Rich Nye was one of two strong young lefty starter in the Cubs rotation in the late '60's. Both he and Ken Holtzman were seen as "the next Sandy Koufax." Of course any young lefty of that era was the next Koufax. Nye made it to the big leagues in his first year of professional ball as a 22-year-old in 1966. The next season he was second on the staff in wins with 13. His future seemed very bright.
But as quickly as he rose, he fell. In 1968 he slumped to a 7-12 record. He got even worse in 1969, appearing in 34 games, but only five as a starter. He posted a 3-5 record with a 5.11 ERA. He was traded away in the offseason and 1970 was his last season in the big leagues.
After baseball, he went to veterinarian school and earned his DVM. He set up a clinic in the Chicago area that specialized in birds and exotic animals. He made quite a name for himself in the bird world. Ironically, when the Cubs traded him away they sent him to......the Cardinals.
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