Tidrow's 1979 season got off to a rough start.
He was 2-1 with two saves, but a high 7.94 ERA when he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs for Ray Burris.

In his National League debut, Tidrow pitched two innings of scoreless relief against the New York Mets.
In his second game as a Cub, Tidrow pitched three hitless innings for his first NL save.
In his third game, he earned his first win.
He entered in relief of Mike Krukow in the third inning, and after allowing a run in his first inning of work, he held the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless for four innings.
Whereas Burris was a bust with the Yankees (1–3, 6.18 ERA, placed on waivers in late August), the change of scenery unquestionably helped Tidrow.
He became manager Herman Franks' favorite long reliever in front of Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter.
on July 27, Tidrow was the winning pitcher in the Cubs' 4-2 win over the Mets, with Sutter earning the save.
The victory brought the Cubs within a half game of the first place Montreal Expos.
Tidrow and Sutter were a combined 11-3 with twenty saves and a 1.67 ERA since Tidrow's arrival in Chicago.

By the end of the season, the Cubs came back to Earth, finishing 80-82, and in fifth place in the National League East.
Despite not joining the team until late May, Tidrow led Cubs relievers with 102.2 innings, 63 appearances and eleven wins.
Sutter's performance earned him the NL Cy Young Award, earning Tidrow the distinction of having been the set up man for two different closers to win the award.

The one bright spot for the 98 loss 1980 Cubs was its bullpen.
Along with Sutter and Tidrow, it featured Bill Caudill (4-6, 1 save, 2.10 ERA, 115.2 IP) and a rookie Lee Smith.
Tidrow pitched 10.1 innings before allowing his first earned run, with his finest appearance over that span being his April 19 victory over the Mets.
He entered in the seventh with the Cubs trailing 9-5.
He pitched two innings of one hit ball, while his team mounted an eighth inning comeback.
From May 11-14, Tidrow appeared in all four games without a day's rest.
He pitched six innings, and allowed just one hit.
For the season, he was 6-5 with a 2.79 ERA and six saves, and led Major League Baseball with 84 relief appearances.

Tidrow was handed the reigns to the bullpen for 1981, as Sutter was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals during the off season.
His new role as the top arm in the Cubs bullpen turned out to be overwhelming for Tidrow.
After earning his first win against the Mets on April 11, Tidrow blew a save and lost to the Expos in his next appearance.
He would blow a second save and lose again on April 25 against the Phillies before finally earning his first save on May 2.
Through the players' strike, Tidrow went 2-4 with a 4.29 ERA and only six saves.

The lay off from the strike only made his season worse.
When play resumed, he blew his first save opportunity, then lost his next two games in a row.
In the second half of the season, he was 1-6 with a 6.06 ERA, and had just three saves.

The 1982 season also got off to a rough start for Tidrow.
By his 35th birthday, he had been relegated to "mop up duty"; he had a 4.96 ERA, and opposing hitters were batting .389.
Turning 35, however, seemed to rejuvenate Tidrow.
He won his first game on May 21, and progressively got better as the season wore on (2-0, 3.33 ERA in June; 1-1, 2 SV 2.82 ERA in July; 2-0, 3 SV, 2.40 ERA in August).
Comfortably back in his set up man role (this time, to Lee Smith) by the end of July, Tidrow ended the season at 8-3 with a 3.39 ERA and six saves.
He led his team with 103.2 innings pitched in relief.
Tidrow's 1979 season got off to a rough start. He was 2-1 with two saves, but a high 7.94 ERA when he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs for Ray Burris.
In his National League debut, Tidrow pitched two innings of scoreless relief against the New York Mets. In his second game as a Cub, Tidrow pitched three hitless innings for his first NL save. In his third game, he earned his first win. He entered in relief of Mike Krukow in the third inning, and after allowing a run in his first inning of work, he held the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless for four innings. Whereas Burris was a bust with the Yankees (1–3, 6.18 ERA, placed on waivers in late August), the change of scenery unquestionably helped Tidrow. He became manager Herman Franks' favorite long reliever in front of Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter. on July 27, Tidrow was the winning pitcher in the Cubs' 4-2 win over the Mets, with Sutter earning the save. The victory brought the Cubs within a half game of the first place Montreal Expos. Tidrow and Sutter were a combined 11-3 with twenty saves and a 1.67 ERA since Tidrow's arrival in Chicago.
By the end of the season, the Cubs came back to Earth, finishing 80-82, and in fifth place in the National League East. Despite not joining the team until late May, Tidrow led Cubs relievers with 102.2 innings, 63 appearances and eleven wins. Sutter's performance earned him the NL Cy Young Award, earning Tidrow the distinction of having been the set up man for two different closers to win the award.
The one bright spot for the 98 loss 1980 Cubs was its bullpen. Along with Sutter and Tidrow, it featured Bill Caudill (4-6, 1 save, 2.10 ERA, 115.2 IP) and a rookie Lee Smith. Tidrow pitched 10.1 innings before allowing his first earned run, with his finest appearance over that span being his April 19 victory over the Mets. He entered in the seventh with the Cubs trailing 9-5. He pitched two innings of one hit ball, while his team mounted an eighth inning comeback. From May 11-14, Tidrow appeared in all four games without a day's rest. He pitched six innings, and allowed just one hit. For the season, he was 6-5 with a 2.79 ERA and six saves, and led Major League Baseball with 84 relief appearances.
Tidrow was handed the reigns to the bullpen for 1981, as Sutter was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals during the off season. His new role as the top arm in the Cubs bullpen turned out to be overwhelming for Tidrow. After earning his first win against the Mets on April 11, Tidrow blew a save and lost to the Expos in his next appearance. He would blow a second save and lose again on April 25 against the Phillies before finally earning his first save on May 2. Through the players' strike, Tidrow went 2-4 with a 4.29 ERA and only six saves.
The lay off from the strike only made his season worse. When play resumed, he blew his first save opportunity, then lost his next two games in a row. In the second half of the season, he was 1-6 with a 6.06 ERA, and had just three saves.
The 1982 season also got off to a rough start for Tidrow. By his 35th birthday, he had been relegated to "mop up duty"; he had a 4.96 ERA, and opposing hitters were batting .389. Turning 35, however, seemed to rejuvenate Tidrow. He won his first game on May 21, and progressively got better as the season wore on (2-0, 3.33 ERA in June; 1-1, 2 SV 2.82 ERA in July; 2-0, 3 SV, 2.40 ERA in August). Comfortably back in his set up man role (this time, to Lee Smith) by the end of July, Tidrow ended the season at 8-3 with a 3.39 ERA and six saves. He led his team with 103.2 innings pitched in relief.
Dick Tidrow