A great read...touching at the very least. Lyman had a lot of talent and a bright future. Unfortunately we have seen this story to many times before. A great beginning and a tragic, all too early end.
posted by God of Thunder at 05:34 PM on September 25, 2005
Lyman was one of a series of good ballplayers traded or let go in the late 70's. Several wound up with the Angels. One of the more Welll known ones was Rod Carew. Twins owner, Calvin Grifith was your classis model of a Baseball owner. He had an eye for talent and a clamp on his wallet. I truely believe if he had played in Boston or New York, you would have heard more about him. Yes there is a rich tradtion of baseball in tose two cities, but you would be amazed of the rich tradition you can find with teams like the Twins and the Angels.
posted by daddisamm at 12:57 AM on September 26, 2005
Yes, I recall hearing about this a few years ago. Unfortunately, a tragedy that occurs too often. Ah, I've got nothing to say other than it's good to remember.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:40 AM on September 26, 2005
I asked my dad about him, and he remembered him and his tragic story. Great story, and i'm glad it was brought back to light and I had an opportunity to read about it. thanks for the post.
posted by erkno11 at 10:03 AM on September 26, 2005
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a kid at the time & was heavily into baseball cared collecting. We were always looking for the “next big star” to stash away in our collection. Lyman Bostock was one of those guys. It was hard for me to comprehend at the time (11 years old) but it did open my eyes @ such a young age, that there are evil people in this world. I am overjoyed that he has been remembered, 25 years later!
posted by directpressure at 12:11 PM on September 26, 2005
I was travelling in 1978 and attended Angels vs. Brewers game at Anaheim, it was the first game of a home-stand and the first Angels homegame since Bostock was killed days earlier (Dan Aase started, from memory they won 4-3 in extra-innings). The Angels were well passed pennant contention at the time, but the stadium was mostly full. There was a couple minutes rememberance silence for Bostock, and during that silence you could hear people choked up and sobbing all around the stands, wiping tears, it was distressing. Bostock was an excellent ballplayer and looked to have a great future, a real loss, he also had a lot of fans. It's always saddened me the way the game seems to have forgotten him -- unlike, say, the Thurman Munson tragedy a couple years later -- but delighted to see this article, thanks.
posted by the red terror at 12:11 PM on September 26, 2005
AND doesn't it suck that the murderer served less than two years in prison? June 20. 1980: Leonard Smith, the man who killed Angels outfielder Lyman Bostock with a shotgun blast on September 23, 1978, but was later acquitted of the crime by reason of insanity, is released from Logansport State Hospital and allowed to return to his home in Gary, IN, because psychiatrists say he is no longer mentally ill.
posted by the red terror at 12:29 PM on September 26, 2005
Say hey.. I just came to this site for the first time. I was drawn by the posts about Lyman Bostock. I happen to have a baseball that has the whole 1977 Minnesota Twins team autographs. It includes Lyman Bostock's as well as Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Gene Mauch, Bert Blylevin(Sp?), Danny Ford, Roy Smalley, Tom Johnson, etc... The baseball is in mint condition and has only been touched on the laces. I had it appraised at a sports shop in St. Cloud Mn. They told me it was worth 175.00. I'm at the point that I'm ready to sell it to the highest bidder. I was personally given this ball by Tom Johnson a former Twins pitcher in 1977. Anyone interested can e-mail me at driftwood28@sbcglobal.net Lyman Bostock would have been a Hall of Famer if it wasn't for the creep that shot him. Too bad we lack justice in this country. Peace,Tomcat
posted by Tomcat at 06:53 PM on September 26, 2005
A touching, poignant piece...
posted by supersly26 at 03:57 PM on September 25, 2005