Bill's Baseball Thread [Experts ONLY]

On this date forty years ago, rising star, Houston Astros shortstop, Dickie Thon was struck in the face by a Mike Torrez fastball. It broke the orbital bone around Thon’s left eye. He was out for the season.

Thon returned to Houston’s active roster in 1985. He was in front of the dugout before the start of first game of the April series with the Braves. I had field level seats on the third base side and shouted out, “Hey! Dickie Thon! Welcome back to baseball!” He turned around to look at the stands and touched the bill of his cap. Fans applauded politely. Dickie Thon had always played like an all star in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, and Braves fans despised him. Still, that day, begrudging respect and well wishes were expressed by hometown fans to a nemesis recovered from a terrible injury.

Thon never returned to form. His vision was impacted. Once a future hall of famer, he was just a workmanlike ball player after his injury.

I have sympathy for Thon. Ten years after his injury, I suffered an orbital blow out fracture when I was attacked and beaten in the face by a huge, drunken, off-duty Cherokee County Sheriff while watching the Vols play among a gathering of UT alumni at a bar. There was no explanation for the attack. The local cops let the perpetrator leave with an off-duty colleague. The bar owner encouraged sweeping this event under the rug, having had fights in his bar previously, he was in jeopardy of losing his liability insurance. UT Alumni never returned to that place, which went out of business within a few years.
 
Since when did the As get promoted up to AAA?

Since they announced they were upgrading to a AAA ballpark.
There was an article in the Athletic I think questioning if the A’s could win a series against the Norfolk Tides, Baltimore’s supposedly loaded, potentially all time best ever AAA squad.

Curious if it got deleted since Norfolk is currently like 9-15. And in the East cellar.
 
i did not have the A's sitting at .500 in May on my bingo card. 6 straight. and put a 20 spot up tonight (albeit against one of the worst teams in MLB)
 

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