Jim Lonborg
Lonborg's Cy Young season doesn't appear in his statistical peak — that honor belongs to 1972, when he posted a 2.83 ERA for Milwaukee at age 30. The former Boston ace had already delivered his masterpiece years earlier in 1967, anchoring the Red Sox's "Impossible Dream" pennant run before this data begins.
The numbers reveal a pitcher who found his groove later than expected. His career-best ERA+ of 122 suggests dominant stretches, while that 157-137 record over 15 seasons shows remarkable durability for someone who transitioned from flame-thrower to craftsman.
What stands out most is the longevity. Lonborg accumulated 2,464 innings and 425 appearances across three teams, adapting his approach as his stuff diminished. That .136 career batting average tells you everything about his focus — he was there to get outs, not hits.
Career · Hitting
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | BOS | 32 | 59 | 0 | 4 | .136 | .390 | — |
| 1966 | BOS | 46 | 54 | 0 | 0 | .093 | .292 | — |
| 1967 | BOS | 39 | 99 | 0 | 8 | .141 | .346 | — |
| 1968 | BOS | 23 | 39 | 1 | 2 | .282 | .692 | — |
| 1969 | BOS | 29 | 41 | 0 | 2 | .098 | .313 | — |
| 1970 | BOS | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | .444 | 1.333 | 187 |
| 1971 | BOS | 27 | 53 | 0 | 3 | .170 | .398 | 58 |
| 1972 | ML4 | 33 | 69 | 0 | 3 | .145 | .337 | 51 |
| 1973 | PHI | 38 | 59 | 0 | 3 | .136 | .385 | 55 |
| 1974 | PHI | 39 | 94 | 1 | 8 | .096 | .289 | 42 |
| 1975 | PHI | 27 | 44 | 0 | 1 | .023 | .163 | 23 |
| 1976 | PHI | 33 | 67 | 0 | 4 | .164 | .412 | 60 |
| 1977 | PHI | 25 | 48 | 0 | 1 | .104 | .244 | 33 |
| 1978 | PHI | 22 | 34 | 0 | 3 | .176 | .479 | 68 |
| 1979 | PHI | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | 0 |
| Career | 426 | 770 | 3 | 43 | .136 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | BOS | 32 | 185.3 | 9 | 17 | 4.47 | 78 | 113 | 1.392 |
| 1966 | BOS | 45 | 181.7 | 10 | 10 | 3.86 | 91 | 131 | 1.255 |
| 1967 | BOS | 39 | 273.3 | 22 | 9 | 3.16 | 104 | 246 | 1.138 |
| 1968 | BOS | 23 | 113.3 | 6 | 10 | 4.29 | 69 | 73 | 1.306 |
| 1969 | BOS | 29 | 143.7 | 7 | 11 | 4.51 | 80 | 100 | 1.483 |
| 1970 | BOS | 9 | 34.0 | 4 | 1 | 3.18 | 122 | 21 | 1.235 |
| 1971 | BOS | 27 | 167.7 | 10 | 7 | 4.13 | 84 | 100 | 1.396 |
| 1972 | ML4 | 33 | 223.0 | 14 | 12 | 2.83 | 115 | 143 | 1.224 |
| 1973 | PHI | 38 | 199.3 | 13 | 16 | 4.88 | 77 | 106 | 1.495 |
| 1974 | PHI | 39 | 283.0 | 17 | 13 | 3.21 | 113 | 121 | 1.237 |
| 1975 | PHI | 27 | 159.3 | 8 | 6 | 4.12 | 90 | 72 | 1.293 |
| 1976 | PHI | 33 | 222.0 | 18 | 10 | 3.08 | 114 | 118 | 1.171 |
| 1977 | PHI | 25 | 157.7 | 11 | 4 | 4.11 | 97 | 76 | 1.313 |
| 1978 | PHI | 22 | 113.7 | 8 | 10 | 5.23 | 70 | 48 | 1.557 |
| 1979 | PHI | 4 | 7.3 | 0 | 1 | 11.05 | 36 | 7 | 2.455 |
| Career | 425 | 2464.3 | 157 | 137 | — | — | 1475 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.