| Steve Lyons | |
|---|---|
 Lyons in April 2013 | |
| Outfielder /Infielder | |
| Born: (1960-06-03)June 3, 1960 (age 64) Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1985, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1993, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .252 |
| Home runs | 19 |
| Runs batted in | 196 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Stephen John Lyons (born June 3, 1960) is an American former professionalbaseball player who previously worked as atelevisionsportscaster for theNew England Sports Network (NESN). He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for four teams over a period of nine seasons (1985–1993), including four stints with theBoston Red Sox. He was initially anoutfielder andthird baseman, but found a niche as autility player. After his retirement as a player, he became a television baseball commentator. In 2021, NESN announced Lyons would not be returning to his in-studio pre- and post-game analyst role.
Lyons was born in 1960 inTacoma, Washington, and grew up inEugene andBeaverton, Oregon. His father, Richard Lyons, was a star athlete atHudson High School in Massachusetts,[1] who encouraged him to play baseball. He attendedMarist Catholic High School in Eugene, before graduating fromBeaverton High School in 1978.[2] He attendedOregon State on a partialbaseballscholarship. After his junior year, Lyons was a first rounddraft pick (19th overall) by theBoston Red Sox in the1981 MLB draft; he left Oregon State without graduating, to begin his baseball career.[3]
At the start of his professional career, Lyons played for four teams in Boston'sfarm system: theClass AWinston-Salem Red Sox in 1981, theDouble-ABristol Red Sox in 1982, the Double-ANew Britain Red Sox in 1983, and theTriple-APawtucket Red Sox in 1984. He had a .248batting average while hitting 43home runs and 222RBIs in 462minor league games.
After playing for3+1⁄2 years in the minor leagues, Lyons was promoted to the Red Sox in 1985, due in large part to having an impressivespring training; in addition to hitting well, his speed on the bases, and his ability to play a number of positions contributed to the decision.[4] Lyons made his major league debut with the Red Sox on April 15, as apinch runner at age 24.[5] He collected his first major league hit on April 30, off ofDonnie Moore of theCalifornia Angels.[6] Starting in early June, Lyons became Boston's regular center fielder; he went on to play 133 games with the1985 Red Sox, batting .264 with five home runs and 30 RBIs.
In 1986, Lyons appeared in 59 games through late June, batting .250 with one home run and 14 RBIs. On May 10, he wasejected for the only time in his MLB career, byumpireTerry Cooney after arguing a called third strike.[7]
Lyons was traded to theChicago White Sox for pitcherTom Seaver on June 29, 1986.[8] For the remainder of the 1986 season, Lyons played 42 games with the White Sox, batting .203 with six RBIs; he also played 20 games with the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons. During 1987, Lyons split time between Chicago and their Triple-A affiliate, theHawaii Islanders of thePacific Coast League. With the White Sox, he batted .280 with one home run and 19 RBIs in 76 games.
Lyons spent all of the 1988 season with Chicago, batting .269 with five home runs and 45 RBIs in 146 games. In 1989, he appeared in 140 games, batting .264 with two home runs and 50 RBIs. He played 94 games in 1990, batting .192 with one home run and 11 RBIs. In parts of five seasons with the White Sox, Lyons appeared in 497 games, batting .255 with nine home runs and 131 RBIs. Lyons was released by the White Sox on April 13, 1991.
Lyons played every defensive position (includingpitcher) as well asdesignated hitter,pinch hitter, and pinch runner during his time with the White Sox. He also has the rare distinction of having played all nine defensive positions in a single game at the major league level, although in an exhibition contest. The "Windy City Classic," between theChicago Cubs and the White Sox, took place atWrigley Field on April 23, 1990.[9] Per standardbaseball notation, Lyons's positions during the game were, in order: 2-3-7-8-6-9-5-9-1-4.[10]
Lyons signed with Boston on April 18, 1991. With the1991 Red Sox he played in 87 games, batting .241 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. After the season, Lyons became afree agent.
Lyons signed with theAtlanta Braves in January 1992. He played 11 games for them, batting 1-for-14 (.071) with one RBI. The Braves released him at the end of April.
Lyons signed with theMontreal Expos on May 8, 1992. He played 16 games for them, batting 3-for-13 (.231) with one RBI.
The Expos sold Lyons to the Red Sox on June 27, 1992. Through the end of the season, Lyons played 21 games for Boston, batting 7-for-28 (.250) with two RBIs. He also played 37 games with Triple-A Pawtucket. After the season, Lyons again became a free agent.
Lyons signed with theChicago Cubs in early February 1993, and was released in late March.
Lyons again signed with Boston on May 7, 1993. With the1993 Red Sox he appeared in 28 games, batting 3-for-23 (.130). He also appeared in 67 Triple-A games with Pawtucket. Lyons's final MLB game was on October 3, when he played right field and second base in a 14-inning loss to theMilwaukee Brewers.[11] He became a free agent after the season, but did not continue his playing career. In parts of five seasons with the Red Sox, Lyons played in 328 games, batting .251 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs.
Lyons's overall MLB career totals include a .252 batting average, 19 home runs, and 196 RBIs in 853 games. He appeared twice as arelief pitcher, giving up four hits and one run in three innings pitched for a 3.00ERA, whilewalking four andstriking out two.
Lyons's colorful personality earned him the nickname "Psycho".[12] He was known for such eccentricities as playingtic-tac-toe andhangman against opposing players during games, usingspikes to mark the infield dirt.[13]
His most remembered incident occurred atTiger Stadium inDetroit on a Monday night in 1990. In a televised game played on July 16, he created a stir that was replayed countless times. After sliding headfirst into first base to beat out a bunt hit, Lyons pulled down his pants to empty the dirt out and brush off his shirttail.[14] After a few seconds (and a reaction from the crowd of over 14,000), he realized what he had just done and quickly pulled them up, humorously embarrassed. Although wearing sliding shorts under hisWhite Sox uniform, this incident earned him another nickname, "Moon Man" Lyons. At the end of the inning, women in the stands waved dollar bills at him as he came to the dugout.[12]
And the jokes began, "No one had ever dropped his drawers on the field. NotWally Moon. NotBlue Moon Odom. Not evenHeinie Manush." wrote one columnist.[12] Within 24 hours of the "exposure," he received more exposure than he'd gotten his entire career; seven live television and approximately 20 radio interviews. Lyons himself once stated, "We've got this pitcher,Mélido Pérez, who earlier this month pitched ano-hitter, and I'll guarantee you he didn't do two live television shots afterward. I pull my pants down, and I do seven. Something's pretty skewed toward the zany in this game."[12][15] In a later interview, Lyons said that, in the moment of dropping his pants, "I just brain-cramped."[16]
After his retirement from the playing field, Lyons became acolor analyst forFox Sports'MLB coverage in 1996, working first in a studio pregame show withChip Caray andKeith Olbermann, and later on game coverage, usually withThom Brennaman. He called severalDivision Series andLeague Championship Series telecasts for the network. Lyons also served as an anchor forFox Sports News (later renamed theNational Sports Report), Fox's ill-fated national sports news show and rival toSportsCenter.
During their broadcast of Game 3 of the2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS), broadcast colleagueLou Piniella, who is ofSpanish descent, used an analogy about finding a wallet, and then spoke briefly in Spanish. Lyons said Piniella was "hablaing Español" –Spanglish for "speaking Spanish" – and added, "I still can't find my wallet. I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit close to him now."[17] On October 13, 2006, Fox fired Lyons for making the remarks.[17][18][19] Lyons was replaced for the last game of the series in Detroit byLos Angeles Angels announcerJosé Mota. Piniella later stated that he thought that Lyons was just "kidding" and that Lyons was, per Piniella's experience, not bigoted.[20]
From 2005 to 2013, Lyons served as color analyst for theLos Angeles Dodgers onPrime Ticket andKCAL on television broadcasts originating from outside theNL West,[21] broadcasting first alongsideCharley Steiner and thenEric Collins. He also co-hosted the Dodgers pre-game and post-game shows for Prime Ticket.
Following Lyons's firing by Fox during the 2006 ALCS, on October 16, 2006, the Dodgers announced that they would keep Lyons as a commentator for their road games. The team said that they gave Lyons probationary guidelines and that he would undergodiversity training. Lyons also continued to host the Dodgers' post-game show,Dodgers Live.[22]
On October 12, 2013, Lyons announced that he would not be returning to the Dodgers the following season.[23]
In 2014, Lyons joined theNew England Sports Network (NESN) as a studio analyst and occasional game analyst for NESN's coverage of the Red Sox.[24]
In 2017, Lyons took a leave of absence, starting in June, from his broadcasting job with NESN. In August, it became public that Lyons had been arrested for domestic battery in January, with the arresting officer reporting that Lyons's girlfriend had suffered facial injuries.[25][26] On August 15, 2017, the three misdemeanor charges against Lyons were dropped insuperior court inTorrance, California, after it was determined that the photos taken of Lyons's girlfriend in January had been lost by the police, leading to the dismissal.[27] Lyons's leave of absence extended through the remainder of the2017 MLB season.
Lyons returned to NESN for the2018 MLB season, calling Red Soxspring training games withDave O'Brien, and during the regular season has served as an in-studio analyst and fill-in color commentator. Lyons was not brought back for the 2021 season and beyond.
In the mid-1990s, Lyons worked forWMVP in Chicago, and as an analyst forESPN andESPN2.[28] He was part of theArizona Diamondbacks' broadcast crew in 2003 and 2004.[29] Lyons made his debut video game appearance as a broadcaster inAll-Star Baseball 2005 along withThom Brennaman. He has also been a broadcaster in theMLB: The Show series.
Lyons has been criticized for making insensitive comments in the broadcast booth on multiple occasions.
Lyons maligned outfielderShawn Green, who isJewish, for sitting out a game onYom Kippur in 2004, saying, "He's not even a practicing Jew. He didn't marry a Jewish girl. And from what I understand, he never had abar mitzvah, which is unfortunate, because he doesn't get the money."[30] Lyons was suspended briefly without pay after his remarks, and the network apologized for Lyons's comments, although Lyons never made an on-air apology.
In August 2006, while working anAngels-Yankees game, Lyons discussedItalian American Yankees' catcherSal Fasano, and the fact that he had to shave his mustache to accommodate ownerGeorge Steinbrenner'sgrooming code. Responding to a comment by his fellow Fox sportscaster about how one doesn't want to cross Fasano, Lyons replied, "Well, you know, Fasano is the type of guy 'who knows a guy that knows a guy'."[31]
Lyons and fellow sportscasterThom Brennaman made fun of a 64-year-oldNew York Mets fan wearing an unusual device over his eyes at a game during Game 2 of the2006 National League Division Series between theMets andDodgers, with Lyons saying, "He's got a digital camera stuck to his face." The man turned out to be nearlyblind, except for limited peripheral vision in one eye, and he was wearing aJORDY, a magnifying device that helped him to see the game. Brennaman later apologized to the man and his family on-air during Game 3 of the series.[32]
Lyons is ofFrench andIrish descent,[citation needed] and as of 2017[update] resides inHermosa Beach, California.[27] In 1995, he published a book,PSYCHOanalysis, with foreword byStephen King, of his personal observations and stories about baseball.[28]
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