Here's a 1972 "Traded" card for Sparky Lyle, who was quite possibly
the first cog in the eventual "Bronx Zoo" World Champs of the
late-1970's:
Originally depicted as a Boston Red Sox player in the '72 set, Lyle
was traded by the Sox for Danny Cater right before the regular season
in March.
I decided NOT to use the traded format Topps issued that year, since I've always thought it was a terrible design.
It was bad enough Topps didn't have player positions on their
regular-issue cards in the set (a set I DO love mind you), but for their
traded sub-set they even failed to have the team name running across
the top!
Anyway, I went with a simple modification to the regular design, enlarging the name box along the bottom to add a traded line.
As for the trade, which is often cited as terribly one-sided in
favor of the Yankees, it paid instant dividends in the Bronx, as Lyle
posted a 9-5 record with a 1.92 earned run average and league-leading 35
saves in his first year there.
He'd even finish seventh in Cy Young voting, as well as third in Most Valuable Player voting during the post-season.
Five years later in 1977, Lyle would win the Cy Young Award, going
13-5 with a league-leading 23 saves and a 2.17 E.R.A., and he'd finish
fifth in M.V.P. Voting.
But with Rich "Goose" Gossage joining the Yanks the following year,
he'd find himself off to Texas by 1979, and retired from the game in
1982 after a handful of games with the White Sox.
All told Sparky would post 238 lifetime saves in 899 games, setting a record for career games all in relief.
I'm not sure, but it still may be the record actually. Have to check.
Nowadays he manages the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league.
Just so happens the Patriots' home field is minutes from my newly
adopted town of Franklin Township, N.J., and I hope to see some games
next season.
Maybe I'll hit Lyle up for an autograph on THIS creation right here...
