Horton Hears A Boo

Today marks the 66th birthday of Tony Horton, one of 70s baseball's most tragic figures. A slugging first baseman who first came up with the Red Sox in 1964, Horton was traded to the Indians in the middle of the 1967 season, thereby missing out on being part of Boston's "Impossible Dream" squad. But he quickly earned the starting gig at first for the Indians, and posted a career year — .278 BA, 25 doubles, 27 home runs, 93 RBI and 288 total bases in 669 plate appearances — for them in 1969. And that's, for Horton where the trouble began...

When the 1969 season ended, Horton asked the Indians for a $100,000 contract for 1970, which was nearly three times what he made in '69. The Indians responded by low-balling him with a $46,000 offer, and Tribe manager Alvin Dark allegedly told Horton that if he didn't sign for that amount, he'd be benched in favor of fan favorite Ken Harrelson. Fearing for his job, the 25 year-old Horton finally acquiesced in the spring of '70, then realized he'd made a terrible mistake once Harrelson went down in spring training with a season-ending injury. But even though he'd dropped his original salary demands, Horton was vilified by Cleveland sportswriters for daring to even ask for such an exorbitant salary; Cleveland fans (at least, the few that bothered to even show up to see the Indians, who'd finish 32 games out of first place that season) hurled abuse and even spare change at him.

While Horton's 1970 stats don't look too terrible in retrospect (.269 BA, 19 doubles, 17 homers, 59 RBI in 452 plate appearances), the pressure to produce at the plate was murder on the intense and highly-strung Horton, and he began to have trouble sleeping or eating as the season wore on. Finally, he had a full-on nervous breakdown; and on August 28, after taking himself out of a double-header against the Angels, he returned to the Blue Grass Motel (where he was living at the time) and slashed his wrists. Thankfully, motel security managed to call an ambulance before Horton bled to death.

Incredibly, the Indians somehow managed to keep Horton's suicide attempt out of the papers; the full extent of his breakdown wouldn't be widely known until 1997, when sportswriter Bill Maddon uncovered the grisly details. At the time, the team simply announced that Horton was going on the DL for "emotional distress", then revealed in January '71 that Horton had suffered a nervous breakdown and would probably miss the whole season; he would, they said, most likely be back by '72.

It didn't happen. While Horton eventually recovered and reportedly went on to a successful career in business, his doctors recommended that he step away from the sport entirely, worrying that even watching a game on TV could trigger a massive panic attack or even another breakdown. For all we know, Horton may not have ever set foot again in a ballpark.

On a lighter note, here's the amazing clip (which I've posted before) of Horton facing off against Yankees reliever Steve Hamilton in a 1970 game at Yankee Stadium. Hamilton delivers a couple of his patented "folly floaters," and gets Horton to pop out to a young catcher named Thurman Munson; Horton comically crawls back to the Cleveland dugout in mock shame. Too bad he wasn't able to handle the rest of his 1970 season with the same degree of levity.

Comments

[Doug]

It's mystifying why Tony never had a Topps baseball card during the duration of his career. Was it a contract issue? He was a significant part of the Tribe's offense in 1969.

[Dan E]

Doug - I've heard that it was because Tony wasn't a member of the players' union, though that might be apocryphal...

[Kelly]

The official line in the paper was "nervous exhaustion". As a kid, I never understood that. He was my favorite Indian.

[Sandy]

Tony Horton was the best! If you were booed every time you came out to hit, you would feel pretty bad about yourself. I feel for him all these years, he doesn't even collect his pension from baseball. Apologies are too late. But know that some never gave up on you Tony.

[troy]

1970 was my first year as a baseball fan and the Tribe was my team. It is mind boggling as to why Tribe fans would boo Tony Horton. His numbers didn't warrant booing. I have always wondered what kind of lineup the Tribe could have had in the early to mid 70's if Tony could have had an Andre Thorton spiritual born again experience and came back the next year, If Ray Fosse wouldnt have had his shoulder crushed by Rose in that years all star game. Add them to Graig Nettles, Chris Chambliss and Buddy Bell and Tribe would have had a nice team. What could have been but glad Tony was able to move on and have a productive life after baseball.