Thurman Munson's Holster
by Fritz
Peterson
The
Yankees were on a road trip to Texas in 1971 where Thurman found a
holster he liked in a magazine in the visitors clubhouse at Ranger
Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Thurman had to have it. He filled out
the magazine form but realized that he didn't bring his checkbook
with him on the road-trip. The form he filled out said that cash
wasn't to be sent in the envelope, checks only. One of the players
told him he would write the check out to the holster company as
Thurman was heading out to the field for batting practice. I saw it
happen. The player then gave the envelope to the clubhouse manager,
Joe Macko, who was to mail it the next day. I walked over to Joe and
said I'd mail it at the hotel when we got back to the hotel after the
game. He gave it to me.
I
did mail it that night in the hotel mail box but before I did I
decided to make a few changes 'for' Thurman. I changed the length of
the holster from 12 inches to 3 inches. I also changed the texture
of the holster from a rough leather grain to a black, satin matte
finish. I also decided to make it a left handed holster rather than
the right handed one Thurman wanted. Lastly, I had to shorten the
length of the belt that came with the holster from a length of 38
inches to one that was 28 inches. That way he couldn't have used the
belt for anything other than maybe a wide watchband or something. I
resealed the envelope and dropped it into the mail box and waited
patiently for the order to be filled. Thurman was so excited I
heard him telling the guys in the clubhouse what he had ordered.
I
always got to the clubhouse before most of the players so I could
sort through the mail and stuff that came in. I felt that anything
that came into the clubhouse was “fair game”, my game. I saw the
box from the holster company that we were all waiting for and told
everyone what it was. I made sure that they all knew that they
couldn't tell Thurman what I had done but should just casually watch
as he opened his grand prize from Texas.
The
package was waiting for him on his locker stool when he got to the
clubhouse that day. I saw a big smile on his face as he began to
open it. I hid around the corner of the clubhouse door since I knew
Thurman would look to see me when he saw what was in the box. I was
known to do such things. With others quietly peeking as he opened
the box, he pulled it partially out of its box and quickly pushed it
back in realizing there was a big problem. Nothing was right! It
was 3 inches long with a black satin finish with a 28 inch black
satin finish belt not to mention that is was left handed. Thurman
waited until the other players went out for batting practice and
brought the package to our clubhouse man, Pete Sheehy, asking him to
send it back to the company with a note asking the company to send
him what he originally wanted. Of course, I saw him bring it over to
“big Pete” (as we called our clubhouse man that had been around
since Babe Ruth's days).
I convinced big Pete to give me the box and that I'd take care of it. Right. I did. I sent the company a letter alright but it was one that I made up supposedly written by Munson saying that he was elated to get his holster but had one problem--the holster was a left handed one instead of a right handed one. I told the company that since I (Thurman) wanted to keep the holster and wanted to know if they had a booklet about learning how to draw (a gun) left handed. I also told the company that I (Thurman) would like to represent their company and possibly do a commercial for them since he was a “New York Yankee”.
The
letter was mailed out and I put the box in my locker for safe
keeping. The wait was on again, for the mailman. A
week later I spotted the letter from the holster company. All hands
on deck! The guys quietly watched again as Thurman saw the letter
taped nicely on the top of the original box with the holster on it
and opened it. Not only hoping that his original order finally got
to him, he was hoping that maybe a letter offering him a contract to
represent their company was there as well. Once again, Thurman's
holster dream would be on hold. Same left handed holster in the box,
belt and all and a letter saying that the company loved his interest
in doing a commercial for them but at that time they weren't doing
endorsement deals with athletes. 0 for 2. Thurman brought the box
back to big Pete and told him to send it back to the company with a
little note in it asking for his money back. Guess who saw him do
it, again? Right, I did.
By
this time, big Pete was on to me but quietly liked it. He had a
great sense of humor. I asked him if I could take the box home with
me over the winter. He went along. It was late in September and we
might not have time for anymore correspondence before the season
ended. The holster had a nice rest in DeKalb, IL for the winter.
Could
you possibly imagine what was waiting on Thurman's locker stool when
he walked into spring training in 1972 in Ft. Lauderdale? You're
right, it was “little lefty” in its original shipping box.
Strike three! I finally told him he had been “had”. He loved
it! Pride and all. It wouldn't be the last time.
PS:
I'm working on ex-Yankees now. Moose Skowron and Clete Boyer have
been hit. There will be more. Watch out Blomberg!
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