Les Tietje
Encyclopedia
Leslie William "Toots" Tietje (September 11, 1910 in Sumner, Iowa
- October 2, 1996 in Rochester, Minnesota
) was a right-handed Major League Baseball
starting pitcher who played from 1933 to 1938 for the Chicago White Sox
and St. Louis Browns
. He was 6'0" tall and he weighed 178 pounds.
He broke into professional baseball in 1931, pitching for the Waterloo Hawks
and going 8-13 with a 5.03 ERA. He spent 1932 with Waterloo, going 8-14, and hitting .212 with four home runs. In 1933, he spent most of the season with the Dallas Steers, going 14-10 with a 3.51 ERA. He earned a call up to the big leagues, and on September 18 he made his debut. He started three games for the White Sox that year, going 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA. As he would throughout his entire career, he walked more batters than he struck out - in 22 1/3 innings, he walked 15 batters and struck out only nine.
According to John Carmichael
, Tietje was on pace for a successful career, but he developed arthritis in his arm and would be hampered by that for the rest of his career. In 1934, for example, he was only 5-14 with a 4.81 ERA. In 176 innings, he walked 96 batters and struck out only 81. His 4.14 strikeouts per nine innings were seventh best in the league that year, and the 20 home runs he gave up were the second most. His 14 losses were ninth most.
On April 12, 1935, Tietje was scheduled to start the first Chicago White Sox
versus Chicago Cubs
game ever held at Wrigley Field
against Lon Warneke
. That game was rained out however. In the 1935 regular season, Tietje went 9-15 with a 4.30 ERA. He walked 81 batters and struck out 64. His 15 losses were third most in the league, and his six wild pitches were eighth most. He began the 1936 season with the White Sox, but after posting a 27.00 ERA in two games with them he was traded to the Browns for Sugar Cain
. He made 14 appearances for the Browns, half of which he started, and went 3-5 with a 6.62 ERA for them. Overall, he went 3-5 with a 7.52 ERA, walking 35 batters and striking out only 19. He went 1-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 1937, walking 17 batters and striking out five. That season, he spent a large amount of time with the San Antonio Missions
, going 14-7 with a 2.67 ERA. In 1938, his final season, he went 2-5 with a 7.55 ERA. He walked 38 batters and struck out 15.
Although he played his final big league game on September 4, 1938, he stuck around and played in the minors until 1942. Playing for the Missions in 1939, he went 14-8 with a 3.24 ERA. He went 5-7 with a 4.12 ERA for the Missions in 1940. Playing for the Waterloo Hawks in 1941, he went 9-8 with a 4.11 ERA. In 1942, his final season, he went 0-4.
Overall, Tietje went 22-41 with a 5.11 ERA in 105 games (65 starts). In 512 2/3 innings, he walked 282 batters and struck out 193. He hit .099 in 171 big league at-bats. In the minors, he went 67-64. Statistically, he is most similar to Mike Morrison
, according to the Similarity Scores at Baseball-Reference.com.
Following his death, he was interred at Maple Grove Cemetery in Kasson, Minnesota
.
Sumner, Iowa
Sumner is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The city is located along the county's eastern border, between Bremer and Fayette counties. The population was 2,106 at the 2000 census. The Bremer County portion of Sumner is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- October 2, 1996 in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
) was a right-handed Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
starting pitcher who played from 1933 to 1938 for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He was 6'0" tall and he weighed 178 pounds.
He broke into professional baseball in 1931, pitching for the Waterloo Hawks
Waterloo Hawks (baseball)
The Waterloo Hawks were a minor league team that existed on-and-off from 1922 to 1969. From 1922 to 1932, they played in the Mississippi Valley League and in 1932 they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They played in the Western League in 1936 and from 1940 to 1942 they played in the...
and going 8-13 with a 5.03 ERA. He spent 1932 with Waterloo, going 8-14, and hitting .212 with four home runs. In 1933, he spent most of the season with the Dallas Steers, going 14-10 with a 3.51 ERA. He earned a call up to the big leagues, and on September 18 he made his debut. He started three games for the White Sox that year, going 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA. As he would throughout his entire career, he walked more batters than he struck out - in 22 1/3 innings, he walked 15 batters and struck out only nine.
According to John Carmichael
John Carmichael (sportswriter)
John P. Carmichael was a sportswriter who began his career with the Milwaukee Leader in 1924. He moved to Chicago in 1927, where he wrote for the Chicago Herald-Examiner for a spell and the Chicago Daily News - where his column "The Barbershop" ran for 38 years...
, Tietje was on pace for a successful career, but he developed arthritis in his arm and would be hampered by that for the rest of his career. In 1934, for example, he was only 5-14 with a 4.81 ERA. In 176 innings, he walked 96 batters and struck out only 81. His 4.14 strikeouts per nine innings were seventh best in the league that year, and the 20 home runs he gave up were the second most. His 14 losses were ninth most.
On April 12, 1935, Tietje was scheduled to start the first Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
versus Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
game ever held at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
against Lon Warneke
Lon Warneke
Lonnie Warneke , nicknamed the "The Arkansas Hummingbird," was a Major League Baseball player, Major League umpire, county judge, U.S. Military serviceman, and businessman from Montgomery County, Arkansas whose career won-loss record as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and St...
. That game was rained out however. In the 1935 regular season, Tietje went 9-15 with a 4.30 ERA. He walked 81 batters and struck out 64. His 15 losses were third most in the league, and his six wild pitches were eighth most. He began the 1936 season with the White Sox, but after posting a 27.00 ERA in two games with them he was traded to the Browns for Sugar Cain
Sugar Cain
Merritt Patrick "Sugar" Cain , was a right-handed professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from - for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, and Chicago White Sox....
. He made 14 appearances for the Browns, half of which he started, and went 3-5 with a 6.62 ERA for them. Overall, he went 3-5 with a 7.52 ERA, walking 35 batters and striking out only 19. He went 1-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 1937, walking 17 batters and striking out five. That season, he spent a large amount of time with the San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
, going 14-7 with a 2.67 ERA. In 1938, his final season, he went 2-5 with a 7.55 ERA. He walked 38 batters and struck out 15.
Although he played his final big league game on September 4, 1938, he stuck around and played in the minors until 1942. Playing for the Missions in 1939, he went 14-8 with a 3.24 ERA. He went 5-7 with a 4.12 ERA for the Missions in 1940. Playing for the Waterloo Hawks in 1941, he went 9-8 with a 4.11 ERA. In 1942, his final season, he went 0-4.
Overall, Tietje went 22-41 with a 5.11 ERA in 105 games (65 starts). In 512 2/3 innings, he walked 282 batters and struck out 193. He hit .099 in 171 big league at-bats. In the minors, he went 67-64. Statistically, he is most similar to Mike Morrison
Mike Morrison (baseball)
Michael Morrison was a right-handed professional baseball pitcher who played from 1887 to 1888 and in 1890 for the Cleveland Spiders, Syracuse Stars and Baltimore Orioles....
, according to the Similarity Scores at Baseball-Reference.com.
Following his death, he was interred at Maple Grove Cemetery in Kasson, Minnesota
Kasson, Minnesota
Kasson is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,931 at the 2010 census. The city is located 13 miles west of Rochester, Minnesota along U.S. Route 14 and is one of the endpoints of Minnesota State Highway 57. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's main...
.