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Cy Young Award
From BR Bullpen
The Cy Young Award is given to the most outstanding pitcher in each league of Major League Baseball. The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner Ford Frick and approved by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The award is named in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young who died a year earlier in 1955.
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[edit] History
The award was originally shared between the American and National Leagues. In 1967, two years after Frick retired as Commissioner, the award was given to one pitcher in each league.
Roger Clemens has won the award the most times with seven, Randy Johnson has won it five times, and Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux have each won it four times. Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay have won the award in both leagues. Perry and his brother Jim are the only brothers to win the award. Jim won it in 1970 while Gaylord won it twice, in 1972 and 1978.
[edit] Awarding
The award is voted on by 28 members of the BBWAA (one from each Major League city). The award has used since 1970 a weighted score system. At that time, voters cast a vote for first, second, and third place among the pitchers of each league. In 2010, they began to vote for 5 pitchers in each league. A formula is used to calculate the final scores of each picher, where:
Score = 7 * (number of first place votes) + 5 * (number of second place votes) + 3 * (number of third place votes) + 2 * (number of fourth place votes) + (number of fifth place votes)
The pitcher with the highest score in each league wins the award. If two pitchers receive the same number of votes the award is shared, however this has not occured since the current system was put into place.
Previously a one point per vote system was used but the system was scrapped after Denny McLain and Mike Cuellar tied for the American League award in 1969.
[edit] Award Winners
- BOLD indicates unanimous selection
[edit] Single Award (1956-1966)
| Year voting totals |
Player | Team (League) | Record | Saves | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 MLB |
Don Newcombe | Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) | 27-7 | 0 | 3.06 |
| 1957 MLB |
Warren Spahn | Milwaukee Braves (NL) | 21-11 | 3 | 2.69 |
| 1958 MLB |
Bob Turley | New York Yankees (AL) | 21-7 | 1 | 2.97 |
| 1959 MLB |
Early Wynn | Chicago White Sox (AL) | 22-10 | 0 | 3.17 |
| 1960 MLB |
Vern Law | Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) | 20-9 | 0 | 3.08 |
| 1961 MLB |
Whitey Ford | New York Yankees (AL) | 25-4 | 0 | 3.21 |
| 1962 MLB |
Don Drysdale | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 25-9 | 1 | 2.84 |
| 1963 MLB |
Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 25-5 | 0 | 1.88 |
| 1964 MLB |
Dean Chance | Los Angeles Angels (AL) | 20-9 | 4 | 1.65 |
| 1965 MLB |
Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 26-8 | 2 | 2.04 |
| 1966 MLB |
Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) | 27-9 | 0 | 1.73 |
[edit] League Awards (1967-present)
*: Sutcliffe was traded mid-season on June 13. He went 4-5 with a 5.15 ERA with the Cleveland Indians before being traded to the Chicago Cubs where he went 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA to finish the season.
[edit] Further Reading
- Monte Cely: "The Cy Young Award: Individual or Team Recognition ?", in The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 35, 2007, pp. 48-53.
- Monte Cely: "Bullpen Cy Young Awards: When and Why Do Relievers Win It?", in The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 37, 2008, pp. 95-100.
