Boyd Tepler

Boyd Frank Tepler

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• Born December 15, 1923 in Medford, WI USA
• Died December 17, 2001 in Rusk, WI USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Boyd Tepler was a minor league pitcher most famous for bringing a lawsuit against the Chicago Cubs after his career ended preaturely.

He played in the Cubs' chain from 1942 to 1945, starting with the Janesville Cubs of the Wisconsin State League where he went 12-16, 3.77, In 1943, he was with the Lockport Cubs of the PONY League, going 13-8, 2.66, and led the league with 254 strikeouts and with 143 walks. He followed that with a 15-6, 2.05 season between the Nashville Vols of the Southern Association and the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. Minor league rosters were depleted by World War II at the time, but it was still a very impressive mark. However, he played only one more game after that, with Nashville in 1945. However, he was still active in semi-pro leagues after that, appearing with Albert Lea, MN in the Southern Minnesota League in 1950, and likely with other teams before and after that.

In his lawsuit against the Cubs, their owner William Wrigley, and various others, which he filed on June 27, 1951, he claimed $450,000 in damages, alleging that he suffered an arm injury in 1944, the result of "negligent coaching" that allowed him to pitch with flaws in his throwing motion that resulted in damage and put an end to a promising career. His suit was dismissed by a district court in December of 1952 and his appeal was denied by the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1953.

In 1993, he published his autobiography, entitled In Cub Chains.