Jim Lonborg definitely had a career year in 1967. In only his third year, he won more games, pitched in more innings and struck out more batters then he ever would in a career that spanned 15 seasons. In only one season did he pick up a single vote for the Cy Young and that was in 1967, when he picked up 18 of the 20 first place votes to run away with the award. It was also the only season he’d ever pick up a vote for the MVP and it was only All Star Game appearance as well.
For that one season though, Lonborg shined. He led the league with 22 wins and 246 strikeouts and he was second in innings pitched with 246 1/3. He was second in the league with 15 complete games and first with 39 starts. No other starter in the Red Sox rotation threw more then 182 innings and Lornborg won ten more games then the next closest hurler on the team (Gary Bell and Jose Santiago).
One key to Lonborg’s success in 1967 was he was equally good against right handed pitchers as he was against lefties. As a right hander, he was very good against right handed pitching (.226/.278/.353) but he was probably even better againt lefties (.225/.314/.333). Oddly, Lonborg didn’t fare as well at Fenway Park as he did on the road. He was 9-5 at Fenway with a .725 OPS against but outside of Fenway he was 13-4 with a .565 OPS against. And in Lonborg’s first eleven starts, he went 7-1 with two shutouts During that stretch, he had the first of two five game winning streaks.
So while Lonborg may have just had the one really good year, it did come at a great time. The team finished in the second half of the league in things like ERA, hits allowed and homeruns allowed but Lonborg came out to the mound time and again and kept the Red Sox in the pennant race.
Here are Lonborg’s numbers in 1967.
Wins 22
Losses 9
Games 39
Games Started 39
Complete Games 15
Innings Pitched 273
Hits 228
Runs 102
Earned Runs 96
Walks 83
Strikeouts 246
ERA 3.16
Runs Saved Above Average 18
Shutouts 2
H/9 7.52
BR/9 10.88
SO/9 8.11
BB/9 2.74
SO/BB 2.96
Neutral Wins 18
Neutral Losses 13