Narron honors Munson for Players' Weekend

PHOENIX -- D-backs bench coach Jerry Narron likes to honor former Yankees captain Thurman Munson whenever he can, and when Narron was asked to come up with a nickname to have on the back of his jersey for Players’ Weekend, he saw an opportunity.

For the third straight year, players will don special uniforms with nicknames on the back and will have the chance to use creatively colored and decorated equipment, including bats, spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves and catcher’s equipment. This year's weekend takes place Aug. 23-25, when the D-backs are in Milwaukee.

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Last year, Narron went with “Grand Sir,” because that’s what his grandchildren call him.

This year, Narron will wear “Thurm’s Caddy,” a nod to the fact that he was Munson’s backup catcher with the Yankees in 1979, playing when Munson needed a day off. It was Narron’s rookie year in the Majors, but he had been in the Yankees’ farm system in the years before and had gotten to know Munson.

Tragically, Munson was killed on Aug. 2, 1979, when the plane he was piloting crashed. It was Narron who started behind the plate in the Yankees' first game without Munson on Aug. 3.

“It’s been 40 years, but it doesn’t seem like 40 years,” Narron said. “Anytime Thurman can be remembered, it’s nice to be able to help do that, because he deserves it. I was just one of his many caddies over the years.”

Swihart close
D-backs utilityman Blake Swihart has been on the injured list since June 1 with a strained right oblique, and his rehab assignment is due to expire in the next few days. He is expected to be reevaluated prior to that.

When the D-backs acquired Swihart from the Red Sox earlier this year, they said they did not plan on having him catch, instead using him as a backup infielder/outfielder. However, Swihart caught Monday for Triple-A Reno and could see some time behind the plate when he’s activated.

“We feel like that’s going to be part of what we’re going to ask him to do here in a certain situation or two,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

Lovullo said it has not yet been decided whether the team will swap out a pitcher for Swihart when he’s activated, or if it will be a position player. Currently, the D-backs are carrying 13 pitchers, one more than they usually prefer.