Since I had the 1st pick accidentally already made on the final database I sent out : )  I will go head and announce it....and give you the little article I was going to send out about it below.....
 
The Route 66 Hots Rods announce that the 1st pick in the 1969 Rookie draft will be C Thurman Lee Munson.
 
When the World Champion Route 66 Hot Rods acquired the top pick in the 1969 Draft several months ago, they knew they were probably giving up some valuable pieces of their future and players that could have likely helped their quest to repeat as champs. 
 
Knowing that the ’69 draft was top heavy though with players like Carlton Fisk, Toby Harrah, Darrell Evans, George Foster, Vida Blue, Gene Tenace and Steve Garvey was certainly enticing enough, but there is only ONE player that the Hot Rods had their sights set on.  The player whom tomorrow morning will be the #1 Overall Pick in the 1969 SPB Rookie Draft, and that player will be:
 
The Captain, Mr. Thurman Lee Munson.
 
In the world we live in of Sabermetrics, Thurman may not be the most glamorous choice. Anyone with the nickname of “Tugboat” is not glamorous.   On paper, his career numbers are fade in comparison to some of the HOFers and near HOFers on the list above.  But in my mind, tere is no player on that list more worthy of the top choice, not only because he, along with Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson are my favorite players ever (I has all 3 for nearly their entire careers in SPB-1)…..but that over the course of the next 11 seasons, to me,  there is NO player in this draft that is more valuable….than Thurman Munson.
 
First, and most obvious is the fact that he is a catcher.  Next to Johnny Bench in my opinion THE MOST VALUABLE catcher in the entire decade of the 1970’s.
 
While I have never debated my choice, I have carefully studied his statistics as compared to the other top players.  And I am writing this, because I have found it quite interesting, and it has really left me wondering…how is Thurman Munson NOT in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
For my argument,  I will make the comparison to the player who was his biggest rival in the 1970,s and who has by far the Highest career WAR in this draft, Mr. Carlton Fisk. 
 
OK, not doubt Fisk is one of the greatest catchers of all time.  He certainly was that , but during the 1970’s, Fisk, I believe,  pales in comparison to Munson.  From 1970-79, Fisk really only has (2) seasons that you can say that he was better than Thurman, 1972 and 1977.  And while he was superior at the plate in those seasons, it was not by a lot, As Thurman also had fine seasons those years.  Over his first 6 full seasons, Fisk only had 2 seasons in which he plays full time (72-73).  In the other seasons, he was either in the minors, or hurt for over half of his games.  Sure, it was not his fault he was hurt, but he was nowhere near as durable as Munson, who players nearly the entire decade, almost every day.
 
If you like to use WAR as a players defining stat (which I don’t like to….but it’s a decent baseline), Thurman had a WAR for the decade of 45.6.  Fisk?  35.6.  Fisk also had the luxury of playing his home game in the cozy confines of Fenway, Paradise for the RH hitter.  Thurman?  Yankee Stadium, which was terrible for RH power.  I have found this to have a HUGE impact on DMB play.  In his career at Fenway, Fisk hit .300 with a .908 OPS.  His 2nd highest was at the Homer Happy Kingdome (.876 OPS)..  It is far less in the other parks, in fact, in his career at Yankee Stadium, Fisk had just a .665 OPS.
Defensively, Thurman threw of 44% of baserunners in the decade, Fisk hovered around 38%.    
 
Both were really good on defense of course, but I’d give Munson a slight edge.  Munson won 3 Gold Gloves in the decade to Fisk’s 1.
 
Of course, there are stats that aren’t measured in DMB.  Both won ROY, but Thurman won an AL MVP award in 1976, played in 3 straight World Series from (76-78) and led his team to wins in 2 of them (Fisk just had 1 World Series of course, where he batted .240, but his a dramatic HR, which got his team to a game 7, but not a win.  Thurman, in World Series play, well, he batted .373, with a HR and .909 OPS..
 
For the decade (The next 11 years), here are the differences in the major stat categories:
 
Games – Munson has 470 more games
PA – Munson has 1,985 more plate appeareces
Hits -  Munson has 577 more hits
Runs – Munson has 136 more runs
Doubles – Munson has 46 more doubles
Triples – both of 30
Home Runs – Fisk hits 32 more HR than Thurman, but I think that number would be far less had Thurman played in a more RH hitter friendly park.  Fisk had great power, but Fenway tends to inflate HR more than a Tom Brady football.
RBI – Munson had 186 more RBI
SB- Fisk had two more Stolen Bases, but neither were really speed burners.
Walks – Munson has 75 more walks
Batting average – Munson in 8 points higher
OBP – Fisk wins this one by 9 points, but obviously with far less opportunity
SLG and OPS – Fisk wins these two but a fairly large sum, but again I make the point that its with far less playing time and in a much better hitting environment.
 
Looking at all of this, HOW IS THURMAN MUNSON NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME?  He played the full 10 seasons that are required.  As all of you are well aware, he passed tragically in a 1979 plane accident, but based on all I have read, while he battled injury in his final season, he certainly would have continued to play several more seasons, likely as an OF/1B and DH, padding his stats and solidifying his place in Cooperstown. 
 
When you compare the entire career’s, no its not close.  Fisk is one of the best catchers in Baseball for the entire decade of the 1980’s as well no doubt about it.  He’s in the top 5 catchers of all time.  But, in my evaluation, I could really care less about the 1980’s.  Heck, its just 1969.  So God willing, for the next 11 years, I hope to once again enjoy have Thurman, Catfish and Reggie anchoring my team in the 1970’s just as they did in SPB-1.  And whomever Carlton Fisk falls to……You are welcome : )
 
Welcome to Route 66 Thurman.....