After graduating in 1971 from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, Lamp was selected in the third round (62nd overall) by the Cubs in that year's MLB Draft.

[1][2][3] Lamp began his career as a Cub, but was traded to the crosstown Chicago White Sox for pitcher Ken Kravec.

He continued to pitch while approaching his 40th birthday, coming out of the bullpen in 21 games for the 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates, who won their division and advanced to the NLCS, but he was released in June of that season.

[4] He also surrendered Cal Ripken Jr.'s first major-league hit, a third-inning infield single in the White Sox's 8–7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium on August 16, 1981.

Lamp has worked behind the seafood counter at Bristol Farms in Newport Beach, California, since 2004.