Ted Lyons
Sunday Ted earned his nickname the hard way — by pitching exclusively on Sundays during his final seven seasons with the White Sox. The unusual schedule wasn't a gimmick but a practical solution for an aging arm that needed extra rest between starts. In 1942, at age 41, he went 14-6 with a 2.10 ERA working this unconventional rotation.
Lyons spent his entire 21-year career with Chicago, compiling 260 wins despite playing for mostly mediocre teams. His 3.67 ERA translated to an impressive 118 ERA+, meaning he was consistently above average in an era when Chicago finished over .500 just six times during his tenure. The knuckleball he developed later in his career extended his effectiveness well into his forties.
His 4,161 innings pitched ranks among the highest totals for any pitcher who spent his entire career with one franchise. The Hall of Fame recognized his loyalty and longevity in 1955, honoring a pitcher who maximized modest talent through intelligence and durability.
Career · Hitting
21 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CWS | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — |
| 1924 | CWS | 41 | 77 | 0 | 6 | .221 | — | — |
| 1925 | CWS | 43 | 97 | 0 | 7 | .186 | — | — |
| 1926 | CWS | 41 | 104 | 0 | 3 | .212 | — | — |
| 1927 | CWS | 41 | 110 | 1 | 9 | .255 | — | — |
| 1928 | CWS | 49 | 91 | 0 | 8 | .253 | — | — |
| 1929 | CWS | 40 | 91 | 0 | 11 | .220 | — | — |
| 1930 | CWS | 57 | 122 | 1 | 15 | .311 | — | — |
| 1931 | CWS | 42 | 33 | 0 | 3 | .152 | — | — |
| 1932 | CWS | 49 | 73 | 1 | 10 | .260 | — | — |
| 1933 | CWS | 51 | 91 | 1 | 11 | .286 | — | — |
| 1934 | CWS | 50 | 97 | 1 | 16 | .206 | — | — |
| 1935 | CWS | 29 | 82 | 0 | 6 | .220 | — | — |
| 1936 | CWS | 26 | 70 | 0 | 5 | .157 | — | — |
| 1937 | CWS | 23 | 57 | 0 | 3 | .211 | — | — |
| 1938 | CWS | 24 | 72 | 0 | 4 | .194 | — | — |
| 1939 | CWS | 21 | 61 | 0 | 8 | .295 | — | — |
| 1940 | CWS | 22 | 75 | 0 | 7 | .240 | — | — |
| 1941 | CWS | 22 | 74 | 0 | 6 | .270 | — | — |
| 1942 | CWS | 20 | 67 | 0 | 10 | .239 | — | — |
| 1946 | CWS | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| Career | 705 | 1563 | 5 | 149 | .233 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
21 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CWS | 9 | 22.7 | 2 | 1 | 6.35 | 63 | 6 | 1.985 |
| 1924 | CWS | 41 | 216.3 | 12 | 11 | 4.87 | 85 | 52 | 1.622 |
| 1925 | CWS | 43 | 262.7 | 21 | 11 | 3.26 | 140 | 45 | 1.359 |
| 1926 | CWS | 39 | 283.7 | 18 | 16 | 3.01 | 137 | 51 | 1.318 |
| 1927 | CWS | 39 | 307.7 | 22 | 14 | 2.84 | 144 | 71 | 1.164 |
| 1928 | CWS | 39 | 240.0 | 15 | 14 | 3.98 | 104 | 60 | 1.433 |
| 1929 | CWS | 37 | 259.3 | 14 | 20 | 4.10 | 112 | 57 | 1.357 |
| 1930 | CWS | 42 | 297.7 | 22 | 15 | 3.78 | 127 | 69 | 1.303 |
| 1931 | CWS | 22 | 101.0 | 4 | 6 | 4.01 | 102 | 16 | 1.485 |
| 1932 | CWS | 33 | 230.7 | 10 | 15 | 3.28 | 126 | 58 | 1.361 |
| 1933 | CWS | 36 | 228.0 | 10 | 21 | 4.38 | 88 | 74 | 1.465 |
| 1934 | CWS | 30 | 205.3 | 11 | 13 | 4.87 | 88 | 53 | 1.534 |
| 1935 | CWS | 23 | 190.7 | 15 | 8 | 3.02 | 144 | 54 | 1.311 |
| 1936 | CWS | 26 | 182.0 | 10 | 13 | 5.14 | 89 | 48 | 1.495 |
| 1937 | CWS | 22 | 169.3 | 12 | 7 | 4.15 | 105 | 45 | 1.341 |
| 1938 | CWS | 23 | 194.7 | 9 | 11 | 3.70 | 118 | 54 | 1.490 |
| 1939 | CWS | 21 | 172.7 | 14 | 6 | 2.76 | 155 | 65 | 1.089 |
| 1940 | CWS | 22 | 186.3 | 12 | 8 | 3.24 | 130 | 72 | 1.208 |
| 1941 | CWS | 22 | 187.3 | 12 | 10 | 3.70 | 106 | 63 | 1.260 |
| 1942 | CWS | 20 | 180.3 | 14 | 6 | 2.10 | 170 | 50 | 1.070 |
| 1946 | CWS | 5 | 42.7 | 1 | 4 | 2.32 | 155 | 10 | 1.102 |
| Career | 594 | 4161.1 | 260 | 230 | — | — | 1073 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.