Lefty Tyler
Like so many of his teammates in 1918, Lefty Tyler reached a pinnacle in the Cubs’ World Series season, but saw his career take a nosedive soon after that.
Tyler was known as a “crossfire” pitcher, meaning that he would step toward first base on his delivery, keeping the batter from picking up the ball for as long as possible. This allowed Tyler to shoot fastballs or baffle with changeups very effectively. But for the first part of his career, 
Lefty Tyler pitching for the Boston Braves in 1914. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.)Tyler struggled with control problems. He walked an astounding 5.9 batters per 9 innings as a rookie in 1911, and allowed 4.4 walks per 9 in his second season.
His control improved as his career progressed, and by 1914, he was the No. 3 starter on the “Miracle Braves” team that was 15 games out of first place in July before storming back to win the N.L. and sweeping the World Series from the powerhouse Athletics. One of his big supporters was Braves pitching coach Fred Mitchell, and after an injury-shortened 1915, Tyler went 17-9 in 1916, his best year to date. But Mitchell left to take the Cubs job in 1917, and Tyler fell to a so-so 14-12.
In January 1918, though, Mitchell got Cubs president Charley Weeghman to fork over some big pieces—catcher Art Wilson, second baseman Larry Doyle and $15,000—to get Tyler from the Braves. It was not nearly a move of the magnitude of the Cubs’ deal for Grover Cleveland Alexander and Bill Killefer, but Tyler would prove Mitchell a sage once the season started. Tyler went 19-8, 2.00 ERA, filling in the No. 2 spot in the rotation admirably. His control was at the best of his career, just 2.2 walks per 9 innings. On July 17, Tyler tied a National League record when he threw a 21-inning complete game (complete game seems to be an understatement, does it not?) to beat the Phillies, 2-1.
The Chicago American described Tyler’s pitching style: “Tyler has the ‘soft stuff,’ by that is meant the slow ball, the tantalizing curves, the change of pace. He has speed, but isn’t compelled to rely on it.”
Tyler pitched 23 innings in the 1918 World Series, and wound up with a 1-1 record. But in the spring of 1919, he developed soreness in his shoulder and couldn’t pitch. He made just five starts in ’19, and the Cubs sent him to the Mayo Clinic to find out what the problem was. Doctors there found that Tyler had bad teeth, and had to have all but two removed—the teeth, the thought was, were poisoning his blood and impairing his pitching. Predictably, the doctors were wrong. Tyler went 11-12 in 1920, and though he was only 31, the Cubs released him after 10 appearances in 1921. That was the end of Lefty Tyler’s major-league career.
