The '''Tyler Tigers''' were a Big State League baseball team based in Tyler, Texas, USA that played from 1954 to 1955 as members of the Big State League.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?city=Tyler&state=TX&country=US Baseball-Reference.com Minors]</ref> They were managed by future major league manager Salty Parker in their inaugural season, reaching the playoffs only to lose in the first round.<ref name=book>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Lloyd |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second Edition|year=1997 |publisher=Baseball America |isbn=0-9637189-8-3}}</ref> Other highlights from the 1954 season include a perfect game tossed by pitcher Gale Pringle against the Temple Eagles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/2004/06/20/gol_golfingbuddies.shtml |title=Fore-Ever Young: Golfing Buddies Remain Competitive Into Their 80s |author=Jeremy Heath |date=June 20, 2004 |publisher=Amarillo.com |access-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref>
They did not complete the 1955 season, as they dropped out of the League – the second squad to do so that season, following the Galveston White Caps. They played their final game of the season on June 29. Team owner J. C. Stroud cited poor attendance, personal ailing health and external pressure from other clubs to shut down the Tyler ball club as the impetuses for the team's dropping out.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tyler Tigers Drop from Big State |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bI5jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KHoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7007,2605446&dq=tyler-tigers&hl=en |newspaper=The Bonham Daily Favorite |date=June 29, 1955 |access-date=10 December 2011}}</ref>
Major league pitcher Lou Lombardo spent part of the 1954 season with the team, going 1–2 in six games. He appeared in the big leagues in 1948, pitching for the New York Giants.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=lombar002lou Lou Lombardo Minor League Statistics]</ref><ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lombalo01.shtml Lou Lombardo Major League Statistics]</ref>
The team's games were announced by KTBB.<ref>{{cite book |title=Broadcasting: Volume 46 |year=1954 |publisher=Broadcasting Publications |page=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mshDAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Tyler+Tigers%22 |access-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams Category:Baseball teams established in 1954 Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1955 Category:1954 establishments in Texas Category:1955 disestablishments in Texas Category:Defunct baseball teams in Texas Category:Sports in Tyler, Texas Category:Defunct Big State League teams