1981 Topps Dickie Thon

The front: Simple spring-training headshot of a very young-looking ballplayer.

The back: There is an error on this card – while Thon’s father’s name was Fred, his grandfather was also named Fred and that is the former player and manager in Puerto Rico.

The player: Dickie Thon was a promising young shortstop for the Astros in the early 1980s. After leading the NL in triples in 1982, Thon had a breakout season in 1983, hitting .286 with 20 HR, 79 RBI and 34 stolen bases. In April of 1984 he was hit in the face with a pitch, permanently damaging his vision. While he came back and was a serviceable major leaguer for several more years, he was never again a star.

The man: Born in Indiana while his Puerto Rican father attended Notre Dame, Thon grew up in Puerto Rico and did not speak fluent English until he was a teenager. He lives in Puerto Rico today, owning a baseball team in Santurce.

My collection: I have 70 of his cards, from 1980 to 1994. I would be interested in trading for 1983 Fleer Star Stickers #204.