Dickie Thon Marquee

In 1983 he hit .286 with 177 hits, 20 home runs, 79 runs batted in and 34 stolen bases for Houston, won a Silver Slugger and finished seventh in the Most Valuable Player voting. He was twenty-five and there was no better shortstop in the league.

On April 8, 1984, a fastball from Mike Torrez struck him on the left side of the face and fractured the orbital bone. He played five games that season. His vision never came all the way back — he saw a blur out of the left eye for years — and though he played nine more seasons and had a good one for Philadelphia in 1989, he was a different player.

Fifteen seasons gave him 1,176 hits, 193 doubles, 71 home runs, 167 stolen bases and a .264 average. He is from Puerto Rico, one of three generations of his family to play professionally. He is not on a Hall of Fame ballot.