Brandon James Lyon (born August 10, 1979) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

, and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

Professional career

Toronto Blue Jays

Lyon made his major league debut halfway through the 2001 season, posting a five-win, four-loss record for the

, with a 4.29 ERA from 11 starts. He was the second youngest winning pitcher in Blue Jays' history after winning on debut (2–1 over

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

). 2002, however, was a different story. Lyon started the season as a starter for the Jays, but lost three of his first four decisions of the season, including a career-high 7 earned runs against the

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

on April 10, and against the

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

on May 3. Three weeks later, Lyon was kicked from the rotation, and placed in the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

. He made his debut in this role at the

SkyDome Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, ...

, against

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, pitching 3 innings. In five games of relief, Lyon had no decisions against him with a 5.19 ERA.

Boston Red Sox

During the postseason, the Red Sox claimed Lyon off waivers. Boston made Lyon a permanent reliever, and Lyon appeared in 49 games in 2003, converting 9 saves in 12 opportunities with 50 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched. Lyon missed the entire 2004 season due to injury, after having been traded along with Casey Fossum, Michael Goss and

Jorge de la Rosa Jorge Alberto de la Rosa Gonzalez (born April 5, 1981) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in exchange for

Curt Schilling Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is a commentator for conservative media outlet BlazeTV. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series appearance ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

Lyon improved in 2005, converting 14 saves in 15 opportunities while pitching in 32 games and spending part of the season as the Diamondbacks' closer, replacing the injured José Valverde. However, he spent most of the second half on the disabled list. In 2006, Lyon had a very solid season, posting a 2–4 record and a 3.89 ERA in 68 appearances. In 2007, Lyon had probably his best season yet, with a 6–4 record, 2 saves, and the best ERA of his career, at a sparkling 2.68 in 73 games. Lyon found his niche as the Diamondbacks' primary

setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...

, pitching in front of Valverde, as Arizona won the NL West division title. For most of , Lyon served as the closer for the Diamondbacks following the offseason trade of Valverde to the Houston Astros. However, he lost the job to Chad Qualls following second-half struggles.

Detroit Tigers

On January 24, , the Detroit Tigers signed Lyon to a one-year contract. Lyon's Tiger season started off horrendously: Lyon compiled an ERA of 4.91 in April and a whopping 8.10 in May. From June on, Lyon redeemed himself somewhat by compiling a 1.56 ERA in 57 innings. Lyon was used as a set-up man for Tigers closer Fernando Rodney. On November 10, 2009 Lyon filed for

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

Houston Astros

On December 12, 2009 Lyon signed with the Houston Astros to a 3-year deal, worth $15 million.

Return to the Toronto Blue Jays

Lyon was traded to the Blue Jays on July 20, 2012, along with J. A. Happ, and

David Carpenter David Joseph Carpenter (born May 6, 1930), a.k.a. The Trailside Killer, is an American serial killer and serial rapist known for stalking and murdering a variety of individuals on hiking trails in state parks near San Francisco, California. He ...

, for

Francisco Cordero Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Housto ...

Ben Francisco Louis Benjamin Francisco (born October 23, 1981), is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who is currently a major league scout for the Los Angeles Angels. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Philade ...

, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins,

Joe Musgrove Joseph Anthony Musgrove (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played within the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Pittsburgh Pirates organ ...

, Carlos Pérez, and a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

( Kevin Comer).

New York Mets

On February 7, 2013, it was announced that the New York Mets and Lyon had reached an agreement on a one-year contract, which became official on February 8. Lyon was designated for assignment on July 4, 2013. On July 9, Lyon was released.

Return to the Boston Red Sox

On July 19, 2013, The Boston Red Sox and Lyon had reached an agreement to a minor league contract. He was granted his release when informed he would not make the big league club.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

On February 10, 2014, Lyon signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

. On May 20, 2014, Lyon elected free agency after spending all season in Triple-A.

Pitching style

Lyon used an arsenal of five pitches: a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

at 90–92 mph, a two-seamer at 90–91, a cutter at 89–91, and a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curv ...

at 78–80. Occasionally, he also throws a changeup to left-handed hitters (85–87). Lyon's most commonly thrown pitch to right-handed hitters (and overall) is the cutter, while his lead pitch against lefties is the two-seamer. The curve is his most common 2-strike pitch.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Brandon 1979 births Living people Baseball players from Utah American expatriate baseball players in Canada Major League Baseball pitchers Toronto Blue Jays players Boston Red Sox players Arizona Diamondbacks players Detroit Tigers players Houston Astros players New York Mets players Utah Tech Trailblazers baseball players Queens Kings players Tennessee Smokies players Syracuse SkyChiefs players Pawtucket Red Sox players Tucson Sidewinders players Oklahoma City RedHawks players