Bobby Murcer

Sportscaster and Yankees All-Star outfielder Bobby Murcer died of brain cancer on July 12, 2008 at the age of 62. Though Murcer held stints with other teams, he began and ended his Major League career with the Yankees, totaling 252 home runs and 1,043 RBIs. Once a spokesman for Skoal chewing tobacco, he became an anti-tobacco activist in his last decade of life.¹

Fast Facts

1. Born: May 20, 1946
2. Died: July 12, 2008
3. Cause of death: brain cancer
4. Hometown: Oklahoma City
5. U.S. Army veteran
6. Major League career: 1965-1983
7. Began as Yankees announcer in 1989
8. Once called "The next Mickey Mantle"²
9. Teams: Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Giants
10. Position: outfielder
11. Batting average: .277
12. Diagnosed with brain cancer in 2006
13. Autobiography Yankee for Life published May 20, 2008

"Yankee for Life"

Some of Murcer's obituaries recalled him as a sort of walking history book of Yankees lore. With an affiliation to the team spanning 43 years, he had known and worked with such icons as Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto, Don Mattingly, George Steinbrenner and Alex Rodriguez. His perspective on Yankees history is detailed in the autobiography published weeks before his death, Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes.³

Commissioner's Statement

Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig issued a statement concerning Murcer's death. The following is an excerpt.

• "Bobby was a gentleman, a great ambassador for baseball, and a true leader both on and off the field. He was a man of great heart and compassion... All of us in baseball will miss him."⁴

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