On This Date in Sports July 16, 1990: Psycho
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
With his team trailing 4-1 in the fifth inning at Tiger Stadium, Steve Lyons of the Chicago White Sox reaches base on a lead-off bunt single. Sliding headfirst ahead of Dan Petry's tag, Lyons gets up, forgets where he is, and takes down his pants, drawing laughter and catcalls from the crowd. The blooper would be shown everywhere as the White Sox lost the game to the Detroit Tigers 5-4.
Steve Lyons was born on June 3, 1960, in Tacoma, Washington. Raised in Oregon, Lyons attended Oregon State and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 1980 MLB Draft. He made his debut with the Red Sox in 1985 and saw regular playing time in centerfield. In 1986, Steve Lyons was traded to the Chicago White Sox for future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver. Lyons struggled in Chicago and was sent down to the AAA.
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Steve Lyons split the 1987 season between Chicago and the White Sox AAA affiliate in Hawaii. He made it up to stay in 1988 and carved out a nitch as a utility player, playing every position. In 1990, he played all nine positions in an exhibition game against the cross-town rival Chicago Cubs.
The White Sox were enjoying a resurgence in 1990 under manager Jeff Torborg as they went from last place in 1989 to challenging the Oakland Athletics for the American League West. They stood two games back with a record of 52-31 as they faced the Detroit Tigers in a Monday night road game. The Tigers stood at 42-47, coming off a 100-loss season in 1989 under manager Sparky Anderson.
Jack McDowell having a breakout season, made the start for Chicago against Dan Petry. The Tigers scratched out a run in the first and added two in the second on a home run by Scott Lusader. After the White Sox got on the board with a double by Dan Pasqua in the fourth, Detroit answered with an RBI grounder by Lou Whitaker. Looking to forge a rally, Steve Lyons dragged a bunt in the fifth and slid headfirst when he had his moment of embarrassment.
The White Sox failed to score in the fifth but tied the game on a three-run home run by Scott Fletcher in the seventh inning, with Steve Lyons having a single into centerfield one batter earlier. The game remained tied until the ninth inning when Alan Trammell hit a two-out walk-off home run against Don Pall to win the game for Detroit 5-4.