Just a few days ago, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reported that Steve Lyons—former Boston Red Sox utilityman and analyst for the team on NESN—is facing a domestic battery charge stemming from a January incident at his home in Hermosa Beach, California.
Lyons has been missing from the network for about five to six weeks. Whatever doubt there was as to why is obviously gone.
According to USA Today, Lyons was charged in April with three misdemeanors—one for domestic assault and battery and two for witness intimidation. Each count carries a maximum of one year in jail.
A hearing is scheduled for August 15. If the charges aren’t dropped, Lyons could face trail in September.
Richard A. Hutton, Lyons’s attorney, expects his client “to be completely 100 percent vindicated” of the charges.
“His girlfriend, Stacey, told authorities within 36 hours of the incident that he had never struck her or touched her in an offensive way. And we expect him to be vindicated either prior to trial or if it goes to a jury trial,” said Hutton.
Hutton insists that the police report was based off information given by one of Stacey’s friends who was at the house the day of the incident. According to the report, “there was some verbal sparring going on and that it escalated into something physical”, but Hutton says the friend never actually witnessed what happened.
“Steve and Stacey have been together since the incident,” Hutton added.
The 57-year-old Lyons has been a studio analyst and color commentator for Red Sox telecasts on NESN since 2014. In his recent absence, the network has used Jonny Gomes, Mike Timlin, and Wade Boggs as fill-ins in the booth during games in addition to Dennis Eckersley.
A nine-year utility player in MLB from 1985-93, Lyons had three stints for the Red Sox in 1985-86, 1991, and 1992-93. He also played for the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Montreal Expos.
Taken in the first round as the 19th overall pick in the 1981 MLB draft, Lyons was a career .252/.301/.340 hitter with 19 home runs and 196 RBIs.
(Update: the charges against Lyons were dismissed on August 15.)