Red Faber
The spitball artist threw legally dirty for two decades, compiling 254 wins entirely with the White Sox while the pitch became increasingly outlawed around him. Faber was one of just 17 pitchers grandfathered in when baseball banned the spitter in 1920, giving him a massive competitive edge that helped him post a career ERA+ of 123.
His peak came during the dead-ball era's final gasps — that 230 ERA+ season showcased just how dominant he could be when hitters couldn't turn on mistake pitches. The durability was remarkable too: 4,087 innings across 669 games, anchoring Chicago's rotation through both championship runs and scandal-plagued seasons.
What made Faber special wasn't just the banned pitch, but his control of it. While other spitballers struggled with wildness, he maintained pinpoint command that kept him effective well into his 40s, retiring at age 45 after 20 seasons in the same uniform.
Career · Hitting
20 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | CWS | 40 | 55 | 0 | 1 | .145 | — | — |
| 1915 | CWS | 50 | 84 | 0 | 6 | .131 | — | — |
| 1916 | CWS | 35 | 63 | 0 | 2 | .095 | — | — |
| 1917 | CWS | 41 | 69 | 0 | 2 | .058 | — | — |
| 1918 | CWS | 11 | 24 | 0 | 0 | .042 | — | — |
| 1919 | CWS | 25 | 54 | 0 | 4 | .185 | — | — |
| 1920 | CWS | 40 | 104 | 0 | 1 | .106 | — | — |
| 1921 | CWS | 43 | 108 | 0 | 4 | .148 | — | — |
| 1922 | CWS | 43 | 125 | 0 | 5 | .200 | — | — |
| 1923 | CWS | 33 | 69 | 1 | 5 | .217 | — | — |
| 1924 | CWS | 21 | 54 | 0 | 1 | .148 | — | — |
| 1925 | CWS | 34 | 77 | 0 | 4 | .104 | — | — |
| 1926 | CWS | 27 | 60 | 0 | 10 | .150 | — | — |
| 1927 | CWS | 18 | 37 | 0 | 4 | .270 | — | — |
| 1928 | CWS | 27 | 70 | 1 | 10 | .114 | — | — |
| 1929 | CWS | 31 | 78 | 1 | 5 | .128 | — | — |
| 1930 | CWS | 29 | 49 | 0 | 2 | .041 | — | — |
| 1931 | CWS | 44 | 53 | 0 | 3 | .075 | — | — |
| 1932 | CWS | 42 | 18 | 0 | 1 | .222 | — | — |
| 1933 | CWS | 36 | 18 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| Career | 670 | 1269 | 3 | 70 | .134 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
20 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | CWS | 40 | 181.3 | 10 | 9 | 2.68 | 109 | 88 | 1.202 |
| 1915 | CWS | 50 | 299.7 | 24 | 14 | 2.55 | 114 | 182 | 1.211 |
| 1916 | CWS | 35 | 205.3 | 17 | 9 | 2.02 | 138 | 87 | 1.110 |
| 1917 | CWS | 41 | 248.0 | 16 | 13 | 1.92 | 140 | 84 | 1.246 |
| 1918 | CWS | 11 | 80.7 | 4 | 1 | 1.23 | 230 | 26 | 1.153 |
| 1919 | CWS | 25 | 162.3 | 11 | 9 | 3.83 | 81 | 45 | 1.417 |
| 1920 | CWS | 40 | 319.0 | 23 | 13 | 2.99 | 115 | 108 | 1.317 |
| 1921 | CWS | 43 | 330.7 | 25 | 15 | 2.48 | 162 | 124 | 1.149 |
| 1922 | CWS | 43 | 352.0 | 21 | 17 | 2.81 | 149 | 148 | 1.185 |
| 1923 | CWS | 32 | 232.3 | 14 | 11 | 3.41 | 118 | 91 | 1.270 |
| 1924 | CWS | 21 | 161.3 | 9 | 11 | 3.85 | 107 | 47 | 1.432 |
| 1925 | CWS | 34 | 238.0 | 12 | 11 | 3.78 | 120 | 71 | 1.366 |
| 1926 | CWS | 27 | 184.7 | 15 | 9 | 3.56 | 115 | 65 | 1.408 |
| 1927 | CWS | 18 | 110.7 | 4 | 7 | 4.55 | 90 | 39 | 1.554 |
| 1928 | CWS | 27 | 201.3 | 13 | 9 | 3.75 | 110 | 43 | 1.445 |
| 1929 | CWS | 31 | 234.0 | 13 | 13 | 3.88 | 119 | 68 | 1.291 |
| 1930 | CWS | 29 | 169.0 | 8 | 13 | 4.21 | 114 | 62 | 1.402 |
| 1931 | CWS | 44 | 184.0 | 10 | 14 | 3.82 | 107 | 49 | 1.451 |
| 1932 | CWS | 42 | 106.0 | 2 | 11 | 3.74 | 110 | 26 | 1.519 |
| 1933 | CWS | 36 | 86.3 | 3 | 4 | 3.44 | 112 | 18 | 1.390 |
| Career | 669 | 4086.6 | 254 | 213 | — | — | 1471 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.