Tribune News ServicesZack Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award today, beating out Felix Hernandez after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination.
Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA for the Kansas City Royals. Hernandez went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA for the Seattle Mariners.
Greinke's performance against the White Sox was typical of his season. He faced the Sox five times and posted a sparkling 2.31 ERA against them, but was only 2-2 with one no-decision due to spotty support.
In his season-opening outing, Greinke blanked the Sox for six innings as the Royals won 2-0. On May 3, he fired a complete-game, three-hit, 3-0 shutout, striking out 10 with no walks. But the Sox got the better of him the rest of the season, winning 7-3 on May 31 (Greinke got a no-decision) and beating the Royals ace 5-0 on July 3 and 4-2 on Aug. 19.
Greinke received 25 first-place votes and three seconds for 134 points
in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hernandez
drew two firsts, 23 seconds and one third for 80 points.
Detroit's Justin Verlander was third with the remaining first-place vote and nine thirds for 14 points. He was followed by the Yankees' CC Sabathia with 13 points and Toronto's Roy Halladay with 11 points.
Greinke's ERA was the lowest in the AL since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 and his 242 strikeouts were second in the league behind Verlander.
It was quite a turnaround for the 26-year-old right-hander, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft but led the AL in losses in 2005 when he went 5-17.
He left spring training in February 2006 and went home to Florida with what later was diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder. He started working out in the minors about six weeks later and returned to the majors in late September.
Greinke was 7-7 the following year and 13-10 in 2008 before his breakout season.
His victory total matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.
Kansas City, which tied for last place in the AL Central at 65-97, scored just 13 runs in his eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or none.
He was particularly sharp at the start and finish, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in April and 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts. He didn't allow any runs in his first three starts and any earned runs in his first four, and his 0.84 ERA through 10 starts was the first below 1.00 in the major leagues since Juan Marichal's 0.55 in 1966.
He struck out 15 over eight innings against Cleveland on Aug. 25, then followed five days later by pitching a one-hitter at Seattle. After Kenji Johjima's soft second-inning single, Greinke retired his final 22 batters.
Greinke, who agreed to a $38 million, four-year contract last winter, receives a $100,000 bonus for winning.
Detroit's Justin Verlander was third with the remaining first-place vote and nine thirds for 14 points. He was followed by the Yankees' CC Sabathia with 13 points and Toronto's Roy Halladay with 11 points.
Greinke's ERA was the lowest in the AL since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 and his 242 strikeouts were second in the league behind Verlander.
It was quite a turnaround for the 26-year-old right-hander, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft but led the AL in losses in 2005 when he went 5-17.
He left spring training in February 2006 and went home to Florida with what later was diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder. He started working out in the minors about six weeks later and returned to the majors in late September.
Greinke was 7-7 the following year and 13-10 in 2008 before his breakout season.
His victory total matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.
Kansas City, which tied for last place in the AL Central at 65-97, scored just 13 runs in his eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or none.
He was particularly sharp at the start and finish, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in April and 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts. He didn't allow any runs in his first three starts and any earned runs in his first four, and his 0.84 ERA through 10 starts was the first below 1.00 in the major leagues since Juan Marichal's 0.55 in 1966.
He struck out 15 over eight innings against Cleveland on Aug. 25, then followed five days later by pitching a one-hitter at Seattle. After Kenji Johjima's soft second-inning single, Greinke retired his final 22 batters.
Greinke, who agreed to a $38 million, four-year contract last winter, receives a $100,000 bonus for winning.
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Southside_Carlo on November 18, 2009 7:18 AM
Whatever should of been Hernadez or Sabathia.
Losers can't be winners, sorry.
If the MVP rarely comes from a team in the cellar then why doesn't the Cy Young follow that as well?
Stupid people are good on this forum. They remind me that there are dumber people than me in the world. Umm, tell me what Seattle won, genius. Sabbathia- the award is for the most valuable pitcher, not the most valuable team.
Just another reason I can't stand the baseball writers.
Whatever should of been Hernadez or Sabathia.
Losers can't be winners, sorry.
If the MVP rarely comes from a team in the cellar then why doesn't the Cy Young follow that as well?
With all due respect to Greinke, who pitched excellently, here are some numbers from 1972.
27-10, 1.97 ERA, 41 starts, 30 complete games, 346 IP, 257 hits, 310 Ks. The Phillies were 59-97 that year, in last place. They only played 156 games because of a player strike. Now there is a Cy Young award winner! Steve Carlton of course.
16-8 for a third-rate team? What would his record have been if the Royals were any good?