Dennis Lamp

Dennis Patrick Lamp

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
• High School St. John Bosco High School
• Debut August 21, 1977
• Final Game June 6, 1992
• Born September 23, 1952 in Los Angeles, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Dennis Lamp pitched sixteen seasons in the majors, split between six different clubs.

Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 1971 amateur draft, Lamp made his pro debut with the Caldwell Cubs that summer. With the Wichita Aeros in 1977, he went 11-4 with a 2.93 ERA, led the American Association with a .733 winning percentage, and was an All-Star. He made his big league debut that August and went 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in 11 outings with the Cubs. The following summer, he joined the Chicago rotation and posted a 7-15 record and a 3.30 ERA; a highlight was throwing a one-hitter against the San Diego Padres on June 9th. He went on to win 11 and 10 games for the Cubs in the next two seasons, 1979 and 1980.

Prior to the 1981 season, Lamp was dealt across town to the Chicago White Sox for Ken Kravec. He split the next two summers between the rotation and bullpen and threw another one-hitter on August 25, 1981, facing the Milwaukee Brewers. Moved mostly to a relief role in 1983, he set a career-high with 15 saves and made three appearances in the ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles.

Lamp moved on to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984, and the following summer, he went 11-0. He also made three appearances for Toronto in the 1985 ALCS, giving up no runs and only 2 hits in 9 1/3 innings of work. After being let go by the Jays after the 1986 season, he signed with the Cleveland Indians but was released at the end of spring training. He went on to play one year with the Oakland Athletics in 1987, four summers with the Boston Red Sox (1988-1991, and one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992.

Since baseball, Lamp has worked at a department store and at the seafood counter of a Newport Beach, California grocery store. He returned to Chicago in 2013 to throw out the first pitch at a White Sox game on June 30th, along with teammate Floyd Bannister.

Notable Achievements

• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1978-1980)

Related Sites

• Dennis Lamp at the SABR Bio Project
• Former big league pitcher Dennis Lamp's adaptability still serves him well