Boyd played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox (1982–1989), Montreal Expos (1990–1991), and Texas Rangers (1991).

[1] His unique and memorable nickname has been reported as coming from his beer-drinking days in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, where beer was referred to as "oil".

A lanky frame at 6-foot-2, and weighing only 150 pounds, Boyd pitched 10 years in the majors before blood clots in his right arm ended his career.

After Boyd received word he was not starting the final game of the series, he went down into the visitors' clubhouse and remained in there alone for some time.

[6] In 1987, Boyd would allege that an encounter with police caused a hairline fracture to his pitching arm that required surgery in August of that year.

[8] Boyd's injuries contributed to a decline in games started and his win–loss records over his final two seasons with the Red Sox, 1988 and 1989, were 9–7 and 3–2 respectively.

In 2012, Boyd told Buster Olney of ESPN "I get to the ballpark, all the ballplayers are on the field, you know, taking batting practice and everything.

[6] During 1987 spring training in Winter Haven, Florida, Boyd would be detained by police due to an issue concerning overdue video cassettes.

[17] In the book, Boyd admitted that he used crack every day of the 1986 season and that he was high on marijuana in every baseball game he played from "Little League all the way through college.

"[13] Boyd's intense charisma during Red Sox games specifically was evidenced by fist pumps, shouting from the dugout, and high-fives for teammates.

Among his most well-known quotes is one made in reference to a game postponed at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium due to fog from Lake Erie.