Tony Horton

Infobox MLB retired
name=Tony Horton
position=First Baseman
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1944|12|6
Santa Monica, California
debutdate=July 31
debutyear=by|1964
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=August 28
finalyear=by|1970
finalteam=Cleveland Indians
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.268
stat2label=HR
stat2value=76
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=297
teams=
*Boston Red Sox (1964-67)
*Cleveland Indians (1967-70)
highlights=
*Hit for the cycle on July 2, 1970

Anthony Darrin Horton (born on December 6, 1944 in Santa Monica, California) is a former Major League Baseball player.

A first baseman who batted and threw right-handed, Horton played for the Boston Red Sox (1964-67) and Cleveland Indians (1967-70).

Horton made his major league debut at age 19 in by|1964. He was a reserve first baseman for two seasons with the Red Sox until he was traded to the Indians in by|1967 for Gary Bell, who won 12 games for the Red Sox during their pennant drive after going 1-5 in Cleveland. In 106 games played as an Indian, Horton batted .281 with 10 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

After batting .249 in by|1968 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs, Horton enjoyed his finest season in by|1969, batting .278 and establishing career bests with 27 home runs and 93 runs batted in.

He is the father of Tony Horton, fitness instructor and celebrity trainer famous for creating the P90X home workout program.

1970: The Ups and Downs

by|1970 was a curious season for Horton. He batted .269 with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs in a season full of ups and downs. On May 24 of that year in the second game of a doubleheader, he hit three home runs in an 8-7 loss to the New York Yankees; he reportedly was upset about not hitting a fourth. Exactly one month later against the Yankees, in the first game of another doubleheader, Horton fouled off a “folly floater” from Steve Hamilton. Horton asked for another "Folly Floater," and Hamilton again threw one, and again Horton popped it into foul territory behind home plate—this time into Thurman Munson's mitt for an out. An embarrassed Horton crawled back into the dugout.

On July 2 Horton hit for the cycle in a 10-9 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The end came unexpectedly for Horton on August 28; he took himself out in the fifth inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the California Angels. A batting slump and constant booing from fans led to such emotional distress that Horton had to be hospitalized for clinical depression. He would receive treatment and recover, but the stress of professional baseball forced him to leave the game at just 26 years of age. Horton's career, many feel, ended too soon for someone who had such promise. His manager, Alvin Dark, in his book “When in Doubt, Fire the Manager,” would call Horton’s sudden exit “the most sorrowful incident I was ever involved in, in my baseball career.”

In his very short career, Horton batted .268 with 76 home runs and 297 RBIs in 636 games played. His early exit from the game has often been tied to Indian lore with the Curse of Rocky Colavito.

ee also

* Hitting for the cycle
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hortoto01.shtml Tony Horton's career stats and analysis]