Dad Lytle

Edward Benson Lytle
(Pop)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 160 lb.

• Debut August 11, 1890
• Final Game August 28, 1890
• Born March 10, 1862 in Racine, WI USA
• Died December 21, 1950 in Long Beach, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ed Lytle played one season in the major leagues. Since he was 28 years old at the time, he presumably had a minor league career before that, but there doesn't seem to be research on that (other than some time in Colorado Springs the previous year). After his time in the majors he played in the minors - he was among the RBI leaders in 1895 when he played for Wilkes-Barre and Binghamton, and he also played for New Castle in 1897. In 1898-1900 he managed at New Castle and Wheeling.

Sporting Life of Oct. 17, 1888 refers to an amateur player named Lytle in the Grand Island, NE area who is a "phenomenal batter", but it is not clear if this is the same Lytle. If it is, perhaps it was this mention which got him noticed by the pros.

Normally called "Ed" by newspaper accounts, his nicknames were "Dad" and "Pop", perhaps because he was an older ballplayer in the 1890s.

The book Cap Anson by David L. Fleitz describes Lytle as a young player on Anson's team in 1890 who threw the ball to second base every time he fielded it.

The August 1993 SABR Biographical Research Committee Monthly Report states that Lytle later worked as a stagehand for Cecil B. DeMille.