| Dickie Thon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1958-06-20)June 20, 1958 (age 67) South Bend, Indiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 22, 1979, for the California Angels | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1993, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .264 |
| Home runs | 71 |
| Runs batted in | 435 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Richard William Thon (born June 20, 1958) is a Puerto Rican-American former professionalbaseball player andcoach. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as ashortstop, most prominently as a member of theHouston Astros where he first established himself as anAll-Star player in 1983. Thon's promising career was severely impacted in 1984 when he was struck by a baseball in his left eye.[1] After a lengthy recovery period, he tenaciously resumed his baseball career and played for another 10 years, but he had to contend with headaches and blurred vision and was never able to recapture the form that had made him an All-Star player.[2] He also played for theCalifornia Angels,San Diego Padres,Philadelphia Phillies,Texas Rangers, andMilwaukee Brewers, during the course of his 15-year Major League career. After his playing career, Thon served as aminor league instructor for the Houston Astros.[1]
Thon was born on June 20, 1958, in South Bend, Indiana, where his father, a native Puerto Rican, was completing his undergraduate degree in business at theUniversity of Notre Dame.[1] Thon's family moved back to Puerto Rico, and he grew up in theRio Piedras section ofSan Juan.[1] As a young child, he idolized Puerto Rican baseball starsOrlando Cepeda andRoberto Clemente.[1]
Thon was a third-generation baseball player. His grandfather, Fred Thon Sr., pitched for theSenadores de San Juan of thePuerto Rican Professional Baseball League.[1] His father Freddie Thon Jr., who signed a major-league contract but injured his arm before reporting to training, played semi-pro baseball while finishing college at Notre Dame, and coached all of his sons throughout their Little League and teenage years.[citation needed] Dickie's brother, Frankie Thon, was also affiliated with major league baseball in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico having been a player, a manager and a current major-league scout, as well as the general manager of theCriollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rican League. As a teenager, Thon played for theVaqueros de Bayamón in the Puerto Rico Winter League.[1]
Thon was signed by theCalifornia Angels as an amateur free agent on November 23, 1975, while he was still in high school. Thon became one of the topprospects in the Angels' minor league organization. After starting the 1979 season with theSalt Lake City Gulls of thePacific Coast League, he was called up and made his major-league debut on May 22, 1979, at the age of 20. Thon helped the Angels win the 1979American League Western Division title.
In the1979 American League Championship Series against theBaltimore Orioles, Thon pinch-ran and scored in Game Two in his only appearance in the series, as Baltimore won the series three games to one. One of his teammates on the Angels that year was futureBaseball Hall of Fame member,Rod Carew, who would become one of the most influential players in Thon's career.[1]
With the Angels' roster containing veteran players such asBobby Grich,Bert Campaneris,Rick Burleson, andFreddie Patek, they made the decision to trade Thon to the Houston Astros for pitcherKen Forsch on April 1, 1981. He led theNational League intriples in 1982 and was selected to the1983 All-Star Game.
By 1984, Thon was drawing excitement about his potential. "He's already the best shortstop in the league," saidCraig Reynolds, whom Thon had replaced as the Astro shortstop.Al Rosen, Thon's general manager, said, "when I see Dickie Thon, I see a future Hall of Famer."[3] His career was permanently altered on April 8, 1984, when he was hit in the face byMike Torrez's fastball.[4]Bill James thinks Thon might have been a Hall of Famer had the injury not occurred.[5] The pitch broke the orbital bone around his left eye and ended his 1984 season. He returned in 1985, but had problems with depth perception that permanently hampered his potential.[6] In 1991, Thon received theTony Conigliaro Award in recognition of his recovery from this severe injury.
In 2013, Thon said, "I couldn't see the ball very well after I got hit in my left eye. I had to make adjustments, and open up a little bit and see the ball better. It's tough to do that in the big leagues, but I did manage to play 10 [more] years."[2] He viewed the injury as just one bad moment in a life filled mostly with blessings: "I've had a lot of good things happen to me. I try to think about it that way."[3]
On December 15, 2025, Thon donated a kidney to his son, Dickie Joe Thon, who is known as "Joe". Joe was selected by theToronto Blue Jays in the fifth round (156th overall) in the2010 MLB draft and played the 2016 season for theDunedin Blue Jays.[7] Thon joined the Astros coaching staff in 2021, and in 2022, the junior Thon was named manager for theFayetteville Woodpeckers, the Low-A club for the Astros.[8] For the 2025 season, Joe will be on the coaching staff of theLos Angeles Dodgers triple-AOklahoma City Comets team.[9]
Thon was inducted into theHispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame on September 13, 2003.[10]
As of 2013, Thon owned a Puerto Rican Winter League team in Santurce.[2] He is a devout Catholic.[3]
