BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Yankees Sign Thurman Munson’s Son

Michael Munson, son of late New York Yankee captain Thurman Munson, signed a minor-league contract Saturday with his father’s former team.

Michael Munson, who will turn 20 on July 29, will report to the Yankees’ club in Tampa, Fla., in the rookie Gulf Coast League.

Munson, a catcher-outfielder, was not picked in the recent June draft. He has been playing for an amateur team in Canton, Ohio, where the family has lived since Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash on Aug. 2, 1979.

Thurman Munson, one of the most popular Yankees ever, died at age 32 when the plane he was piloting crashed in Canton. The gritty catcher batted .292 in an 11-season career, and hit .373 in three World Series, helping the Yankees win championships in 1977 and 1978.

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Overnight TV ratings for the first night of regular-season baseball on a network since the strike were down 13.3% from the comparable night last year. ABC’s regional telecasts Saturday night got a 6.5 rating. On the Saturday night following last year’s All-Star game, ABC got a 7.5 overnight rating for its regional coverage.

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The Cleveland Indians activated designated hitter Dave Winfield from the disabled list and called up pitcher Chad Ogea from triple-A Buffalo. To make room on the roster, the Indians optioned pitcher Alan Embree to Buffalo and designated pitcher Gregg Olson for assignment. . . . The Baltimore Orioles activated pitcher Kevin Brown from the disabled list and placed catcher Chris Hoiles on the 15-day list, retroactive to July 16. . . . The Boston Red Sox recalled outfielder Mark Whiten from triple-A Pawtucket and put designated hitter Reggie Jefferson on the 15-day disabled list because of a back injury. . . . Third baseman Steve Buechele was recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City by the Texas Rangers. To make room for Buechele, third baseman Luis Ortiz was sent down. . . . Infielder Tom Foley was designated for assignment by the Montreal Expos to make room on the 40-man roster for infielder Dave Silvestri. . . . The Minnesota Twins activated outfielder Jerald Clark from the disabled list and sent pitcher Rich Robertson to triple-A Salt Lake.