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Andre Thornton chat
by: Bullz-Eye.com Bull Session
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B-E: Were you one of the lucky players who got to wear those bright, blood-clot red Indians uniforms in the mid-1970s?
Thornton: Yes, unfortunately I was.
B-E: You had some fantastic seasons in your career, but is there one year that stands out either personally or professionally with the Indians?
Thornton: There are a couple that, when I look back on them, I really enjoyed. In the year 1978, we had a team that was fun to play with: Bobby Bonds, Cliff Johnson, and later on Mike Hargrove came over, and Toby Harrah. The years of Buddy Bell when he was here, Duane Kuiper…there were some guys that were fun to play with, even though we didn't have great years. But probably 1982 and 1984 were years that were fun for me as a player. I had some outstanding seasons in that period. But the biggest thing I remember was the two inside-the-park home runs. For a guy like me, I'll always remember that.
B-E: You're the last Indians player to hit for the cycle, and there's a little trivia with that: It was April 22, 1978 in Boston and all four hits came off four different pitchers. Do you remember who those pitchers were?
Thornton: Somebody asked me that question a little while ago. I know one was a left-handed pitcher, and I can't remember his name, but he's the only one that visually I can remember.
B-E: Was that a crowning moment in your career?
Thornton: Well, the crowning thing about the cycle was that it brought me out of a slump.
B-E: You mentioned Mike Hargrove and Buddy Bell. Do you keep in touch with those guys or anyone else you played with?
Thornton: I talk to Mike every now and then, and of course I get a chance to see some of the players and coaches that I knew fairly well. But no, I'm a business man and I'm involved in running my own management consulting company in Cleveland, and I don't get down to as many games as I like. But they still send me my season tickets that I have to pay for, so that keeps me pretty interested in what's going on.
B-E: What's one of your favorite stories from your career?
Thornton: Cliff Johnson was one of the real characters in baseball, and I was in the minor leagues and so was he. I was struggling and he was a catcher, and he said, "Come on, Andre, you're a better hitter than this. I'm going to tell you what's coming -- here comes a fastball." And I hit a home run and that got me going. Cliff was that type of guy and sometimes he helped us out a little more than he should have I guess.
B-E: In 1977, 1978 and 1979 you hit 28, 33 and 26 homers, and then 32 and 33 later in your career. Those were great power numbers for that time, but today a lot of players are slugging 30 homers. What do you think has caused baseball's recent power surge -- juiced balls, stronger hitters, smaller parks?
Thornton: Actually, I believe they've stuck one of those new golf balls inside the baseballs. No, it's hard for me to say. The players are certainly good, the equipment is good, technology, training, all those things play a big part. That's probably a question we could sit here and debate for hours upon hours. I don't know, I enjoy watching, the ball is flying out of the ballparks, and I think that's what people like to see.
B-E: But aren't those home run numbers staggering to you, seeing someone like Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs?
Thornton: Now that is really hard for me to fathom still. I remember George Foster hitting 50 and several other guys hitting 50 and so forth, but 70 home runs…that's a lot of home runs. I led the Cubs one year in home runs with 18, so you can see the difference.
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