Steve Lyons

Stephen John Lyons (born June 3, 1960) is a former American professional baseball player who previously worked as a television sportscaster for the New England Sports Network (NESN). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams over a period of nine seasons (1985–1993), including four stints with the Boston Red Sox. He was initially an outfielder and third baseman, but found a niche as a utility player. After his retirement as a player, he became a television baseball commentator. In 2021, NESN announced Lyons would not be returning to his in-studio pre- and post-game analyst role. Early years Lyons was born in 1960 in Tacoma, Washington, and grew up in Eugene and Beaverton, Oregon. His father, Richard Lyons, was a star athlete at Hudson High School in Massachusetts, who encouraged him to play baseball. He attended Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, before graduating from Beaverton High School in 1978. He attended Oregon State on a partial baseball scholarship. After his junior year, Lyons was a first round draft pick (19th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in the 1981 MLB draft; he left Oregon State without graduating, to begin his baseball career. Playing career Path to the majors At the start of his professional career, Lyons played for four teams in Boston's farm system: the Class A Winston-Salem Red Sox in 1981, the Double-A Bristol Red Sox in 1982, the Double-A New Britain Red Sox in 1983, and the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in 1984. He had a .248 batting average while hitting 43 home runs and 222 RBIs in 462 minor league games.