Lou Thornton
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1990)
Lou Thornton was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1990 for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets, a span of 6 seasons. In 95 career games, he hit .247 with 22 hits, 1 home runs, and 9 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-04-08
- Last Game
- 1990-04-24
Full name: Louis Thornton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 89 | 29 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 25 | .247 | .280 | .326 | .605 | -209 |
Career AVG .247 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .280 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 13.5% below league average.
Career SLG .326 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 16.2% below league average.
Career OPS .605 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — 15.0% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | TOR | AL | 56 | 72 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 24 | .236 | .257 (-8%) | .323 (-17%) | .390 (-18%) | .714 (-18%) | -209.1 |
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 12 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | TOR | AL | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | NYN | NL | 13 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .308 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | NYN | NL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 95 | 89 | 29 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 25 | .247 | — | — | — | — | -209 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (95 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 51 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 6 | .298 |
| Away | 44 | 42 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 3 | .190 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-04-24 | NYN | ATL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-04-17 | NYN | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-04-09 | NYN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-10-01 | NYN | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-29 | NYN | PIT | W | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-09-27 | NYN | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-26 | NYN | PHI | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-24 | NYN | WSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-23 | NYN | WSN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-17 | NYN | WSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 32 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 24 |
| Designated Hitter | 23 |
Salary History
Lou Thornton's recorded salaries total $103,000 over 1 season, in 1990. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Thornton's career ran from 1985 to 1990. No salary is recorded for 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1989.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | NYN | NL | $103,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $103,000 | ||
Lou Thornton: the record in brief
According to the bio, Lou Thornton debuted on April 8, 1985 and played a final game on April 24, 1990. Club by club, the record runs the Toronto Blue Jays (1985 through 1988) and the New York Mets (1989 to 1990). Thornton, born on April 26, 1963, in Montgomery, AL, USA, is listed as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Thornton's listed size is 6 feet, 2 inches and 185 pounds. The given name on file is Louis Thornton.
In 95 games and 89 at bats, Thornton batted .247 with 22 hits, plus 1 home run and 9 RBI. Thornton got on base at a .280 rate and slugged .326 (.605 OPS). The .247 career average is close to the .257 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .605 to a league .712, 15.0% below average. 1985 produced Thornton's most hits, 17 of them for the Toronto Blue Jays. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .236 in 1985, did not top the league's .257.
Those games came in 1985, in the ALCS.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lou Thornton
- What years did Lou Thornton play?
- Lou Thornton played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1990.
- Was Lou Thornton a pitcher?
- No. Lou Thornton was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Lou Thornton hit?
- Lou Thornton hit 1 career home run with 22 hits.
- What teams did Lou Thornton play for?
- Lou Thornton played for 2 teams: the Toronto Blue Jays (1985, 1987–1988) and the New York Mets (1989–1990).
- What were Lou Thornton's career stats?
- In 95 games, Lou Thornton had 22 hits, 1 home runs, 9 RBI, 29 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .247 batting average.
- How much did Lou Thornton earn in his career?
- Lou Thornton's recorded salaries total $103,000 over 1 season, in 1990. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Thornton's career ran from 1985 to 1990. No salary is recorded for 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1989.
- What was Lou Thornton's salary?
- Lou Thornton's recorded salary was $103,000 in 1990.
- What position did Lou Thornton play?
- Lou Thornton played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lou Thornton and how much did he weigh?
- Lou Thornton was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lou Thornton hit each season?
- Lou Thornton's home runs by season: 1 in 1985, 0 in 1987, 0 in 1988, and 0 in 1989. His most in one season was 1, in 1985.
- What was Lou Thornton's career batting average?
- Lou Thornton batted .247 over his career, with 22 hits in 89 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lou Thornton have?
- Lou Thornton drove in 9 runs in his career.
- Is Lou Thornton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lou Thornton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.