The Mount Rushmore of White Sox
By Rob Wash
Ted Lyons, Pitcher – (1923-1942),(1946)
Graduate of Baylor University and Hall of Fame inductee in 1955, Ted Lyons was a special pitcher for an otherwise mediocre White Sox team. Lyons spent his entire career with the White Sox from 1923-1942 and then again after returning from the Marines for one last season in 1946.
The righty, who is most known for his fastball, led the American League in wins in 1925 and 1927. He would go on to win 20 games for the third time in 1930 finishing the year with a 22-15 record while leading the AL in complete games (29) and innings pitched (297.7).
“Lyons leads all White Sox pitchers with 260 wins over, another team leading, 4161.0 innings pitched.”
Between 1929 and 1931, Lyons went through a series of arm and back injuries causing the speed of his fastball to diminish significantly. During this time Lyons began to experiment with slow curves and knuckleballs in order to keep the strain off his arm and back. His ability to reinvent himself after an injury was one of his biggest assets as a major league pitcher and goes to show the type of athlete Lyons was.
Lyons leads all White Sox pitchers with 260 wins over, another team leading, 4161.0 innings pitched. Additionally Lyons leads the team all-time with 356 complete games pitched over 21 years of service.
His wins above replacement for pitchers (WAR) ranks second all-time for Sox pitchers with 67.2 games, meaning Lyons added 67.2 wins to the White Sox over his time with the team. For those reasons I choose Ted Lyons as my George Washington.
Next: Next on Sox Rushmore is ...