the highest minor-league level. The next spring Rickey sent him to Houston, then to Wichita Falls, both in the Texas League, to play the outfield. When he didn't hit, he became a full-time pitcher. On September 9, 1923, in Dyer's first start as pitcher, he pitched a complete game shutout of the Chicago Cubs, winning 3-0. In 1924 he stuck with the Cardinals, but posted a 4.61 ERA and an 8-11 record, dividing his time between starting and relieving for the sixth-place club. The next year he lowered his ERA to 4.15, pitching primarily in relief. Rickey moved into the front office and the Cardinals' star second baseman, Rogers Hornsby, became manager in 1925. He and Dyer did not get along. According to one account, Dyer told Hornsby, "I'll never play on this club as long as you're the manager." That earned him a return ticket to Syracuse in 1926, while the Cardinals won their first World Championship. In 1927 Dyer pitched once for St. Louis before he headed to Syracuse again. He won six games in a row, but on June 30 he hurt his arm in his first loss. That finished his pitching career. He appeared for the Cardinals in 129 games over all or parts of six seasons (1922–1927) — although 1924 and 1925 were his only full seasons in the majors — splitting 30 pitching decisions with an earned run average of 4.78, and batting .223 in 157 at bats with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. Minor league manager and executive From 1928 on, Dyer managed in the Cardinals' farm system, continuing his playing career as an outfielder through 1933. He completed his Rice degree in 1936 and coached freshman football there (during baseball's off-season) for several years. In addition, Dyer served as business manager or club president of the teams he managed, and in 1938 he supervised all of the Cardinal farm teams in the Southern and Southwestern United States. The most important of these was Dyer's hometown Houston Buffaloes, the Cardinals’ club in the Class A1 Texas League. He took over as the Buffaloes' manager from 1939–1941 and led them to three consecutive first-place finishes and one league playoff championship, averaging 102 victories. During much of the wartime period that followed, Dyer was director of the entire Cardinals farm system, although he left that post in the midst of the 1944