Page 220 - 1975 BoSox

’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL 213
He helped Doug Gri n overcome anxiety after a Nolan Ryan beaning by purposely knocking him down during BP.10 On his rst game back after the beaning, Gri n doubled and scored the winning run for the Red Sox.
e magical 1975 season and the heartbreaking (for Red Sox fans) World Series loss are well known. Bryant is proud to have been a part of the 1975 Red Sox team and especially of helping develop the great talents such as Fisk, Rice, Evans, Burleson, and Lynn who came up through the organization. When it was clear that the Red Sox needed a new second baseman because of Doug Gri n’s back problems, Bryant advocated for Denny Doyle even though the other coaches favored Tommy Helms.11 e organization listened and on June 14 the club traded to acquire Doyle from the California Angels. Bryant thought that Doyle was the missing piece to a great team.
After the ’76 season, which saw the Red Sox nish third in the division, Darrell Johnson was red and Bryant followed him to the expansion Seattle Mariners. ey both remained in Seattle until 1980, when Johnson was red in midseason.
Bryant was hopeful for another coaching opportunity, but it didn’t materialize. roughout his career during the o season, he would return home and work in his father’s barbershop in St. Johns County, near Jacksonville. is time he returned home and took
over his father’s shop. As of 2014 Bryant has been married for 38 years to his third wife, Judi. He thinks he got it right the third time, “If I messed up this time I’d be out — three strikes and you’re out.”12 He has a son and daughter by his second wife, Darren, born in June 1967, and Wendy born in October 1969. He also has a stepson, Darryl Taylor, following his mar- riage to Judi.
In 2014 Don retired from barbering. He passed away at Shands Hospital in Gainesville on January 22, 2015 at age 73 following a brief illness. He will be remem- bered as a quiet, kind-hearted man who stood tall, both on and o the eld.
Notes
1 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, December 2014.
2 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, December 2014.
3 J. Wilson, “6-6 Bryant stands tall behind dish,” e Sporting News, May 24, 1969, 21.
4 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, December 2014. 5 “6-6 Bryant stands tall.”
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, October 2014.
9 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, October 2014. 10 e Sporting News, July 20, 1974.
11 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, December 2014. 12 Telephone interview with Don Bryant, October 2014.