Brandon Lyon Long Overdue for Recognition

Brandon Lyon did not make the best first impression.

Giving up four consecutive home runs in a spring training game will do that to you. So will allowing three runs in your first official appearance to cost your new team a win, as he did in the Tigers' second game of the season.

And having three losses and a 6.89 ERA 13 games into the season sure didn't earn him any fans, either.

But for any holdouts, it's time to forgive and forget. Lyon is not just a valuable member of the bullpen, he's an incredibly important reason the Tigers are contenders today.

Counter-intuitive as it may sound, the turning point came late on the night of May 13, as Minnesota's Joe Crede rounded the bases celebrating his walk-off grand slam off Lyon in the 13th inning.

Sure, the temptation to curse him for blowing the hard-fought lead the Tigers took in the top half of the inning was present.

But Lyon was asked to take the bullet for the bullpen, and he did so with dignity. With no one else available, he took over in the bottom of the 11th inning and would be there until the end, win or lose, or else things would get very ugly.

So he threw 60 pitches, more than any of the other 12 pitches in the game, except for the two starters.

He took the loss, but he he earned his stripes.

Since that day, he has given up just six runs in 40.67 innings (that's a 1.34 ERA). Think that sounds impressive? Since the All-Star Break, he has not allowed a run.

The Best Laid Schemes o' Mice an' Men...

Lyon came to Detroit from Arizona with the mind set he would take over as the team's closer. Fernando Rodney had other ideas, and earned that distinction when manager Jim Leyland rewarded him for a solid exhibition season by giving him the first crack at pitching the ninth inning. Rodney did not disappoint, and has not loosened his grip.

Lyon, on the other hand, crashed. From setup man to mop-up man, he saw his stock tumble.

Whether it was due to disappointment, learning how to pitch in a new league, or just bad luck, Lyon could be described as nothing short of terrible to start the year.

Maybe it was the lack of success. Maybe it's that both Lyon and his stuff resemble Todd Jones, who despite mostly finding success in a Tigers' uniform will be remembered for causing more fear than calm. But whatever the reason, Lyon became a lightning rod for fans.

He was even booed by some during his home opener introduction.

The Glue That Holds the Bullpen Together

Yet since that night in Minnesota, he's been nothing short of phenomenal and has helped make the late innings become a position of strength for the Tigers.

Lyon really doesn't have a defined role, but he really doesn't need one. He has gone from mop-up to seventh inning to setup. He's pitched in extra innings. He's thrown alongside lefty Bobby Seay as half the duo dubbed Seay-Lyon by the Tigers' announcers. 

During that time, rookie Ryan Perry fell from the late innings in Detroit to the late innings in Triple-A Toledo, as he lost his control, before making a return to middle relief for the Tigers. Setup fireballer Joel Zumaya fell apart—literally, as he is scheduled for season-ending shoulder surgery with Dr. James Andrews on Aug. 21.

Several others have come and gone. But the late innings for the Tigers have been nothing to fear, due in large part to Lyon.

Recognition for that is long overdue.

Kurt Mensching write for MackAvenueTigers.com.