Bobby Murcer

Sad news of the day:  Bobby Murcer, former Yankee player and television announcer has passed away due to complications from the brain cancer he has been battling over the past 19 months.  

Now I can't say I've been around and following the Yankees for many decades so I can't comment on Mel Allen's greatness, but in this day of greater sports exposure, Bobby Murcer was an example of what broadcasters and people in general should strive to be.  Many over the next couple of days will remember him for his heroic display in the aftermath of the death of friend and teammate Thurman Munson.  I will remember him as one of the best Yankee broadcasters in my time, right there next to Phil Rizzuto.  Never was he partial to a team or player, consistently choosing to provide as objective an analysis of the game being played as well as the team he worked for.  

I am not fortunate enough to have seen him play, but I am positive that he took the same fair approach to each game as he did from the broadcast booth.  In an era of pig-headed announcers and ignorant sports "analysts", I can only hope to follow Bobby Murcer's example in writing for this blog.