Who is the man: Sparky Lyle enjoyed another season as one of the best left-handed relief pitchers in the game in 1970, although he managed to lose seven of the eight games in which he received a decision.
Can ya dig it: Every card of Lyle with short hair and no bushy mustache is bizarre. It's like I'm looking at a completely different person.
Right on: I wonder if he's standing in front of the Green Monster?
You see that cat Lyle is a bad mother: Lyle was the first reliever to win the American League Cy Young Award, receiving the honor while with the Yankees in 1977.
Shut your mouth: Lyle's book, "The Bronx Zoo," which he wrote with Peter Golenbock, is the first sports tell-all book that I ever knew or read. It was an eye-opener as I was 13 at the time.
No one understands him but his woman: Lyle was a big defender of manager Billy Martin. Facing Martin's critics in The Bronx Zoo, Lyle said, "This team could have never become what it did without Billy Martin."
(A word about the back): Lyle was signed by scout George Staller after that 17-inning game. Lyle didn't even pitch all 17 innings in the game. For three innings, he played first base.
I remember the Bronx Zoo. I could have lived without the descriptions of Yogi at the buffet table.
ReplyDeleteRecently reread the Bronx Zoo and don't think it has aged well. A lot of the book is ol' Spark moaning and groaning about his salary compared to that of Rich Gossage. He goes AWOL once or twice, inexcusably, and seemed to be pretty unhappy which doesn't make for an entertaining read.
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