National League Standings, April 8, 1984
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE APRIL 8, 1984 GAME:
flushing flash
February 3, 2002
Instead of "Hit by Pitch: Thon" in the box score, it should read "Cold-Cocked by Mike Torrez: Thon". I can still hear the thud of the ball against Dickie's skull. The start of a very interesting year for the Metsies.
Ed K
September 4, 2002
Mets opened the season with nine road games in 1984 as MLB tried starting the season primarily at warm weather sites. After splitting two games in Cincy, they completed a three game sweep at the Astrodome by pulling this game out in the final innings and people started to sit up and take notice that maybe the Mets finally had a good team again!
Scott
April 28, 2004
I'll never forget the sound of the ball hitting Dickie Thon's head. I sat there thinking to myself all these good young pitchers (Gooden, Darling, Terrell) and this guy screws something else up. On the bright side the sweep made me realize that this team was indeed a contender.
Shickhaus Franks
February 18, 2009
I remember watching the game on Ch. 9. It started at 7 pm New York time as the Astros at the time had Sunday night start times way before ESPN got involved with Major League Baseball. As for Dickie Thon's getting hit in the head by Mike Torrez, it was Torrez's second most infamous pitch that he threw in his career. (The first being the 1978 AL East playoff gopher ball he served up to Bucky Dent.)
NYB Buff
June 2, 2023
This was the night that Dickie Thon's promising career was basically ruined. He got hit by a pitch and suffered an eye injury from which he never quite recovered. Thon was just coming off an All-Star season that resulted in a Silver Slugger award and a handful of MVP votes for himself. He still lasted another nine years in the major leagues, but the pitch in the eye likely reduced his production over that time.
An eerie thing about the pitch that struck Thon is that it came on the twentieth anniversary of another tragic event in Houston baseball. Colt .45s pitcher Jim Umbricht died of cancer on the same date in 1964.
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