Gary Sanchez, Graig Nettles, Diana Munson, Bucky Dent, and Wilmer Flores.
Last night was the 37th Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner at the Grand Hyatt in NYC benefiting AHRC NYC Foundation.
It was a great turnout for the homage to the late, great Yankees Captain, Thurman Munson and the honoring of Yankee catcher, Gary Sanchez, New York Met, Wilmer Flores, New York Giant and Super Bowl Winner, Victor Cruz, as well as Yankee legends, Bucky Dent and Graig Nettles, and Sanford Schlesinger (Corporate Hero Award).
The Munson dinner has raised over $15 million since its inception.
Thurman’s widow, Diana Munson was in attendance, as she has been for the past 37 years. The Munson awards are presented for success and inspiration on and off the field.
I was fortunate enough to spend some time with some of the honorees, as well as Diana Munson. Here’s what they shared with me:
Graig Nettles
ET: How important is it to be part of events like this?
GN: “It’s great to do charity work whenever you can, and anything the Yankees ask me to do, I’ll do. I don’t live in New York anymore, so it’s also great to see the fans.”
ET: As far as the mental side of the game, what did you think about when you were playing?
GN: “Winning.” (Graig did whatever it took to win ballgames for the Yankees. He also agreed with Yogi Berra with the fact that you can’t think and hit at the same time. A full mind is an empty bat.”
Bucky Dent
ET: How do you feel about tonight’s event?
BD: “It is so important to give back to the game. We are very fortunate to play the game, so the least we can do is to give back.”
ET: Okay, the year is 1978 and you and the Yankees are in a tie-breaker game vs the Boston Red Sox and you hit your famous home run to give the Yankees the lead...What was going through your head just before you hit the game-winning shot over the wall?”
BD: “Nothing...my foot was killing me. I was thinking of not fouling another ball off my foot.”
Victor Cruz
ET: What’s the hardest part of playing pro football for you?
VC: “Staying focused on what you want to do. There’s always going to be ups and downs.”
ET: What are your thoughts on receiving this award tonight?
VC: “This is an honor, and an amazing opportunity to use my influence to help others and to bring awareness to this organization, which is great.”
Diana Munson
ET: How are you feeling right now?
DM: “New York always opens its arms to Thurman and his family. They always loved him and continue to love him 37 years later. I am overwhelmed by the good feelings and goodness that come from this dinner.”
ET: Tell me your favorite Thurman story...
DM: “We were coming home from NYC and needed gas, so Thurman was who was dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans started pumping his own gas. Then a Cadillac pulled up and said, ‘Hey buddy, can you fill me up, too?’ Thurman looked at the guy, and proceeded to fill up his tank too, then walked back to our car and drove off.”
ET: Tell me more about Thurman, the man.
DM: “Thurman was humble, and had a big heart. He used to go to hospitals and volunteer his time. He did a lot of things behind the scenes that he never talked about.”
Reflecting back on a great evening, it is always nice to spend time great athletes, but even better to see that they are great people too. There tends to be a lot of focus on negative news out there. Hopefully this piece will give you hope that there are a lot of people doing important work, and inspire you to do the same.
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AHRC NYC Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Ed Tseng works with athletes, students, and business leaders on the mental side of peak performance. He is an Olympic coach, best-selling author, and TEDx speaker. His book, “Game. Set. Life. - Peak Performance for Sports and Life” has been on Amazon’s Top 10 in Sport Psychology and is featured annually at the US Open Championships. To work with Ed or bring him in to speak to your team/organization, email: ed@edtseng.com or call 609.588.1077. www.EdTseng.com.