An unexpected conversation with former Major League Baseball player Jackie Brandt led to an unexpected career shift for W. Kenneth Tyler Jr., a Lakewood Ranch accountant who has now turned novelist.
Tyler, a seasoned accountant, was never a writer by profession. However, after hearing Brandt’s captivating tales of life in the major leagues, Tyler was inspired to try his hand at writing fiction. This inspiration culminated in the publication of his novel Hunting the Red Fox.
In a playful nod to his profession, Tyler’s bio in the book mentions his four-decade career in writing persuasive prose to governmental tax authorities. “Most CPAs don’t have the same sense of humor I have,” Tyler remarked. “There’s a lot of dry humor in my book—pay attention to everything you read.”
While Tyler had long desired to write a novel, his career managing a CPA firm and raising a family had taken precedence. He also questioned whether he had the ability to craft a completely fictional story. But he soon found his muse.
About a decade ago, Tyler’s client, Boog Powell, a former Baltimore Orioles player and owner of Boog’s BBQ, introduced him to Jackie Brandt, who had played for the Orioles and four other MLB teams. Tyler met Brandt at Camden Yards and was immediately captivated by the stories Brandt shared with Powell, recounting his baseball career from 1956 to 1967.
One story stood out—Brandt and his teammates sneaking into a hotel window in Washington, D.C., after missing curfew due to heavy drinking. While Tyler realized that Brandt’s stories alone wouldn’t fill an entire book, the conversation ignited an idea: to gather more such wild tales from former players and share them in a book. Though Tyler never followed through on that initial impulse, it sparked his desire to write.
“When I start at the top of the page, I have no idea what’s going to be at the bottom,” Tyler explained of his writing process.
Inspired by his Camden Yards encounter, Tyler planned a road trip with his son, Billy, to visit retired baseball players across the Midwest and document their stories. However, life intervened when Billy opted to play travel lacrosse that summer, and the trip never happened. Undeterred, Tyler continued his quest for unique stories, interviewing ordinary people along the way. Yet, none of these stories seemed substantial enough for a novel, leaving him feeling disheartened.
But this process led Tyler to a realization: he didn’t need other people’s stories—he could create his own.
Starting with a single line, “The last jewel heist of my career was the biggest and best by far—the Mecklenburg Diamond,” Tyler’s imagination took over. The novel follows main character Perry Barnes, whose adventures span war, Hollywood, the PGA Tour, and even Jackie Gleason’s Long Island home.
Golf, a lifelong passion for Tyler, also plays a significant role in the novel. It was golf that initially brought Tyler and his wife, Barbara, from Ocean City, Maryland, to Lakewood Ranch. The narrative also subtly draws from Tyler’s earlier idea of collecting stories. The character Roger Mace, a writer working on a book project, interviews Barnes and prompts him to share his own life story. The literary device mirrors Tyler’s journey of transformation, turning his initial interest in interviews into a rich, imaginative tale.
Interestingly, the name “Mace” was inspired by Tyler’s mother’s maiden name, while Barnes’ first name was inspired by the iconic TV character Perry Mason—whom Tyler credits for teaching him how to interact with the IRS.
What started as an entertaining conversation with a former baseball player has now blossomed into a novel, showcasing Tyler’s creative flair in an unexpected new chapter of his life.
