Steve "Sucko" Lyons

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Can someone help me understand how Steve Lyons is all of a sudden weaseling his way into the Boston sports media market?
 
He was horrendously bad as the third chair with Dale and Holley, just unknowledgeable and with a difficult time getting into the flow of the broadcast, then just awkward and useless sitting next to Eck last night on on the post game, with absolutely zero insight. 
 
How is it that two different media execs in Boston said to themselves, "you know what we need? A not-very-funny mediocre ex-ballplayer who's been suspended once and fired once for making racially insensitive remarks. Hey - is Steve Lyons available?!?"
 
Was he popular during his time with the Sox? I don't remember that, but it was 20 years ago now. Does anyone find that he adds some kind of interesting perspective? That he's in any way entertaining?

 

[radsoxfan]

Confusing hire. Lyons was awful, is awful, and will always be awful.
 
If we can't get Eck to do the actual games, can we at least let him and TC do the studio show alone?  

 

[jacklamabe65]

I have hated him ever since he tried to steal third with two out in the ninth in a one run game.

 

[HillysLastWalk]

Haven't really watched many games yet, and hardly any pre/post game, but the 20 minutes I was watching of Lyons last night was OK.  He was making Eck chuckle.  But any less Eck time is potentially a bad thing - this thread has me a little more interested in evaluating him (Lyons that is).

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I have hated him ever since he tried to steal third with two out in the ninth in a one run game.

 
With Wade Boggs at the plate.
 
I don't think the hire is confusing at all. My guess is that he was hired as Remy insurance, since he's got a lot of national TV experience calling baseball games. He's not "good," per se, but he knows the ropes and was available. And of course he has a Sox connection. Eck has been adamant about not doing his gig with NESN full-time, and Remy's status remains uncertain in the long-term.

 

[Harry Hooper]

He's an attractive hire in the sense that he's got a national broadcaster pedigree and a strong Red Sox connection. He was a fan favorite when he broke in here, as he was a rare dynamic, hustling, do-anything type of player.
 
All that being said, he's been awful on WEEI.

 

[ifmanis5]

The media used to love him. Lobel, Shank, etc. He could fill a notebook, crack a joke and smile, which reporters love. He made their jobs easy which is all the media ever wants. As far as the fanbase goes, he was a marginal player and was treated as such for the most part. Few tears by the fans were shed when he was traded. I'd bet Don Shane still has his phone number somewhere. I picture in my mind all those guys yucking it up at some Ground Round back in the day swapping stories. Lyons is a 'one of the boys' kinda guy which counts for a lot in media circles.

 

[bosoxsue]

My husband used to own a sports bar in Connecticut. Lyons was in town for some "Say No To Drugs" thing at a school. Apparently he pounded down the drinks in remarkable fashion and tried to seduce a couple of waitresses. All par for the course, but my husband remains most pleased about the fact that the last four drinks or so were at top-shelf liquor prices, but with nary a drop of booze in them.

 

[JGray38]

Beaten to it. Was just about to add "With an in-his-prime Wade Boggs up" to Lamabe's comment. Really the only time I can remember shouting at my TV for something that happened in a game.

I remember him being liked well enough by the media for his goofy antics, like dropping his pants while on base to clean dirt out of them after sliding, that kind of thing.

 

[ifmanis5]

Beaten to it. Was just about to add "With an in-his-prime Wade Boggs up" to Lamabe's comment. Really the only time I can remember shouting at my TV for something that happened in a game.

That really was a prime WTF ARE YOU DOING?! moment. There should probably be a separate All-Time Yell At Your TV Plays thread.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

 
I don't think the hire is confusing at all. My guess is that he was hired as Remy insurance, since he's got a lot of national TV experience calling baseball games. He's not "good," per se, but he knows the ropes and was available. And of course he has a Sox connection. Eck has been adamant about not doing his gig with NESN full-time, and Remy's status remains uncertain in the long-term.

 
This is a good point. I agree he's not bad as Remy insurance. If he was doing color, especially if only away games that Eck didn't want to do, it might be tolerable. In-game, analyzing play to play, there's a lot more to talk about and it's not like I hate his voice or something. 
 
But off the cuff discussion of a broader topic does not seem to be a strength of his. 

 

[LoweTek]

He's not THAT bad. Believe or not, he would fit right in at the typical Boston SoSH bash, if you know what I mean. I think maybe he was subject to a lot less scrutiny in LA. Give him some time to acclimate to the higher expectations and he may surprise everyone.

 

[WenZink]

Lyons (on NESN) has not been nearly as bad as I expected.  Same old cliches, but NOT presented in a folksy manner (ala Tim McCarver).  Uninformative, but not annoying.
 
Plus, very good hair for a man in his mid-50s.  (Not as excellent as Eck's hair, of course.)

 

[75 Red Hats]

With Wade Boggs at the plate.
 
I don't think the hire is confusing at all. My guess is that he was hired as Remy insurance, since he's got a lot of national TV experience calling baseball games. He's not "good," per se, but he knows the ropes and was available. And of course he has a Sox connection. Eck has been adamant about not doing his gig with NESN full-time, and Remy's status remains uncertain in the long-term.

People think he's bad now, on the studio show, just wait until he ever gets on the game broadcast. I had to put up with his act on the Dodger road games that Scully did not do for the last three years out here in California. Granted he had a really bad play-by-play partner in Eric Collins, but he just offers zero analysis of the game. He was brutal on a daily basis

 

[doldmoose34]

My husband used to own a sports bar in Connecticut. Lyons was in town for some "Say No To Drugs" thing at a school. Apparently he pounded down the drinks in remarkable fashion and tried to seduce a couple of waitresses. All par for the course, but my husband remains most pleased about the fact that the last four drinks or so were at top-shelf liquor prices, but with nary a drop of booze in them.

Your husband is Bobby V?

 

[bosoxsue]

You can understand why I'd want to keep that quiet around here. ... No, sadly, my husband did not invent the wrap sandwich. He did host Tate George's draft party because Calhoun and the team liked the place. Magic Johnson stopped by once and liked the wings; he even autographed a T-shirt, thanking the bar by name, and misspelling it even though its name was right there on the logo just below his signature. Unfortunately, all of this fun happened before we met.

 

[mabrowndog]

After last night's game, on NESN Sports Today, they had Lyons present a commentary piece where he lashed out at Pineda. Whereas Eck (and most other observers) seemed to view Pineda's offense as pitiful (i.e. something a young kid who isn't the brightest bulb might do), Lyons excoriated him as if he was a pro wrestling heel exposed. It was unnerving to watch and listen to, as Lyons became as animated as Chris Farley on his SNL Weekend Update rants (I'm reminded of Dennis Miller: "I think we need one of those spit shields from the salad bar".) 
 
It was also the sort of thing ESPN offers its sheep-flock viewership, with over-exposed loudmouths like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless throwing lightning bolts around like Zeus.
 
So far I haven't minded his in-studio analysis that much, though he's been paired with Eck which balances things out, and Tom Caron's a true pro who can temper outbursts with humor and gear-shifting. But this shit from Lyons last night was ridiculous, classless, and lame.

 

[mrsbeasley]

After last night's game, on NESN Sports Today, they had Lyons present a commentary piece where he lashed out at Pineda. Whereas Eck (and most other observers) seemed to view Pineda's offense as pitiful (i.e. something a young kid who isn't the brightest bulb might do), Lyons excoriated him as if he was a pro wrestling heel exposed. It was unnerving to watch and listen to, as Lyons became as animated as Chris Farley on his SNL Weekend Update rants (I'm reminded of Dennis Miller: "I think we need one of those spit shields from the salad bar".) 
 
It was also the sort of thing ESPN offers its sheep-flock viewership, with over-exposed loudmouths like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless throwing lightning bolts around like Zeus.
 
So far I haven't minded his in-studio analysis that much, though he's been paired with Eck which balances things out, and Tom Caron's a true pro who can temper outbursts with humor and gear-shifting. But this shit from Lyons last night was ridiculous, classless, and lame.

 
I actually like Lyons and have throughout his career but last night on NESN he came across as nothing more than a cranky old man. After lambasting Pineda for his stupid decision he finished off by complaining about the way Pineda wears his cap. It was as if NESN gave my 79 year-old father a five minute platform.

 

[Plympton91]

That really was a prime WTF ARE YOU DOING?! moment. There should probably be a separate All-Time Yell At Your TV Plays thread.

 
Yeah, that one's easy.  When Grady Little left Pedro in to face Posada in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.  You could follow it up with "All Time Remote Control Puts a Hole in the Wall" thread, which would be after Posada's hit fell in.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

After last night's game, on NESN Sports Today, they had Lyons present a commentary piece where he lashed out at Pineda. Whereas Eck (and most other observers) seemed to view Pineda's offense as pitiful (i.e. something a young kid who isn't the brightest bulb might do) ...

 
I'm in agreement on Lyons - it seemed absurdly over the top, and contrived. But I was actually surprised at Eck's hyperbole - things like "the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in a baseball diamond," etc., it was funny, because it was Eck, and I think a bunch of us commented in the game thread at how entertaining it was, but I was at least a little bit surprised at how animated even Eck was about what seemed to me exactly how you describe it: just a dipshit thing to do. 

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

He has an actual segment on NESN now called "Psycho Analysis."

That channel could use some non-crappy producers.

 

[ForKeeps]

Here's his analysis of WMB: "I actually like WMB a lot now cause he said For Love of the Game is his favorite movie. I'm in that!"

 

[Steve Dillard]

How is it that two different media execs in Boston said to themselves, "you know what we need? A not-very-funny mediocre ex-ballplayer who's been suspended once and fired once for making racially insensitive remarks. Hey - is Steve Lyons available?!?"

 
 
Today he'll be commenting on the racially insensitive Sterling affair.

 

[Corsi]

 

Nick Cafardo ‏@nickcafardo  2m
Jerry Remy out with stomach flu. Steve Lyons replaces him on NESN broadcast tonight.
 

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Has there been a Psycho-free NESN telecast since he was hired?  Honest question because I don't often watch pre and post game stuff, but it seems like he's always there when I do.  And on their sports news show whenever I tune that in (also rarely).  And on WEEI every time I turn around.  Guy's been in town for what, three weeks, and we're experiencing Psycho-saturation already.  I'm perfectly ready for the post-Remy era, but not if it heralds the beginning of the Psycho-era.

 

[Nite Vizhun UV]

 

Nick Cafardo ‏@nickcafardo  2m

Jerry Remy out with stomach flu. Steve Lyons replaces him on NESN broadcast tonight.

 
This may possibly be the worst substitute I could have hoped for. My only hope is that he is so bad, and somehow the nesn suits recognize that he is bad, that he never gets another booth assignment.

 

[WenZink]

Has there been a Psycho-free NESN telecast since he was hired?  Honest question because I don't often watch pre and post game stuff, but it seems like he's always there when I do.  And on their sports news show whenever I tune that in (also rarely).  And on WEEI every time I turn around.  Guy's been in town for what, three weeks, and we're experiencing Psycho-saturation already.  I'm perfectly ready for the post-Remy era, but not if it heralds the beginning of the Psycho-era.

 
I think last Friday's post game was without Lyons, so we got more of JIm Rice.

 

[Quintanariffic]

 
I think last Friday's post game was without Lyons, so we got more of JIm Rice.

Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire....

 

[xjack]

Why isn't Eckersley the obvious fallback plan for Remy? Does he not want to go on the road? (I don't live in Boston, so I don't know what's going on at NESN.)

 

[PedroSpecialK]

God he is fucking awful

 

[rmurph3]

Why isn't Eckersley the obvious fallback plan for Remy? Does he not want to go on the road? (I don't live in Boston, so I don't know what's going on at NESN.)

 
Yup, that's pretty much it. Eck won't expand his commitment. Which is why we had the revolving door for the 2nd half of last year when Remy was out. I get the need to bring in a backup to Remy, but this was a suboptimal choice.

 

[Byrdbrain]

Why isn't Eckersley the obvious fallback plan for Remy? Does he not want to go on the road? (I don't live in Boston, so I don't know what's going on at NESN.)

Yes this.

 

[LMontro]

God he is fucking awful

 
Yup and he won't stop talking.  Who thought this was a good idea?

 

[xjack]

Well, Lyons is better than Frank Viola.

 

[joyofsox]

First inning, he said that the Rays dropping the "Devil" from their name "changed the mentality" of the organization and so they started winning.
 
That was enough for me.

 

[Leskanic's Thread]

The particularly stupid/awful comments of his I noted during the game:
 
"Sometimes I look at the game a little bit different than everyone else.  (No you don't, Steve.)
 
"When [Ortiz] gets hits, he usually drives in runs."  (No he doesn't, Steve.)
 
"Good base runners never get thrown out." (Never.  Never.)
 
On Jackie Bradley, Jr: "He has got style out in the outfield."  (We got it, Steve...he's black.)

 

[LMontro]

The particularly stupid/awful comments of his I noted during the game:
 
"Sometimes I look at the game a little bit different than everyone else.  (No you don't, Steve.)
 
"When [Ortiz] gets hits, he usually drives in runs."  (No he doesn't, Steve.)
 
"Good base runners never get thrown out." (Never.  Never.)
 
On Jackie Bradley, Jr: "He has got style out in the outfield."  (We got it, Steve...he's black.)

 
I think he actually said bad baserunners never get thrown out

 

[Leskanic's Thread]

 
I think he actually said bad baserunners never get thrown out

 
I can't tell if that's better or worse.

 

[LMontro]

 
I can't tell if that's better or worse.

 
I don't think it matters

 

[WenZink]

Lyons wasn't very good, but who is?  I know we all love Eck, but he's better with TC than in the booth ("paint, paint, educated cheese, down Broadway, educated salad," kind of loses it's novelty after a couple of games.)
 
Lyons did mention one point about the exchange of the ball in a middle-infielder's glove on a DP attempt.  Although, I've heard otherwise.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I watched the game last night and I didn't think that Lyons was too bad. He was kind of funny, told some good stories (about the time that someone hit him with a golf ball at Tiger Stadium and how another person through a pretzel at him when he came back to Fenway) and seemed to have some good chemistry with Orsillo.
 
I'm not exactly sure what you people want in your color commentator? Do you guys actually listen to every, single word on a broadcast? I didn't think that Lyons said anything too stupid or ridiculous, but again I was doing other things while the game was in the background.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Yeah, I have to say I agree with JMOH. Lyons was perfectly....average. He sounded comfortable and he and Don worked well together. He's never going to provide profound insight but he wasn't nearly as annoying as I feared he might be.
 
I dunno, I didn't have much of a problem with his work.

 

[WenZink]

.......

 
I'm not exactly sure what you people want in your color commentator?

 
At least Lyons wasn't as bad as Buck Martinez filling in last year.  He sound exactly like the corrupt Nevada Senator from Godfather Part II.

 

[Corsi]

I watched the game last night and I didn't think that Lyons was too bad. He was kind of funny, told some good stories (about the time that someone hit him with a golf ball at Tiger Stadium and how another person through a pretzel at him when he came back to Fenway) and seemed to have some good chemistry with Orsillo.
 
I'm not exactly sure what you people want in your color commentator? Do you guys actually listen to every, single word on a broadcast? I didn't think that Lyons said anything too stupid or ridiculous, but again I was doing other things while the game was in the background.

 
This.  You people bashing Steve would complain no matter who was in there.  I can appreciate a guy that can be self-deprecating and his little anecdotes were actually pretty funny and added to my enjoyment.  I was pretty impressed by how well he and Don got along, considering it was their first broadcast.  
 
 I'd take him over Remy any day.

 

[LESDL]

I didn't think he was too bad, but I will admit to being slightly annoyed by his screwing up the reference to Tony C- he said "Billy" when he was clearly referring to Tony.

 

[glennhoffmania]

I didn't think he was bad but I'm always amazed that networks can't do better than so-so.  Doesn't anyone interesting and talented want these jobs? 

 

[Corsi]

And he took a great swipe at McCarver later on in the game.

Lyons: Who were you in Fever Pitch with?
Orsillo: Tim McCarver.
Lyons: That's some terrible casting.

 
I figured you guys would have started a splooge thread for the guy by now after that.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Ive long since lost it, but many years ago I had Lyons' autobiography, naturally titled Psycho Analysis. With the obvious caveat that it was likely ghostwritten for him, I found it to be pretty good, surprisingly: self-deprecating (he goes into much detail about how badly he fucked up in that famous steal of 3rd, and the pants-down incident as well), touches on race relations between players in a thoughtful way, and generally seemed to be a fair take of his major league career. He was laboring under no illusions.
 
He's made mistakes and his career has rightfully suffered from them (the thing he said to Piniella was monumentally dumb) but he's probably not a complete moron. He did and likely still does fall into the "must give hot sportz takes" category of commentators, but that's probably due to training.
 
In short...it could be worse. We could get Cafardo up there again.

 

[HillysLastWalk]

First inning, he said that the Rays dropping the "Devil" from their name "changed the mentality" of the organization and so they started winning.
 
That was enough for me.

 
This is a perfect example of taking way too much stock into a small talking point, that to me wasn't the focus of, or the whole reason the "Rays" started winning.  If you think that Steve Lyons thinks that the sole reason that the Rays started winning was because of the name change, then you are looking for things that aren't there and/or are using your preconceived notions to tune him out and bash him.

 

[WenZink]

Actually, one mistake Lyons did make was on Bogaerts' throwing error in the ninth.  He commented that if Xander didn't have time to get his body in line, he shouldn't have made the throw since it allowed a run to score and put another runner in scoring position.  But with 2 outs in the ninth and a lead of > 1 run, an infielder should absolutely attempt a throw since there's nothing lost and everything to gain.
 
Of course Orsillo didn't catch it, since he's basically driftwood.