Ten years ago, when Fox began to televise baseball, it hired ex-big leaguer Steve “Psycho” Lyons because Lyons is a wise guy. Friday night, after he served as the analyst on Game 3 of the ALCS, Lyons was fired for being a wise guy.

Friday, after play-by-play man Thom Brennaman said light-hitting A’s shortstop Marco Scutaro had gone cold after knocking in six runs in the ALDS, guest analyst Lou Piniella suggested that Scutaro should not have expected to remain hot.

“That’s like finding a wallet on Friday night and then looking for one on Sunday and Monday,” he said to laughs.

Later, Piniella, who’s of Spanish heritage, said that A’s slugger Frank Thomas needs to be “en fuego” [on fire] and not “frio” [cold].

“He’s habla-ing some Espanol, and I’m still looking for my wallet,” Lyons said to laughs from Piniella and Brennaman. “I didn’t understand him and I don’t want to sit close to him, now.” Piniella again laughed.

That, regardless of how anyone might have interpreted it, was interpreted by Fox to be the end of Lyons’ run on the network.

“Steve Lyons has been relieved of his duties for making comments on air that the company found inappropriate,” read the entire statement issued by Fox.

Neither in yesterday’s Game 4 pregame, nor in the game telecast, was Lyons’ dismissal mentioned. Angels broadcaster Jose Mota, who had done some baseball for Fox, worked with Brennaman and Piniella as Lyons’ replacement.

Lyons and Brennaman had embarrassed Fox during the Mets-Dodgers NLDS when they ridiculed a fan in Shea Stadium for wearing an odd-looking device over his eyes and ears. Turned out the device is designed to aid the severely sight-impaired.

Lyons, who works as a Dodgers broadcaster, two years ago was briefly suspended for wise cracks suggesting that Shawn Green, then with the Dodgers, wasn’t such an observant Jew that he should have chosen not to play on Yom Kippur.