Sparky Lyle wrote The Bronx Zoo in 1978, his last year with the New York Yankees. 1978 was not the year Chris Chambliss hit the home run to win the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and then barely made it around the bases to score. That was 1976. 1978 also was not the year Lyle won the Cy Young Award and Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three straight pitches in Game 6 of the World Series against the LA Dodgers. That was 1977. 1978 was the year that the Yankees came back late in the season to catch the collapsing Boston Red Sox and then beat them in a one game playoff. I remember that game well: I was in 5th grade and my History teacher, Mr. Philbrick (who was from Maine), let us listen to the game in class. I heard Bucky Dent's home run in the car on the way home (or maybe it was Reggie Jackson's less-well-remembered HR that I heard), and I saw Yaz pop out to Nettles to end the game at home on the tiny black-and-white television set in the kitchen. It's amazing how times have changed - back then I was devastated by the Red Sox loss but turned around and rooted for the Yankees to beat the squeaky-clean Dodgers in the World Series. Now I can't stand either the Red Sox or the Yankees.
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