Red Faber (1964)


Date of Birth: 9/6/1888
Date of Death: 9/25/1976
Birthplace: Cascade, Iowa
College: Loras College

Red Faber played for the Chicago White Sox for 20 years, pitching as both a starter and a reliever. In 1919, the year of the infamous "Black Sox" scandal, Faber had arm problems and he only played in 25 games that year. That injury turned out to be a blessing for Faber, keeping him at a distance from his teammates' downfall.

Faber played semi-pro baseball in Dubuque, Iowa, at the age of 16. He first played professional baseball in 1909, with a team in the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa League. In September of that year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 draft. He played in the minor leagues from 1909 through 1913. On August 25, 1913, his contract was purchased by the White Sox.

Chicago White Sox

In 1914, Faber's first season in the major leagues, he had a 10-9 record and 2.68 ERA in 40 games. He struck out 88 batters and walked 64 in 181.1 innings.

For his first six years with the White Sox, Faber alternated between being a starter and being a relief pitcher. By the 1930s, Faber switched to only pitching in relief.

Faber led the AL in games played in 1915. He played in a career high 50 games, with 32 games as part of the starting rotation. He finished the season with 24 wins and 14 losses, a career high 182 strikeouts to 99 walks, and a 2.55 ERA in 299.2 innings.

In 1916, Faber had a 2.02 ERA in 35 games. He had 17 wins and 9 losses and 87 strikeouts to 61 walks in 205.1 innings. The following season, his ERA dropped to 1.92. He finished the 1917 season with a 16-13 record and 84 strikeouts to 85 walks in 248.0 innings in 41 games.

Faber played in just 11 games in 1918, and he had an ERA of 1.23 in 80.2 innings. The following season, he pitched in 25 games and he had a 3.83 ERA. He finished the 1919 season with 11 wins and 9 losses and 45 strikeouts to 45 walks in 162.1 innings. He had a better season in 1920, when he had 23 wins and 13 losses, 108 strikeouts to 88 walks, and a 2.99 ERA in 319.0 innings in 40 games.

In 1921, Faber led the American League in ERA with 2.48 and in complete games pitched with 32. He finished the season with a career high 25 wins to 15 losses and 124 strikeouts to 87 walks in 330.2 innings in 43 games.

Faber again led the AL in ERA and complete games in 1922. He had 21 wins and 17 losses, 148 strikeouts to 83 walks, and a 2.81 ERA in a career high 352.0 innings in 43 games. He pitched 31 complete games. He also had a good season defensively, leading all AL pitchers in assists with 94. The 1922 season was the last one in which Faber had an ERA under 3.00.

Faber's playing time decreased starting in 1923. That year, he pitched in 32 games and he had a 14-11 record, 91 strikeouts to 62 walks, and a 3.41 ERA in 32 games. He pitched in just 21 games in 1924, and he had 9 wins and 11 losses, 47 strikeouts to 58 walks, and a 3.85 ERA in 161.1 innings. He played only slightly better in 1925, when he had a 12-11 record, 71 strikeouts to 59 walks, and a 3.78 ERA in 238.0 innings in 34 games.

Faber had a 3.56 ERA in 27 games in 1926. He had 15 wins and 9 losses and 65 strikeouts to 57 walks in 184.2 innings. He struggled in 1927, pitching in just 18 games and finishing with a 4-7 record and a 4.55 ERA in 110.2 innings.

Faber continued to struggle in 1928, 1929, and 1930. He had a 3.75 ERA and 13 wins and 9 losses in 201.1 innings in 27 games in 1928. He had control issues, walking 68 batters while striking out just 43. The following season, he had a 3.88 ERA with 13 wins and 13 losses in 234.0 innings in 31 games. He struck out 68 batters and walked 61. In 1930, his ERA went up to 4.21 in 29 games. He had 8 wins and 13 losses and 62 strikeouts to 49 walks in 169.0 innings.

Faber pitched in 19 games as a starter and 25 games as a relief pitcher in 1931. He had 10 wins and 14 losses, 49 strikeouts to 57 walks, and a 3.82 ERA in 184.0 innings. In 1932, his last full season in the major leagues, he pitched in just 5 games as a starter and 37 games in relief. He had a 2-11 record with 6 saves and a 3.74 ERA in 106.0 innings.

In 1933, his final year as a major league pitcher, Faber played in 36 games, but he was a starter in just two of those games. He ended his career with a 3-4 record, five saves, and a 3.44 ERA in 86.1 innings. The White Sox released him on February 26, 1934.

MLB Records

  • Led AL in ERA (2 times)
  • Led AL in complete games (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Faber in 20 seasons (1914-1933) in the major leagues include:

  • 4 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 25 wins in 1921
  • 8 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with lows of 1.92 in 1917 in 41 games and 1.23 in 1918 in 11 games

Career pitching statistics for Faber include:

  • 669 games played
  • 4,086.2 innings pitched
  • 254-213 win-loss record
  • 1,471 strikeouts to 1,213 walks
  • 3.15 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a player, Faber became a coach for the White Sox.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Red Faber
ESPN - Red Faber
Baseball Reference - Red Faber

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