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The article about [[Lutefisk]] claims: "Lutefisk (prounounced loo-te-fisk) is a well-known food of Norway and Sweden (prounounced loo-ta-fisk)which consists of white fish (normally Cod) soaked in lye as a preservative, then dried until it hardens. It is edible after multiple rinsings of water to remove the otherwise poisonous lye, and has a jelly-like consistency after washing."
'''Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle''' (born [[July 22]], [[1944]]) is a former left-handed [[relief pitcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]]. He was born in [[DuBois, Pennsylvania]].
This is actually wrong. The fish is dried first, [[Stockfish]], and then soaked in lye or another base (like birch ash). After this it is rinsed in water. And another thing; it tastes delicious :)
Lyle was first signed as an amateur free agent by the [[Baltimore Orioles]] on [[June 17]], [[1964 in sports|1964]]; however, he never played a game for the Orioles. On [[November 30]] of the same year, he was drafted by the [[Boston Red Sox]] from the Orioles. He first joined the Red Sox as a player on [[July 4]], [[1967 in sports|1967]] in their "Impossible Dream" season. He was at first assigned uniform number 15 by the Red Sox, but during the middle of the 1967 season was given number 28, which he retained through nearly all his major league career. By the 1969 season he would emerge as the Red Sox' top reliever. On [[March 22]], [[1972 in sports|1972]] he was traded to the [[New York Yankees]] in exchange for first baseman [[Danny Cater]] and a player to be named later ([[Mario Guerrero]]).
Lyle became the Yankees' bullpen ace, and established himself as one of the best relief pitchers of the 1970s, helping the Yankees to three straight pennants from 1976-78 and winning the [[World Series]] the last two years. In 1972 he [[save (baseball statistics)|saved]] 35 games, an [[American League]] record, and a major league record for left-handers; [[Ron Perranoski]] had set both marks in 1970, but [[John Hiller]] would surpass him with 38 in 1973. In 1972 Lyle also became the first pitcher to collect 100 saves in the AL. He again led the league in saves in [[1976 in sports|1976]], and in [[1977 in sports|1977]] became the first AL reliever ever to win the [[Cy Young Award]]. He was named an AL [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] in 1973, '76 and '77. In 1976 he broke [[Hoyt Wilhelm]]'s AL record of 154 career saves, and the following year he broke Perranoski's major league record for left-handers of 179 career saves. Through 1977 Lyle had compiled 201 career saves, and was within range of Wilhelm's career major league record of 227.
But despite the fact Lyle had won the 1977 Cy Young Award, the Yankees signed [[Rich Gossage|Goose Gossage]] as a free agent just weeks later, and Gossage followed with an outstanding [[1978 in sports|1978]] season which made Lyle expendable. On [[November 10]], 1978 he was part of a major trade which sent him, along with four other players and cash, to the [[Texas Rangers]] in exchange for [[Juan Beniquez]] and four other players, including a young [[Dave Righetti]]. Now in his late thirties, Lyle was unable to duplicate the great success he had previously enjoyed (perhaps due to the strain of pitching over 100 innings 6 times between 1969-78), and saved only 21 games for the Rangers in 1979-80. [[Rollie Fingers]] moved ahead of Lyle in career saves in early [[1980 in sports|1980]], breaking Wilhelm's major league record just weeks before Lyle reached the mark, and Fingers eventually pushed the record beyond reach.
On [[September 13]], 1980, Lyle was traded to the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] for a player to be named later ([[Kevin Saucier]]). Although the Phillies won their first World Series title in 1980, Lyle did not appear in the postseason. He was first assigned number 39 with the Phillies, but for the 1981 season resumed the uniform number 28 which had been his trademark since 1967.
On [[August 21]], [[1982 in sports|1982]] he was purchased by the [[Chicago White Sox]] from the Phillies. His last game was played on [[September 27]] of that season for the White Sox, who released him on [[October 12]]. Lyle finished his 16-year career with 238 saves, a 2.88 [[earned run average|ERA]], and a record of 99-76 in 899 games pitched - all in relief. In [[1985 in sports|1985]], Fingers broke his AL record for career saves; and in [[1991 in sports|1991]] Righetti surpassed his major league record for career saves by a left-hander, though Lyle still holds the AL mark of 232.
A noted clubhouse prankster in his playing days, Lyle was known for sneaking into the locker room during games to sit on the birthday cakes prepared for teammates, leaving the imprint of his posterior on the frosting.
As of 2004, he was managing the '''Somerset Patriots''', a [[minor league baseball|minor league]] team based in [[New Jersey]], and still wearing number 28. [http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/5240197.htm]
==Quote==
* ''"Why pitch nine innings when you can get just as famous pitching two?"''
== Books ==
*ISBN 0517537265 - "The Bronx Zoo" (with Peter Golenbock) ([[1979]], Crown Publishers)
*ISBN 0553057502 - "The Year I Owned the Yankees: A Baseball Fantasy" (with David Fisher) ([[1990]], Bantam Books)
== External links ==
*[http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/L/Lyle_Sparky.stm Baseball Library - biography and career highlights]
*[http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/lylesp01.shtml Baseball Reference.com - statistics and analysis]
* [http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0FCI/2_62/95915330/p1/article.jhtml Baseball Digest biography]
* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lylesp01 Baseball Almanac]
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