3. Ed Walsh

Walsh debuted in 1904, and in his first two seasons, he was used primarily out of the bullpen.  The spitballer would be designated as a starter in 1906, where he won 17 Games with a 1.88 ERA.  "Big" Ed arrived in that World Series, where he won two games and set a then-record by fanning 12 batters in Game 3.  The White Sox would go on to defeat their crosstown rival, the Chicago Cubs, in six games.

While Walsh was not able to appear in another World Series, but it wasn’t because he didn’t do everything he could.  Over the next two seasons, Walsh would pitch in 122 Games for 886.1 Innings, by far and away more than any other hurler.  Walsh won 40 Games in 1908 and, in both seasons, led the American League in bWAR for Pitchers.  Walsh had to take it easier in 1909, as his arm was naturally getting tired, but despite the pain, he went back to a full schedule and had one of the most deceptive won-loss records in Major League history.

In 1910, Walsh went 18-20, placing him in the dreaded 20 Losses club.  While he lost 20 Games, he led the AL in ERA with an anemic 1.27 and his best ever WHIP of 0.820.  As you can deduce, he got next to no run support from his batters, and Chicago only won 63 Games that year.  Walsh again gave everything he had in 1911, winning 27 Games with an ERA of 1.082.  1912 was almost identical, with 27 Wins and a 1.084 ERA.  As amazing as this was, something had to give.

Much like he had in 1907 and 1908, Walsh led the AL in Games Pitched in 1910, 1911, and 1912, throwing for over 1,100 Innings, the most in the league.  At the start of the 1913 season, his arm was done, and he would hang on for a couple more seasons, but he had nothing left to give.  Had there been a Cy Young Award back then, he would have won at least two and been considered for three others.  The MVP in one form existed in 1911 and 1912, and he was the runner-up in both years. 

His White Sox record was 195-125, with a 1.81 ERA and 1,732 Strikeouts.

As of this writing, Walsh is the all-time leader in ERA (1.82) and FIP (2.02).  That isn’t just for the White Sox; that is for everybody!