Epperly pitched only 27 innings for the team, starting 4 games and relieving in 5 others, and he had some control issues (15 walks), but the Cubs still had high hopes for his future. But he never made it back to Chicago. He was pounded hard in the minors the next season, and the Cubs sold him to San Francisco of the PCL. He languished in the minors several more years, before being drafted into the service during the war.
In what can only be described as a Hollywood ending, Tub made it back to the big leagues five years after the war ended. Brooklyn called him up in 1950, at the age of 32. Epperly got to pitch in the big leagues one last time, making five appearances for the Dodgers.
Al Epperly is one of those epic minor league stories. He pitched 17 seasons overall—but only got into 14 big league games.
