Thurman Munson wouldn't sign with Yanks unless he could fly

Before Cory Lidle, there was Thurman Munson, and Lidle’s fatal plane crash in New York on Wednesday prompted Richard Moss to recall his negotiations with George Steinbrenner on Munson’s contract in 1978.

• Munson, Moss related, had negotiated his own contract with Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ principal owner, who assured Munson that he would always be the highest-paid Yankee. Then Reggie Jackson signed for a higher salary, and Munson asked Moss, a lawyer and former general counsel of the players association, to negotiate his new contract.

“It was an easy deal to do,” Moss said, “but there was a big problem. They presented guarantee language saying the guarantee would not apply if the player was injured or died while piloting an aircraft. Thurman said absolutely not. Flying was important to him. It took George a couple of weeks to come around, but the provision was stricken.” article by Murray Chass, NY Times, 10/15/06

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