Barry Lyons Baseball Cards: A Catcher’s Career Comes to Cards
Barry Lyons had a 13-year career in Major League Baseball as a catcher, playing for the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets from 1983 to 1995. While he didn’t put up huge offensive numbers overall in his career, hitting just .244 with 62 home runs in 951 games played, Lyons provided steady defense behind the plate and was part of some memorable teams. His career has been captured and preserved on baseball cards from his rookie season in 1983 all the way through the early 1990s. Let’s take a deeper look at Barry Lyons’ playing career and the baseball cards that commemorated his time in the big leagues.
Lyons was drafted by the Red Sox in the 2nd round of the 1981 MLB Draft out of the University of Arizona. He made his MLB debut with Boston in 1983 and was featured that year in rookie cards from Topps, Donruss, and Fleer. In his first season he played in 57 games and hit .226 with 3 home runs. His rookie cards showed a young, fresh-faced catcher at the beginning of what many expected would be a solid MLB career. However, Lyons would bounce around to different teams over the next several seasons as he established himself in the majors.
In 1984, Lyons saw more playing time with Boston, appearing in 76 games and hitting .244. His baseball cards from ’84 captured him as an everyday catcher for the Red Sox. After the 1985 season in which he hit a career-high .261 in 80 games, the Red Sox traded Lyons to the Seattle Mariners. His cards from 1986 and beyond would feature him in the teal and navy blue of the Mariners. In Seattle, Lyons became the Mariners’ primary catcher, playing in over 100 games in both 1986 and 1987. His offensive numbers dipped some, but defensively he was considered one of the best catchers in the American League in handling pitching staffs.
After the 1987 season, Lyons was dealt again, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies. Baseball cards in 1988 and 1989 showed Lyons donning the distinctive red pinstripes of Philadelphia. With the Phillies, Lyons had arguably the best seasons of his career offensively. In 1988 he hit .274 with 9 home runs and 49 RBIs in 109 games played, career highs in all three categories. The following year in 1989, he hit .277 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs in 108 games. Lyons provided a steady veteran presence behind the plate for young Phillies pitchers like Danny Jackson and Terry Mulholland during this late 1980s Phillies resurgence.
After the 1990 season Lyons was on the move again, traded to the New York Mets along with pitcher David West. His baseball cards in 1991 and beyond featured Lyons in the blue and orange of the Mets. With New York, Lyons was the backup catcher to starting All-Star catcher Mackey Sasser, playing in just 76 games in 1991. The following year in 1992, with Sasser gone, Lyons took over as the Mets’ primary catcher but struggled at the plate, hitting just .209 in 101 games. His final season in the majors was with the 1993 Mets, appearing in 41 games and hitting .222 before retiring at the age of 35.
Over his 13 MLB seasons, Barry Lyons was featured prominently on baseball cards from the major manufacturers of the time including Topps, Donruss, Fleer, and Score. His rookie cards are still popular with collectors today looking to acquire the early issues showing Lyons’ beginnings with the Red Sox organization. Meanwhile, his later cards depicting his years with the Mariners, Phillies, and Mets provide a visual snapshot of Lyons’ journeyman career bouncing between four teams over more than a decade in the big leagues. While he may not have put up the gaudy offensive numbers of a star catcher, Lyons left his mark with solid defensive play and leadership for pitching staffs that made him a valuable role player for over a decade in MLB. His baseball cards stand as a testament to the career of this underrated catcher from the 1980s and early 1990s.
