Thornton Lee, baseball player, 1933-1948

Thornton Lee

Born: 9/13/1906 in Sonoma, CA, USA

Died: 6/9/1997 in Tucson, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1933-09-19 | Final Game: 1948-06-18

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Thornton Starr Lee

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Biography

Thornton Lee was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1933 to 1948. Born in 1906, Lee emerged as a notable talent during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball period to a more offensive-minded approach in the game. He played for several teams, most notably the Chicago White Sox, where he showcased his skills on the mound. Over his career, Lee compiled a record of 117 wins and 124 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.56. His ability to strike out batters was evident, as he accumulated a total of 937 strikeouts, alongside 10 saves. Lee's contributions to the game were recognized through his selection as an All-Star on two occasions, highlighting his status among his peers during his playing days. Known for his competitive spirit and durability, he navigated the challenges of a lengthy career that saw him face some of the game's greatest hitters. Thornton Lee’s legacy is marked by both his individual achievements and his role in the evolution of pitching in baseball, as he adapted to the changing dynamics of the sport during his time.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
117 124 374 272 155 14 10 2331.3 2327 921 121 838 937 3.56 0

Career ERA 3.56 vs. league average 4.01 across their career seasons — 11.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1933 CLE AL 1 1 3 2 2 0 0 17.3 13 8 11 7 4.15 3.86 (-8%) -392.0
1934 CLE AL 1 1 24 6 0 0 0 85.7 105 48 44 41 5.04 4.29 (-18%) -1814.6
1935 CLE AL 7 10 32 20 8 1 1 180.7 179 81 71 81 4.04 4.35 (+7%) 1766.4
1936 CLE AL 3 5 43 8 2 0 3 127.0 138 69 67 49 4.89 4.59 (-7%) 542.0
1937 CHW AL 12 10 30 25 13 2 0 204.7 209 80 60 80 3.52 4.34 (+19%) -
1938 CHW AL 13 12 33 30 18 1 1 245.3 252 95 94 77 3.49 4.35 (+20%) -
1939 CHW AL 15 11 33 29 15 2 3 235.0 260 110 70 81 4.21 4.28 (+2%) -
1940 CHW AL 12 13 28 27 24 1 0 228.0 223 88 56 87 3.47 4.21 (+18%) -
1941 CHW AL 22 11 35 34 30 3 1 300.3 258 79 92 130 2.37 3.94 (+40%) -
1942 CHW AL 2 6 11 8 6 1 0 76.0 82 28 31 25 3.32 3.57 (+7%) -
1943 CHW AL 5 9 19 19 7 1 0 127.0 129 59 50 35 4.18 3.50 (-19%) -
1944 CHW AL 3 9 15 14 6 0 0 113.3 105 38 25 39 3.02 3.57 (+16%) -
1945 CHW AL 15 12 29 28 19 1 0 228.3 208 62 76 108 2.44 3.67 (+33%) -
1946 CHW AL 2 4 7 7 2 0 0 43.3 39 17 23 23 3.53 3.59 (+2%) -
1947 CHW AL 3 7 21 11 2 1 1 86.7 86 43 56 57 4.47 3.97 (-12%) -
1948 NY1 NL 1 3 11 4 1 0 0 32.7 41 16 12 17 4.41 4.10 (-7%) -14.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
375 835 63 167 24 4 4 66 0 27 208 0.200 0.226 0.253 0.479 -2657.4

Career AVG .200 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 25.2% below league average.

Career OBP .226 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 32.6% below league average.

Career SLG .253 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 33.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.479 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 32.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1933 CLE AL 3 8 2 3 0 1 0 3 0 0 2 0.375 — — — — 0.0
1934 CLE AL 24 21 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 11 0.095 — — — — 0.0
1935 CLE AL 32 61 6 12 2 0 0 7 0 3 17 0.197 .279 (-30%) .342 (-28%) .399 (-43%) .742 (-36%) -377.3
1936 CLE AL 43 41 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 3 12 0.122 — — — — 0.0
1937 CHW AL 30 71 5 15 3 2 0 4 0 1 16 0.211 .276 (-24%) .342 (-35%) .398 (-22%) .740 (-28%) -375.2
1938 CHW AL 34 97 14 25 3 1 4 16 0 0 23 0.258 .272 (-6%) .341 (-25%) .392 (+10%) .734 (-6%) -149.1
1939 CHW AL 33 91 8 15 3 0 0 4 0 4 18 0.165 .274 (-40%) .342 (-42%) .393 (-50%) .735 (-46%) -728.8
1940 CHW AL 28 84 7 23 4 0 0 5 0 4 30 0.274 .267 (+2%) .335 (-8%) .387 (-17%) .722 (-13%) -188.5
1941 CHW AL 35 114 7 29 5 0 0 8 0 4 20 0.254 .262 (-3%) .332 (-16%) .373 (-20%) .705 (-18%) -359.7
1942 CHW AL 11 30 0 6 2 0 0 2 0 0 10 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1943 CHW AL 19 42 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 8 0.071 — — — — 0.0
1944 CHW AL 15 42 2 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 0.095 — — — — 0.0
1945 CHW AL 29 78 6 14 1 0 0 6 0 5 15 0.179 .260 (-31%) .328 (-30%) .354 (-46%) .683 (-38%) -478.9
1946 CHW AL 7 15 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 0.267 — — — — 0.0
1947 CHW AL 21 29 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 2 11 0.207 — — — — 0.0
1948 NY1 NL 11 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.091 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 374 0 67 428 38 21

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1933 CLE P 3 0 0 3 0 0
1934 CLE P 24 0 4 18 2 1
1935 CLE P 32 0 11 41 3 3
1936 CLE P 43 0 3 35 2 0
1937 CHA P 30 0 9 34 3 0
1938 CHA P 33 0 1 46 5 2
1939 CHA P 33 0 6 45 2 0
1940 CHA P 28 0 5 31 4 2
1941 CHA P 35 0 10 52 5 2
1942 CHA P 11 0 1 7 1 2
1943 CHA P 19 0 3 17 3 1
1944 CHA P 15 0 3 32 2 2
1945 CHA P 29 0 6 38 2 4
1946 CHA P 7 0 0 7 2 1
1947 CHA P 21 0 4 15 2 1
1948 NY1 P 11 0 1 7 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 374

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1941 TSN All-Star P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo CA 1925, 1926

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 144.0 336 1