Daniel over at It's Like Having My Own Card Shop has been running a contest this month. It's centered around former pitcher Sparky Lyle, and his rookie card is the main prize. In order to increase my chances of winning, I've included Sparky in all my posts this week, capping off with this post highlighting the top 3 Sparky Lyle cards I have in my collection. Sadly, I own no cards of his time with the Red Sox (which is one reason why I'm trying to win his rookie card!), so I have to feature a couple other teams he's more well known for. Here they are in chronological order:
1978 Topps #2
I
miss Record Breaker cards. Lyle would finish his career with 899 games,
all in relief. The record is now held by John Franco, who blew this
record out of the water by pitching in 1,119 games with no starts.
1981 Topps #719
Sparky Lyle does not get enough credit for his glorious mustache. It's arguably the best cookie-duster short of Rollie Fingers.
1982 Topps #285
1982 Would be Lyle's last year in the majors. Not many people remember (myself included) that he finished up his career with a 11 game stint with the Chicago White Sox.
There's still time to enter Daniel's contest! Each day you comment is a chance to win!
I was thinking "doesn't Jesse Orosco have the record" but he actually started 4 games early in his Mets career. Even lasted 5 innings once. I had completely forgotten that.
ReplyDeleteLyle made his debut in July 1967 (and I think stayed in the majors from that point on) but thanks to Topps' 1968 shortcomings, he didn't get a rookie card until 1969. Same for Reggie Jackson.
ReplyDeleteIn 1980, Lyle joined the Phillies in mid-September, and so was ineligible for the post-season.
ReplyDeleteRookie pitcher Marty Bystrom also didn't join the Phillies until September 1980, and went 5-0 in 6 appearances. The league allowed the Phillies to add Bystrom to the post-season roster (due to an "injury" to Randy Lerch *wink-wink*), but drew the line at allowing Lyle also.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies unceremoniously shunted Randy Lerch and Nino Espinosa off to the post-season DL (so they could get the red-hot Bystrom and I forget who else onto the post-season roster). Lerch and Espinosa were understandably ticked-off, having labored in the Phillies' starting rotation for 2 to 3 years up to that point.
ReplyDeleteThat 78T RB card is nice. Topps hooked up NYY collectors that year with some great action shots.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a lot of effort for such a cheap card. Had I known that it was so desirable, I would've stuck my copy in a free stuff post years ago.
ReplyDelete