Bearly Legal: Lamarr Hoyt

Lamarr Hoyt gives his thoughts on his former team’s unbelievable summer run, Manny Ramirez, and those ugly White Sox uniforms of the 1980. We’ll also get his take on why young pitchers like Stephen Strasburg can’t stay healthy.

Bearly Legal: Darrell Evans

Darrell Evans was the first player in MLB history to hit 40 Homers in both the NL and the AL - and he wouldn’t mind taking a swing at the Cubs managerial position! Hear his thoughts on what it’s going to take to turn the Cubs around, what it was like playing with Hank Aaron, and why Manny Ramirez is the right call for the White Sox.

Lamarr Hoyt

The son of Dewey Hoyt, a minor league pitcher in 1947 and 1948, La Marr Hoyt was selected by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 1973 amateur draft and was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1977 along with Oscar Gamble and minor leaguer Bob Polinsky for Bucky Dent. In 1978, he went 18-4 with a 2.90 ERA for the Appleton Foxes of the Midwest League.

Hoyt reached the majors in 1979 and bounced between the rotation and the bullpen until 1982, when he became a regular starter for the Sox. That season, he won a league-best 19 games, and the following year he captured the Cy Young Award winner with a record of 24-10.

Hoyt pitched a one-hitter on May 2, 1984 against the New York Yankees. The only hit was a 7th inning single by Don Mattingly. Hoyt gave no walks and struck out 8 in the game. He faced the minimum number of batters in the game as Mattingly was erased by a double play. However, overall he struggled that year, going 13-18 with an ERA nearly a run per game higher than his previous average.

After the 1984 season, Hoyt was traded to the San Diego Padres in a seven player deal that brought Ozzie Guillen to the Sox. He returned to form with the Padres, going 16-8 and starting the 1985 All-Star Game. However, his career ended in 1986 after he was arrested three times on drug charges. He was suspended for the 1987 season; it was later reduced, but he never returned to the major leagues.

Overall, Hoyt won 98 games in an eight-year career. In his first years in the majors, he was known as Dewey Hoyt.

Lamarr\'s Career Stats

Darrell Evans

Darrell is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1969 to 1989 with the Atlanta Braves (1969–76, 1989), San Francisco Giants (1976–83) and Detroit Tigers (1984–88). He is also the former manager and director of player personnel for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League. Overshadowed in his prime by fellow National League third baseman Mike Schmidt, he has been described by author Bill James as the most underrated player in baseball history, primarily because his defensive skill, home run power, and ability to draw walks in a long career were offset by a low career batting average of .248. He remains one of the few players to have hit over four hundred home runs without being seriously considered for induction into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Evans became the first player to hit 40 home runs in both leagues, and at 38 became the oldest player ever to lead the league in home runs. Evans hit over 20 home runs in 10 different seasons and drew over 100 walks 5 times, with a career high 126 in 1974. In 1988, he hit his 400th home run, becoming the 22nd player to reach that milestone. He retired after having joined Reggie Jackson in becoming only the second player to hit 100 home runs with three different teams, and ranking in 11th place among all-time walks leaders. Evans hit 60 home runs in his 40s, at the time a major league record. He later served as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1990.
A two-time All-Star (1973 and 1983), Evans was selected as the third baseman on the 1973 Sporting News National League All-Star team. He won the 1983 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership.

Darell\'s Full Bio and Career Stats