Bobby’s sweet caring personality and his personal faith in God the Father. Over the years life has taken each of us on separate paths with an ocassional bringing together. Even memories that Steven and Juliee have are often mentioned at family gatherings. Dittie has some pictures of times past she wants to share in the future. each of us are on a path headed in different directions but will bring us together through our similar faiths in the Creator Father and His son Jesus and what he has done for us. God bless you Kay and keep you as we continue our remembering and help others to to find that Eternal hope that binds us together.
Virgil and Dittie Houtkooper