ARLINGTON, Tex. — There was a reason the family of Bobby Murcer chose Wednesday to have his memorial service in Oklahoma City. Thurman Munson was buried on that date 29 years earlier, and Kay Murcer, Bobby’s widow, wanted Munson to be part of it.
Munson’s wife, Diana, was one of hundreds of friends and family members who filled Memorial Road Church of Christ to honor the life of Murcer, who died of brain cancer on July 12. Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte represented the Yankees’ players, and a large group of club executives, including Hal Steinbrenner and his sister Jennifer Swindal, flew in for the ceremony.
“Awesome, but hard,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “A lot of tears. But to listen to the tributes from all the people was inspiring. It was sad because you miss Bobby so much, but it was a great event.”
Girardi presented Kay Murcer with the No. 1 jersey the Yankees hung in the dugout in his honor on Old-Timers’ Day. Col. Douglas H. Wheelock, an astronaut who took a Murcer jersey into space last year, gave a stirring speech.
“It was incredible,” Pettitte said. “It was a wonderful ceremony for him. I’m glad I went. I just felt like I needed to go, you know?”
People from all phases of Murcer’s life were there, including his former Yankees teammates Reggie Jackson and Gene Michael, and representatives of the YES Network, including Michael Kay, who was a speakers. The Oklahoma football coach, Bob Stoops, was there, as was one of Stoops’s predecessors, Barry Switzer.
Yogi Berra and his wife, Carmen, gave a written tribute in the program for the ceremony: “We loved you in pinstripes, we loved you in the booth, we’ll love you forever, and that is the truth.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/sports/baseball/07pins.html?ref=baseball.......plus many more articles at this link........
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&ncl=1233961392
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