And They Call Him Psycho
June 19, 1997

Initially, I was intrigued by his nickname "Psycho" and looked forward to an interview with a real nut, not that I haven’t interviewed enough already in my lifetime. But, after meeting Steve Lyons I quickly realized this guy is far from being taken away in a straight jacket anytime soon.

Steve a.k.a. Psycho is a nine-year major league veteran and currently is the lead studio analyst for the "FOX Saturday Baseball" pre-game show. He has been getting lots of rave reviews for his broadcasting work which comes as no surprise to one of his ol’ bosses in baseball. His former manager at the Chicago White Sox, Jim Fregosi once said, "the best thing he does is interviews."

Besides the studio work, Steve provides color analysis on FX’s Major League Baseball Game of the Week and FOX Sports Net’s Baseball Thursday. I mentioned to Steve that although I have not watched his broadcasts, I find baseball on television to be a great way to get me to fall asleep. "Baseball can be boring but I try to share my enthusiasm for the game and remember that people should be smiling when they are watching our baseball telecasts. I try to remember to be informative and tell the viewers why things happen and to be entertaining," said the energetic former baseball player.

Steve is the first to admit he will not be remembered as one of the best players to ever play the game, but that’s okay with him. "I loved the opportunity to play and very few of us get that chance," said Steve. "Nobody played harder and played as hard everyday as I did," said Steve. It’s obvious why the fans loved him . He was awarded the Tenth Player Award by the Red Sox fans for being the unsung hero of the team.

We chatted about players who tend to have negative attitudes.

"I appreciate everything I have and loved being able to play game I loved. Some players act like they’re not having fun. Now Albert Belle is someone you want to ask, what are you mad about? You could be driving a garbage truck," exclaimed Steve.

His name may not appear on Major League record books, but he is the proud owner of one record. Steve is the only Major League Baseball player to play all nine positions in a exhibition game. It was during the Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox game in 1990.

I reminded him of another record he holds, but it does not appear in the record books. Steve is the only Major League Baseball player to pull his pants down during a game. Steve said that he was just trying to get rid of the dirt in his pants, but he forgot that he was standing in front of the Tiger Stadium crowd. Hmmm…Now, I know why his nickname "Psycho" stuck once he got to the majors.

And how did Steve get the infamous nickname "Psycho?"

"We were in "AA" Bristol, Connecticut, when after striking out for the third time in the game, I threw my bat down, kicked my helmet, and sat at the end of the dugout swearing at myself. When catcher Marc Sullivan leaned over at me for a minute and said, "Man, this guy is psycho." as written in his autobiography "Psychoanalysis." Steve told me that he took the nickname as a compliment.

Why did he want to go through the grueling process of writing a book? " I always thought I had something to say. I thought people could relate to my story because I was the low guy on the totem pole and had everyday struggles that relate to a lot of people. But the irony is that the reason why I wanted to write the book is the reason why publishers thought the book wouldn’t sell." Well, Steve did get someone to listen. Sagamore Publishing, known for sports books, published his story two years ago. "Now, forever, people have to call me an author," he said proudly.

Stephen King, one of today’s most successful authors believed in Steve’s book and even wrote the forward for him. King writes, "I followed him because I see a little of myself in him, someone whose success has been due, in the end, more to hard work than actual talent…and has seen (as Lyons has) people with more talent fall by the wayside, as a result of self-indulgence, conceit, or just plain laziness."

"Psychoanalysis" is no doubt a baseball book, but there is a lot in the book for the non-baseball fan. Like I found him to be in person, I found the book very entertaining. For more information or to order the book call 1-800-327-5557.

A Little of This and a Little of That…

No one can confirm the rumor about Michael Jordan making an appearance at this past weekend’s U.S. Open but the voice of CNN, actor James Earl Jones was seen hanging around the practice greens and schmoozing with Tiger Woods (big surprise!)…

Hot ticket: John McEnroe and his band "The Johnny Smyth Band" played four sold out dates in Paris during the French Open. It’s the bands third year playing gigs in Paris. HBO’s "Arliss" show about a sports agent has some big sports names making appearances on some upcoming shows. Michael Andretti, Desmond Howard, Tim McCarver,and Bruce Smith can be seen on the episode re-airing June 17th at 11:00 p.m., June 19th and June 23rd at midnight…

You go girl! Track and Field superstar Jackie Joyner-Kersee made an appearance at The White House on Tuesday, June 17th to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Title IX. She gave kudos to the President for his support of women…Academy Award Winning-Actress Geena Davis hosts "Breaking Through: Our Turn to Play" for Lifetime Television which premieres Thursday, June 19th . The show examines how Title IX has helped women’s basketball become one of the hottest tickets in sports this past year. Hey, Geena could now host a special called "Breaking Up" after her recent separation from her director husband Renny Harlin. Previous to Renny, she was married to actor Jeff Goldblum..