CARDED, FINALLY: After 35 years, Alton’s Bill Lyons gets his Cardinal baseball card, reflects on his MLB days After 35 years, Lyons gets his Cardinalsbaseball card and reflects on his MLB days

Alton native Bill Lyons with his Cardinals Topps baseball card which was given to him as a Christmas gift by his family. Lyons, an Alton High and SIU Carbondale grad, played half of the 1983 and 1984 seasons with the Cardinals, but Topps did not make a Lyons baseball card since his one-year in MLB was spread over two sesons. Lyons’ family consulted Topps and had the card made for him. Lyons lives in Heyworth, Illinois. less Alton native Bill Lyons with his Cardinals Topps baseball card which was given to him as a Christmas gift by his family. Lyons, an Alton High and SIU Carbondale grad, played half of the 1983 and 1984 seasons ... more Photo: For The Telegraph Photo: For The Telegraph Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close CARDED, FINALLY: After 35 years, Alton’s Bill Lyons gets his Cardinal baseball card, reflects on his MLB days 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

When people of a certain generation get carded, it’s usually greeted with a snicker and rolled eyes. After all, it’s been years - decades - since bartenders or liquor store checkers really thought those folks actually looked younger than 21.

But for Bill Lyons, getting carded at 61 years old was one of the best Christmas gifts he could have received. It was some 35 years overdue.

Lyons is a former Alton High and SIU Carbondale baseball standout who retired a little more than a year ago after a long tenure with State Farm Insurance in Heyworth, near Bloomington.

And, oh yeah, he’s also a former Major League Baseball player with the Cardinals.

Lyons sent about half a season in 1983 and again in 1984 with the Cardinals. He was an infielder, usually seeing action as a second baseman, where he played alongside a shortstop name of Smith.

But back to being carded:

Lyons spent most of his professional baseball career at Triple-A Louisville, the Cardinals affiliate in those days. And so he had Minor League baseball cards with his likeness and stats. But since his year of MLB service was over two seasons, Lyons slipped through the cracks and there never was a baseball card of him wearing the St. Louis birds-on-the-bat across the chest of his jersey.

That is, until this Christmas, when his family presented him with a Topps baseball card with a photo of Lyons at bat for the Cardinals on front with his name clear as day along the bottom

“It had kind of stuck in my craw for a long time, not having a Cardinals baseball card,” Lyons said. “I had tons of minor league cards, but no Major League card.

“So my son, Andy, contacted Topps and had one made. It was one of the best Christmas presents I ever received.

“I think anybody can have one made,” he said, “but in this case, it really is a real baseball card to me.”

Lyons made his MLB debut on July 20, 1983 at Busch Stadium - on Alton-Godfrey Night at Busch. And he made his last appearance on Sept. 30, 1984.

Lyons played four more seasons in Louisville before retiring as a baseball player and beginning a career with State Farm.

Lyons was called up to the Cardinals when he was 25 years old to fill a roster spot created when Dane Iorg went on the disabled list. I know this because I researched a column that appeared in The Telegraph in 1983 written by a still wet-behind-the-ears sportswriter who shadowed Lyons on his first day at Busch Stadium all those many years ago.

Looking at the columnist’s photo, it drove home how long it actually has been. I had a lot more hair and it was darker back then.

“Time was so fleeting back then,” Lyons said. “I don’t think I appreciated it enough when it was happening. It seems so long ago now.”

When he took a position with State Farm, he moved to northern Kentucky, but was eventually transferred to the Bloomington area in central Illinois, where he’s been since.

Lyons’ family owned and operated Lyons Glass Co. in Alton for many years before selling the business to Perry Hill in 1982. Hill had worked for Bill’s great uncle, Jim Lyons, for almost 10 years. He kept the Lyons name as a tribute to Jim, who began the business during the depression in 1929. Bill’s brother, Dick Lyons, has worked there since 2005.

Jim Lyons was Bill’s great uncle Born in 1900 in Woodburn, Ill. , He was 82 when he sold Lyons Glass to Perry. Bill’s father Bob, who coached all of three of his sons in baseball, played baseball late into his 70s while wintering in Arizona. Bob is still living in Godfrey.

Bill and his wife Martha have three children, Andy, Tim and Emily. They’re all in their late 20s or early 30s now.

Since retiring, he’s had more time to devote to a couple of his favorite past times - the SIU Carbondale Baseball Alumni group and sketching portraits of baseball players.

“I’ve always had an interest in art and I like drawing,” Lyons said. “And I stay in touch with baseball teammates from SIU and the Cardinals and Louisville.

His Cardinals stats include a .195 batting average and six RBIs. And memories, as Terrance Man said, so thick you he’ll have to brush them away from his face.

“It’s nice to get back to the St. Louis area,” he said. “I stay in touch with guys like Ozzie Smith, Rick Horton, Todd Worrell, Danny Cox, Curt Ford, Dave LaPoint and Ken Oberkfell.”

If those names don’t shake the cobwebs and bring back the 80s, nothing will.

When Lyons saw his long-awaited Cardinals Topps baseball card on Christmas Day, he was extremely appreciative. He knew how difficult it may well have been for his children.

Why?

“My kids are all Cubs fans,” he said with a laugh.