Baseball

Thigpen critically hurt

Fall at Times Forum causes internal bleeding, though doctor expects saves record holder to keep his organs.

By TOM ZUCCO, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times
published April 12, 2003

Former All-Star closer Bobby Thigpen had nearly three hours of surgery Friday morning at Bayfront Medical Center to stem massive internal bleeding he sustained while leaving a hockey game Thursday night at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

Thigpen, a St. Petersburg resident, was placed on a ventilator after surgery and was listed in critical condition.

"He had about a gallon of blood in his abdomen," said Dr. Kevin Hirsch, a trauma surgeon at Bayfront who operated on Thigpen, 39. "He had significant bleeding in and around his pancreas and kidney that we had to go in and stop."

Hirsch said there was slight damage to Thigpen's spleen, kidney and pancreas. "But he was lucky in that the damage wasn't so significant that anything had to come out. I expect he'll keep his organs.

"This was a terrible situation that could have been a heck of a lot worse."

Thigpen, a relief pitcher who still owns baseball's season save record (57 with the White Sox in 1990), fell on the stairs as he was leaving the Lightning- Capitals playoff game. He was treated by paramedics at the Times Forum but declined further treatment.

"A friend drove him home, he laid on the couch and he couldn't go upstairs because he hurt so much," Thigpen's wife, Keri, said. "He thought he had bruised ribs."

Friday morning, as her husband's condition worsened, Keri Thigpen called Hirsch, a family friend, who drove to the Thigpens home immediately.

"He looked terrible and was in a significant amount of pain," Hirsch said. "I did a quick examination, we got a T-shirt on him, put him in my car and drove to the hospital."

Less than an hour later Thigpen was in the operating room. Hirsch said Thigpen will remain hospitalized at least a week.

Thigpen spent nine seasons in the major leagues, most of them with the White Sox. He retired in 1995.