Terrible Card Tuesday: 1987 Andre Thornton

You know how holiday schedules get the best of you?  You’re off work for a while and sort of forget what day of the week it is?  Yeah, that’s what happened with me and the Monster Card Monday yesterday.  Sorry, folks.

But I’m back on track with Terrible Card Tuesday with former Cub and Indian firstbaseman Andre Thornton’s 1987 APBA card.  This was Thornton’s swan song in the bigs after 13 mostly productive years.  His last year in the majors with Cleveland was not so productive. 

After hitting 17 homers in 1986, Andre couldn’t clear the fences in 1987 in 85 at-bats.  He barely cleared the infield with just 10 hits, hitting .118.  Two of those hits were doubles.  Despite his advanced age of 37, he actually did steal one base. 

Thornton didn’t play the field at all and was relegated to the DH and pinch hitting role.  

This is a tough card for someone who had a pretty decent career (253 HR, 895 rbis).  Andre’s “Thunder” is gone with one 66-6 power number followed by two 8s and one 9.  It’s a hard pill for any team to swallow even the Indians who lost 101 in 1987. 

It doesn’t help that Thornton is rated as a slow baserunner and because he didn’t really play the field, is rated as a 1B-2. 

Like he always did throughout his career, Thornton manages to squeeze in some 14s.  This card has four.  Unfortunately, one is a 55-14 and another is a 25-14.  That said, with the 15-10, he does have some on-base chances considering his .118 batting average. 

Ugly Numbers:  51-13, 22-9, 44-37

As a Cub fan, I liked Thornton.  I distinctly remember his Topps baseball card.  While not as widely known as Joe Carter, Rafael Palmeiro, Jamie Moyer or certainly Greg Maddux, I think he ranks up there as another Chicago Cub player that “got away”.