HOYLE TOUGH:
Red Robins reliever
Bob Hoyle may have spent the last few days in baseball timeout (a.k.a. the reserve roster) after a dreadful showing at Lumberton, but Tuesday night he came storming back with a vengeance — and maybe a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Called in for the seventh inning with a slim two-run lead, Hoyle briefly had fans (and maybe his manager) holding their breath after taking a tumble during a fielding play. The training staff took a look. Hoyle waved them off. When manager Elijah Crabtree visited the mound, Hoyle gave the most Bob Hoyle response possible: “Buzz off. I’m fine."
He wasn’t bluffing.
The 22-year-old righty shut down Whiteville in the seventh and the eighth, tossing his best outing of the season. He did give up a hit to the first batter in the ninth — but that just gave Robbins Stadium the chance to unleash The Wizard (Juan Hartman) for the final act.
For a guy who was shelved just two days ago, Hoyle’s message was loud and clear: he’s back, and he’s here to battle.
“Reserve roster purgatory or not, I don’t care,” Hoyle said postgame, still icing his elbow. “If you give me the ball, I’m gonna throw it until someone makes me stop.”
--- Chase Murphy | The Robesonian