In the minor leagues I had to do a pre-game interview every day. Most
of the players were happy to talk to me, but not all. This is me
interviewing Syracuse Chief, Lou Thornton in 1988. By the way -- still
easier than interviewing Barry Bonds.
Ah, Lou Thornton. One of the all-time over-hyped busts. The Blue Jays kept him on the roster for all of 1985 as a rule 5 draft player, convinced he would be their all-star outfielder of the late 80s. The only things standing in his way? Weak hitting skills; a pathological aversion to walks; a recurring inability to use his speed to steal bases or to get to fly balls; and a propensity for making dumb mistakes (like throwing to the wrong cut-off man, or getting called out for missing first base when he hit what would have been a triple.)
"Play Me Or Trade Me"? Lou, even in 1988 they *did* play you. Sure, in Triple-A, but they did play you. You hit .207 for the Chiefs, with almost no walks and no power, and yet you still somehow made it to the big leagues that year, where you went 0-for-2 in two short stints with the Blue Jays.
I'm sure the Jays would have loved to have traded you, if they could have found any takers. That way, they could have at least gotten *something* for you, instead of releasing you at the end of the year...
You know what? It's actually becoming more and more clear why Lou Thornton would hate to be interviewed. I mean, what positive things would he have to say?
Thornton was born two decades too early to become one of Jim Bowden's "toolsy" outfielders during the nadir of the Nats (the 100-loss seasons of 2008 and '09 that resulted in the drafting of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper). Think of Elijah Dukes...if you dare.
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"I hear you left a large portion of your money to me in your will. If this is true, please verify by saying absolutely nothing."
ReplyDeleteNice gag
ReplyDeleteLooks more like Barry Bondage.
ReplyDeleteAh, Lou Thornton. One of the all-time over-hyped busts. The Blue Jays kept him on the roster for all of 1985 as a rule 5 draft player, convinced he would be their all-star outfielder of the late 80s. The only things standing in his way? Weak hitting skills; a pathological aversion to walks; a recurring inability to use his speed to steal bases or to get to fly balls; and a propensity for making dumb mistakes (like throwing to the wrong cut-off man, or getting called out for missing first base when he hit what would have been a triple.)
ReplyDelete"Play Me Or Trade Me"? Lou, even in 1988 they *did* play you. Sure, in Triple-A, but they did play you. You hit .207 for the Chiefs, with almost no walks and no power, and yet you still somehow made it to the big leagues that year, where you went 0-for-2 in two short stints with the Blue Jays.
I'm sure the Jays would have loved to have traded you, if they could have found any takers. That way, they could have at least gotten *something* for you, instead of releasing you at the end of the year...
You know what? It's actually becoming more and more clear why Lou Thornton would hate to be interviewed. I mean, what positive things would he have to say?
Thornton was born two decades too early to become one of Jim Bowden's "toolsy" outfielders during the nadir of the Nats (the 100-loss seasons of 2008 and '09 that resulted in the drafting of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper). Think of Elijah Dukes...if you dare.
ReplyDeleteObviously, this was a taped interview. (Because I know how much you love puns, Ken!)
ReplyDelete