Orthopedic Surgeon Marks 20 Years as Astros Team Physician

During two decades of working with the Houston Astros, Bill Bryan, M.D., has seen it all – from the champagne-shower celebrations to times that were tougher than Astroturf.

And befitting a sport whose participants are often called the boys of summer, Bryan has a sunny outlook for the Astros’ chances this year.

“We have a great chance to make the playoffs,” he predicts.

Bryan’s own contribution to Astros history was spotlighted recently, when he tossed out the first pitch before the Astros-Florida Marlins game at Minute Maid Park May 4. He was director of medical care for the Astros from 1983 to 2001, and is now a team physician.

Based at the Baylor Sports Medicine Institute at The Methodist Hospital, Bryan, an orthopedic surgeon, is one of the best-known sports medicine practitioners in Houston.

A past president of the Major League Physicians Association, he has also been the team physician for the Houston Hotshots pro-indoor soccer team, and he was an official volunteer doctor for cyclists participating in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Bryan serves as a sports medicine consultant to many area high schools with a particular interest in early adolescent athletic injury.

“What we know as today’s sports medicine was really pioneered at Methodist and Baylor College of Medicine, through the work of Drs. Joe King and Hugh Tullos,” Bryan says. “As a result, Houston has always had one of the best sports medicine programs in the country.”

Bryan feels lucky to have had the chance to work with some of the greatest athletes to come through the city - legends like Nolan Ryan and fan favorites like Cesar Cedeno, Alan Ashby and Larry Dierker.

“The teams have been great to work with ... if there is one constant over the years, it has been the respect the Astros have always had for medical professionals,” he says.

Bryan is one of four physicians on staff at Methodist who are officially working with the Astros - David Lintner, M.D., is the medical director while Bryan and Tom Mehlhoff, M.D. and James Muntz, M.D. are the team physicians.

When the Astros play at Minute Maid Park, the physicians are charged not only with the care of the home team but with the treatment of any injuries that may occur to the visiting team’s players.

“That changes a little bit during the playoffs; then we go on the road with the team,” Bryan says.

The highlights of 20 years with the Astros are too numerous to mention, but Bryan readily remembers two of the scariest moments on the field.

“The first? Dickie Thon getting hit in the head with a pitch (in 1984). At the time, he was one of the top players in the league. But after that, he suffered from poor vision and was never the same player,” Bryan recalls.

“And the other frightening moment was just a few years ago, when manager Larry Dierker had a seizure in the dugout,” he continues. “At the time, we thought it was a heart attack. It really affected anyone who was close enough to see what was going on.”

Dierker’s seizure was caused by an arteriovenous malformation and he recovered after surgery at Methodist.

In both cases, Bryan points out, specialists at Methodist and Baylor were able to provide the necessary medical care, which extended beyond orthopedics.

“Our athletes deserve the best medical care they can get in the city, and that’s why they come to Methodist. I have the whole institution behind me.”

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