1929–1934 After leaving Iowa Wesleyan, Lawson began playing professional baseball with the
Keokuk Indians in
Keokuk, Iowa. He did not make it in Keokuk and was demoted to a club in
Decorah, Iowa. While playing for Decorah, he signed with a scout for the
Cleveland Indians. The Indians assigned him the
Terre Haute Tots in the
Three-I League. Wildness continued to be a problem for Lawson while with Terre Haute. Lawson appeared in seven games, four as a starter, for the
1930 Indians and compiled a 1–2 record with a 6.15 ERA. He appeared in 32 game for the Mud Hens in 1931, compiling a 12–11 record with a 5.56 ERA. He appeared in four games for the Tigers during their
1933 season, two as a starter, and compiled a 0–1 record with a 7.31 ERA in 16 innings pitched. During the 1934 season, Lawson appeared in 42 games (202 innings) and compiled a 9–14 record with a 5.66 ERA. On August 24, manager
Mickey Cochrane tabbed Lawson to start for the Tigers against
Lefty Grove and the
Boston Red Sox. Lawson was at the time the best pitcher in the American League (his 2.70 ERA led the American League in 1935), and an account in the
Detroit Free Press analogized Cochrane's decision to start Lawson against Grove and Boston to throwing a sacrificial lamb to the lions. The newspaper's game summary opened: "They tossed the lamb in to the Lions at Navin Field Saturday afternoon, and while 22,000 wide-eyed fans stared in disbelief, the lamb up and ran the lions right out of the ballpark." Lawson held Boston to five hits in nine innings and won a 2–0 shutout victory. Four days later, on August 28, he pitched a four-hit shutout and prevented a batter from advancing beyond second base against the
Philadelphia Athletics. Lawson also hit a single and a double against Philadelphia, and the shutout gave him an 18-inning scoreless streak in the week since joining the Tigers. In all, Lawson appeared in seven games, four as a starter, for the 1935 Tigers compiled a 3-1 record with a 1.58 ERA. The
1935 Tigers went on to defeat the
Chicago Cubs in the
1935 World Series. However, Lawson did not pitch in the World Series, as the Tigers starters threw five complete games. After the 1935 season, Lawson returned to his home in
Stockport, Iowa, where a banquet was held in his honor.
1936–1941 Lawson remained with the Tigers in 1936. He appeared in 41 games, only eight as a starter, and compiled an 8–6 record and 5.48 ERA. Used principally in relief, Lawson ranked sixth in the American League in saves in 1936. In 1938, Lawson appeared in 27 games, 16 as a starter, and compiled an 8–9 record and 5.46 ERA. The following year, he appeared in two games for the Tigers early in the year, winning one and losing the other. After the trade, Lawson appeared in 36 games, 14 as a starter, for the 1939 Browns, compiling a 3–7 record with a 5.32 ERA. After compiling a 0–3 record at Montreal, He compiled a 1–2 record in five games for Milwaukee, After his wartime service was concluded, Lawson was hired in January 1947 as the manager of the Meridian Peps, a
Southeastern League team in
Meridian, Mississippi. He spent only one season with Meridian and was hired in January 1948 as the manager of the
Green Bay Bluejays. The Bluejays compiled a 37–35 record under Lawson before he resigned on July 16, 1948. After his managerial career ended, Lawson worked as an umpire in the
Three-Eye League. ==Family and later years==