As the Chicago White Sox brass mulled over a multi-player trade with the San Francisco Giants in July 1997, former Cyprus High pitcher Scott Eyre was in Double A Birmingham (Ala.) preparing for his next start against a Southern League opponent.
When the Sox finally pulled the trigger on the trade-deadline deal — which sent starting pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin to the Giants — Eyre found himself on the Chicago roster, preparing for the Anaheim Angels instead.
The infamous 'White Flag' fire sale came as a shock to Chicago fans because the White Sox trailed the Cleveland Indians for the division lead by 3 1/2 games, but it gave Eyre his shot in the big leagues.
"I was just in shock. I didn't know what to pack. I didn't know what to take," Eyre said of the July 31, 1997, call-up. "It was my boyhood dream staring me right in the face. "
Eyre received word at 2 p.m. of the move and had to be on a plane for Southern California by 5 p.m. Twelve hours later, he made his debut. He was born in nearby Inglewood, Calif., and lived there before his family moved to Utah.
"It was probably better that way (not having much time) because I didn't have a lot of time to think," he recalled.
In taking the loss, Eyre threw 4 1/3 innings, allowed six earned runs on six hits and surrendered a two-run homer to Darin Erstad. He also walked five and struck out four.
"I was so nervous I went out to stretch 35 minutes before the game," Eyre said. "It was one of those things — I got a little caught up in the moment."
Twelve days later against the Angels, Eyre picked up his first major-league victory. He allowed one earned run — two total — on six hits in five innings.
Although he had the rough start in his debut, Eyre knew he had it in him, and his Double A numbers proved it.
After going 12-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 1996, Eyre went 13-5 with a 3.84 ERA with the Barons with 127 strikeouts in 126 innings in 1997.
In the two months before his call-up, he won 11 of 12 starts from May 6 to July 15. In May alone, he went 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA with 49 punchouts in 47 innings.
He led the Southern League in wins (13), was second in strikeouts (127), third in strikeouts per nine innings pitches (9.02) and third in ERA (3.84). He was also a Southern League All-star and was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Year.
He finished 1997 with the White Sox and went 4-4 with a 5.04 ERA in 11 starts. He spent the entire 1998 season with the White Sox and went 3-8 with a 5.38 ERA. He appeared in 33 games and had 17 starts.
In 1999 he began the year in Triple A Charlotte and was recalled to Chicago late in the year. In 2000, he had only 13 appearances with the big club but ended the year in Charlotte. It was that year that he broke his throwing hand the day before the major league rosters expanded to 40, and he never got recalled.
That winter, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for pitcher Gary Glover.
"I'm pretty happy about being here," Eyre, 29, said. "Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes."
Since joining the Blue Jays, he's gone from a starting role to the bullpen, and it is working out well. Sure, he would like to be a starter, but he's getting into a lot of games out of the bullpen.
In his last year with Chicago and Charlotte, he had 60 appearances (only one start); after the trade he's stayed in the bullpen with the Blue Jays.
He started 2001 in Syracuse, where he made 62 appearances (two starts) and had a 3.18 ERA. He made 17 more appearances with the Blue Jays — all out of the bullpen. He was 1-2 with a 3.45 ERA.
"The resiliency in my arm is more suited to throw every day," he said. "I've pitched when they've needed me to pitch and I'm proud of that."
This year he is 1-3 with an ERA of 8.53 in 11 games, three of which were starts. In his only win, he beat New York's Roger Clemens. He allowed six hits, three runs — all earned — and struck out seven in the 11-3 victory on April 11.
E-MAIL: jhinton@desnews.com