Rookie of the Year: Kazuhiro Sasaki, 2000

Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Age:  32

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 208

Prior to 2000:

A native of Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Sasaki learned to throw a forkball in college at Tohoku Fukushi University. From there he was drafted seventh overall by the Yokohama Taiyo Whales of the Japanese Central League in 1989. By 1991 he was being utilized as the primary closer out of the bullpen by the Whales and had a 6-9 record, 2.00 ERA, and was credited with 17 saves.  With his excellent fastball and forkball Sasaki, who was nicknamed “Daimajin” (Great Demon God) developed into a top closer and became the highest-paid player in Japanese baseball following a 1997 season in which he compiled 38 saves. A typically low-achieving club, the Whales were renamed the BayStars in 1993. They  won the Central League title and the Japan Series in 1998 as Sasaki contributed 45 saves and was named MVP of the Central League. Through 1999 he had accumulated a then-Japanese record 229 saves and, entering free agency, he chose to move on to the US major leagues and signed with the Mariners in 2000 where he supplanted RHP Jose Mesa as the closer in the bullpen.    

2000 Season Summary

Appeared in 63 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 63

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 2

Losses – 5

PCT - .286

Saves – 37 [3]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 62.2

Hits – 42

Runs – 25

Earned Runs – 22

Home Runs – 10

Bases on Balls – 31

Strikeouts – 78

ERA – 3.16 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 1-5, ERA - 3.48, SV – 19, SO - 40 in 33.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 3 on six occasions

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fielding

Chances – 5

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 3

Errors – 0

DP – 0

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (ALDS vs. Chi. White Sox – 2 G, ALCS vs. NY Yankees – 2 G)

GS – 0, CG – 0, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, SV – 3, ShO – 0, IP – 4.2, H – 4, R – 0, ER – 0, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 8, ERA – 0.00, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Kazuhiro Sasaki, Sea.: 104 pts. – 17 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Terrence Long, Oak.: 83 pts.– 7 first place votes, 59% share

Mark Quinn, KC: 56 pts. –  4 first place votes, 40% share

Bengie Molina, Ana.: 3 pts. – 2% share

Kelly Wunsch, ChiWS.: 2 pts. – 1% share

Mariners went 91-71 to finish second in the AL Western Division, a half-game behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. The slow-starting Mariners went 35-20 in June & July to take over first in the AL West, with a subsequent slump costing them their lead and necessitating a final-day win at Anaheim (Sasaki earned a save) to secure a postseason spot.  Won ALDS over the Chicago White Sox, 3 games to 0. Lost ALCS to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 2000:

Sasaki followed up with a 45-save season for the Mariners, who won 116 games in 2001, and he was an All-Star selection. He adhered to a rigorous throwing program between game appearances and his overpowering forkball came to be referred to as “The Fang”. Sasaki was plagued by injuries in 2003 and finished with just 10 saves in 35 appearances and a 4.05 ERA. Afterward he chose to forfeit the final year of his contract at a cost to him of $8.5 million in order to return to Japan and address family issues. For his four-year American major league career, Sasaki appeared in 228 games and produced a 7-16 record and 3.14 ERA with 129 saves. He struck out 242 batters over 223.1 innings pitched. In 8 postseason games Sasaki was 0-1 with 4 saves. He was a two-time All-Star. Upon returning to Japan he again joined the Yokohama BayStars in 2004 and was plagued by injuries in his final two seasons, retiring in 2005 after having compiled a 43-38 record with a 2.41 ERA and 252 saves. Sasaki was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

MVP Profile: Larry Doyle, 1912

Second Baseman, New York Giants

Age:  26 (July 31)

6^th season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 165

Prior to 1912:

A native of Caseyville, Illinois, Doyle followed his father into coal mining for five years while playing semipro baseball on weekends. He quit mining in 1906 to play for the Mattoon-Charleston Canaries of the Class D Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League (or Kitty League) where he appeared in 91 games and batted .225 with 11 triples. Doyle started 1907 with the Springfield Senators of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League where he played third base and hit .290 in 66 games. Several major league teams engaged in a bidding war to purchase his contract from Springfield. The Giants won with a then-record $4500 offer for the minor league star. Doyle joined the Giants in July where he was installed at second base, replacing 38-year-old veteran Tommy Corcoran. Appearing in 69 games over the remainder of the season Doyle batted .260 with 16 RBIs. His fielding performance was inconsistent as he adjusted to second base and he was charged with 26 errors and had a .917 fielding percentage. Doyle entered the 1908 season with New York fans and newspapers questioning whether he was worth the high bonus the club paid for him and he showed improvement as he hit .308 with 16 doubles, 9 triples, and 33 RBIs, although he still topped NL second basemen with 33 errors. He was knocked out of the lineup due to a severe spiking in September that left him on crutches for virtually the remainder of the season. The scrappy Doyle had another strong season in 1909 as he led the league with 172 hits and batted .302. He also compiled 27 doubles, 11 triples, and 6 home runs in addition to stealing 31 bases and in the field he led all NL second basemen with 292 put outs and 51 double plays. Known as “Laughing Larry” due to his affable personality he continued to be productive in 1910 by hitting .285 with 21 doubles, 14 triples, 8 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and 69 RBIs. Named the team captain Doyle filled in for irascible manager John McGraw on occasions when he was ejected or suspended. The Giants won the NL pennant in 1911 as Doyle contributed a .310 batting average while also leading the circuit in triples (25). He also finished in the top five with 13 home runs, 102 runs scored, and a .527 slugging percentage.  In the World Series loss to the Philadelphia A’s Doyle batted .304 and scored the winning run for the Giants in Game 5. Well-established as a top hitting second baseman, he continued to have occasional difficulties in the field.

1912 Season Summary

Appeared in 143 games

2B – 143, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 629 [12, tied with Dots Miller]

At Bats – 558 [8, tied with Dick Hoblitzell & Honus Wagner]

Runs – 98 [7]

Hits – 184 [4]

Doubles – 33 [4, tied with Dots Miller]

Triples – 8

Home Runs – 10 [6, tied with Fred Luderus]

RBI – 91 [5]

Bases on Balls – 56 [16, tied with Dick Egan]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 20

Stolen Bases – 36 [7, tied with Dode Paskert]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .330 [4]

OBP - .393 [8]

Slugging Pct. - .471 [4]

Total Bases – 263 [5]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 13

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: HR - 8, RBI - 55, AVG - .376, SLG PCT - .583

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) vs. Cincinnati 6/5

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 5

Most home runs, game – 1 on ten occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Phila. Phillies 5/1

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 730

Put Outs – 313

Assists – 379

Errors – 38

DP – 68

Pct. - .948

Postseason Batting: 8 G (World Series vs. Bos. Red Sox)

PA – 36, AB – 33, R – 5, H – 8, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 2, BB – 3, IBB – 1, SO – 2, SB – 2, CS – N/A, AVG - .242, OBP - .306, SLG - .333, TB – 11, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: Chalmers Award

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Larry Doyle, NYG: 48 pts. - 75% share

Honus Wagner, Pitt.: 43 pts. – 67% share

Chief Meyers, NYG: 25 pts. – 39% share

Joe Tinker, ChiC.: 22 pts. – 34% share

Bob Bescher, Cin.: 17 pts. – 27% share

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Giants went 103-48 to win the NL pennant by 10 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team led the league in runs scored (823), home runs (47), stolen bases (319), batting (.286), and OBP (.360). They lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3 with one tie (Game 2 called after 11 innings due to darkness). A dropped fly ball by CF Fred Snodgrass of the Giants in the deciding game led to the Red Sox pulling out a 3-2 win.  

Aftermath of ‘12:

The Giants won a third consecutive NL pennant in 1913 and Doyle contributed a .280 batting average as well as 25 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases. He missed the last week of the season as a result of injuries sustained when he lost control of his Chalmers car and crashed into a tree. In the fall he received a significant offer to jump to the rival Federal League that he turned down to remain with the Giants. His average dropped to .260 in 1914 but he rebounded in 1915 to lead the NL in batting (.320), hits (189), and doubles (40). Doyle slumped in 1916 and was hitting .268 in August when he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs with two other players for third baseman Heinie Zimmerman. Overall he batted .278 with 29 doubles, 11 triples, and 3 home runs. Doyle had a down year with the Cubs in 1917 and batted .254 with 61 RBIs. In the offseason he was dealt to the Boston Braves for LHP Lefty Tyler and a few days later he was traded back to the Giants. Hindered by illness in 1918 Doyle appeared in just 75 games and hit .261. He came back in 1919 to bat .289 with 10 triples, 7 home runs and 52 RBIs. He spent one more year with the Giants in 1920 and hit .285. For his career Doyle batted .290 with 1887 hits that included 299 doubles, 123 triples, and 74 home runs. He also accumulated 794 RBIs and 298 stolen bases. With the Giants he batted .292 with 1751 hits, 275 doubles, 67 home runs, 726 RBIs, and 291 stolen bases. Doyle went on to work for the Giants in several positions including being a minor league manager. Diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1942 he spent time in a sanitorium in Saranac Lake, New York and he remained in Saranac Lake following the facility’s closure until his death in 1974 at age 87.  

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

Cy Young Profile: Randy Jones, 1976

Pitcher, San Diego Padres

Age:  26

4^th season with Padres

Bats – Right, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 178

Prior to 1976:

A native Californian, Jones was selected to the Irvine League All-Star team as a senior at Brea-Olinda High School after he compiled an 8-2 record with a 0.91 ERA and 110 strikeouts. He moved on to Chapman University where he injured tendons in his elbow but still excelled on the mound and played summer ball in Alaska during two offseasons with good results and twice participated in National Baseball Congress tournaments in Wichita, Kansas, where he performed impressively. With excellent control Jones was effective at Chapman University despite the lack of a good fastball and was drafted by the Padres in 1972. Initially assigned to Tri-City of the short-season Class A Northwest League in ’72 he was quickly promoted to the Alexandria Aces of the Class AA Texas League where he went 3-5 with a 2.91 ERA over 68 innings pitched. Jones started the 1973 season back with Alexandria and had an 8-1 record with a 2.01 ERA when he was called up to the Padres in June. Having mastered a sinkerball to go with his fastball and slider he compiled a 7-6 tally over the remainder of ’73 with a 3.16 ERA and six complete games. He suffered through a difficult season with the last-place Padres in 1974, going 8-22 to lead the NL in losses and generating a 4.45 ERA while pitching 208.1 innings, the last few in relief. He adjusted his pitching mechanics in 1975 and improved significantly to post a 20-12 record with 18 complete games and a league-leading 2.24 ERA. He was an All-Star for the first time and placed second in NL Cy Young Award balloting. Although he was lacking speed on his fastball, with his sinker, slider, and outstanding control Jones was especially tough on right-handed batters and was a quick worker on the mound.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 40

Games Started – 40 [1]

Complete Games – 25 [1]

Wins – 22 [1]

Losses – 14 [8, tied with four others]

PCT - .611 [13]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 5 [3, tied with Tom Seaver]

Innings Pitched – 315.1 [1]

Hits – 274 [1]

Runs – 109 [5]

Earned Runs – 96 [4]

Home Runs – 15 [18, tied with Brent Strom]

Bases on Balls – 50

Strikeouts – 93

ERA – 2.74 [5, tied with Pat Zachry]

Hit Batters – 4 [16, tied with eleven others]

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 0

League-leading games started were +1 ahead of runner-up J.R. Richard

League-leading complete games were +8 ahead of runner-up Jerry Koosman

League-leading wins were +1 ahead of runners-up Jerry Koosman & Don Sutton

League-leading innings pitched were +24.1 ahead of runner-up J.R. Richard

League-leading hits allowed were +14 ahead of runners-up Rick Reuschel & Jim Barr

Midseason Snapshot: 16-3, ERA - 2.53, SO - 57 in 174 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) at LA Dodgers 4/14, (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis 4/23

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis 4/23, (in 9 IP) vs. San Francisco 6/22, (in 9 IP) vs. Philadelphia 7/20

Batting

PA – 123, AB – 103, R – 6, H – 6, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 5, SO – 39, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .058, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 15, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 112

Put Outs – 31

Assists – 81

Errors – 0

DP – 12

Pct. - 1.000

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (starting P for NL)

10^th in NL MVP voting (48 points, 14% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Randy Jones, SD: 96 pts. – 15 of 24 first place votes, 80% share

Jerry Koosman, NYM: 69 pts. – 7 first place votes, 58% share

Don Sutton, LAD: 25 pts. – 1 first place vote, 21% share

Steve Carlton, Phila.: 11 pts. – 9% share

Rawly Eastwick, Cin.: 6 pts. – 5% share

(1 first place vote cast for Jon Matlack, NYM, who placed sixth)

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Padres went 73-89 to finish fifth in the NL Western Division, 29 games behind the division-winning Cincinnati Reds. The Padres started the season well and were surprisingly in second place, just five games behind the Reds, on June 22. With a lack of hitting they slumped in the season’s second half.

Aftermath of ‘76:

Jones had offseason surgery to repair nerve damage to his left arm and his performance dropped off to 6-12 in 1977 with a 4.58 ERA in only 147.1 innings pitched. In an inconsistent 1978 season he went 13-14 with a 2.88 ERA while accumulating 253 innings for the fourth place Padres. 1979 was another rough year in which Jones produced an 11-12 record with a 3.63 ERA in 39 starts covering 263 innings while San Diego dropped from 84-78 to 68-93. In an injury-plagued 1980 season, Jones started only 24 games and was 5-13 with a 3.91 ERA for the last-place Padres. In the offseason he was dealt to the New York Mets for two undistinguished prospects and in the strike-shortened 1981 season he fell to 1-8 with a 4.85 ERA. After undergoing a major conditioning program in the offseason he started well in 1982 and was 6-2 in his first eight decisions. His good fortune failed to hold up and he pitched especially poorly at home and finished with a 7-10 tally and 4.60 ERA. Released at his own request after the season, Jones failed to catch on with Pittsburgh in 1983 and retired. Overall Jones compiled a 100-123 record with a 3.42 ERA while pitching 1933 innings with 73 complete games and 19 shutouts. With typically low strikeout totals he fanned 735 batters in all. With the Padres he was 92-105 with a 3.30 ERA, 71 complete games and 18 shutouts. He also was a two-time 20-game winner and All-Star with his outstanding 1975 and ’76 seasons marking the height of his career. The Padres retired his #35 and Jones was inducted into the the team’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Cy Young Profile: Chris Carpenter, 2005

Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  30 (Apr. 27)

2^nd season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’6”    Weight: 230

Prior to 2005:

A New Hampshire native, Carpenter excelled at ice hockey as well as baseball in his youth. He was an all-state hockey defenseman as a junior and senior in high school as well as a dominating pitcher. Carpenter signed with the Toronto Blue Jays out of high school, who chose him in the first round of the 1993 amateur draft. Starting out with Medicine Hat of the short-season Rookie-level Pioneer League in 1994 he produced a 6-3 record with a 2.76 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 84.2 innings pitched. Carpenter moved on to Dunedin of the advanced Class A Florida State League in 1995 where he went 3-5 with a 2.17 ERA before being promoted to the Knoxville Smokies of the Class AA Southern League where he struggled to a 3-7 tally and a 5.18 ERA. He returned to Knoxville in 1996 and improved to 7-9 over 28 starts with a 3.94 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 171.1 innings of action. Carpenter started the 1997 season with Syracuse of the Class AAA International League before being called up to Toronto in May where he struggled in losing two games with an ERA of 12.71. Returning to Syracuse he was 4-9 with a 4.50 ERA when he received another call-up to the Blue Jays. He finished off his first major league season with a 3-7 record and 5.09 ERA and had shown improvement from his early shaky outings. Carpenter made Toronto’s starting rotation in 1998 and, thanks to a strong second half, was 12-7 with a 4.37 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 175 innings. He started well in 1999 until elbow soreness affected his control. He ended up starting 24 games and compiled a 9-8 record with a 4.38 ERA. Following offseason elbow surgery he had a rough performance in 2000 in which he was 10-12 with a 6.26 ERA. Inconsistent in 2001 he had an 11-11 record and 4.09 ERA with 157 strikeouts over 215.2 innings pitched. Shoulder tendinitis that required surgery shelved Carpenter in September of 2002 at which point he had a 4-5 tally and 5.28 ERA. A free agent in the offseason, he accepted an offer from the Cardinals. He struggled in minor league rehab outings and it was determined that further surgery was needed, wiping out his 2003 season. Starting 28 games for the Cards in 2004 Carpenter went 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA and 152 strikeouts over 182 innings pitched. Pitching pain free and in command of his fastball and curve, he appeared poised to finally deliver on his potential.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [13, tied with ten others]

Complete Games – 7 [1, tied with Dontrelle Willis]

Wins – 21 [2]

Losses – 5

PCT - .808 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [2]

Innings Pitched – 241.2 [2, tied with Roy Oswalt]

Hits – 204

Runs – 82

Earned Runs – 76

Home Runs – 18

Bases on Balls – 51

Strikeouts – 213 [2]

ERA – 2.83 [5]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5

League-leading complete games were +3 ahead of runners-up Roy Oswalt, A.J. Burnett & Pedro Martinez

Midseason Snapshot: 13-4, ERA - 2.51, SO – 128 in 129.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 7.2 IP) vs. Milwaukee 4/27

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Toronto 6/14

Batting

PA – 93, AB – 77, R – 7, H – 5, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 5, SO – 23, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .065, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 10, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 56

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 40

Errors – 1

DP – 2

Pct. - .982

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (NLDS vs. San Diego – 1 G, NLCS vs. Houston – 2 G)

GS – 3, CG – 0, Record – 2-0, PCT – 1.000 SV – 0 ShO – 0 IP – 21, H – 17, R – 6, ER – 5, HR – 2, BB – 7, SO – 12, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 0, ERA – 2.14

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Starting P for NL)

8^th in NL MVP voting (52 points, 12% share)

NL Cy Young voting:

Chris Carpenter, St.L.: 132 pts. – 19 of 32 first place votes, 83% share

Dontrelle Willis, Fla.: 112 pts. – 11 first place votes, 70% share

Roger Clemens, Hou.: 40 pts. – 2 first place votes, 25% share

Roy Oswalt, Hou.: 2 pts. – 1% share

Chad Cordero, Wash.: 1 pt. – 1% share

Andy Pettitte, Hou.: 1 pt. – 1%share

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Cardinals went 100-62 to finish first in the NL Central Division by 11 games over the Houston Astros. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.49), complete games (15), and fewest earned runs surrendered (560). Won NLDS over the San Diego Padres, 3 games to 0. Lost NLCS to the Houston Astros, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘05:

Bothered by back problems in 2006 Carpenter’s record dropped to 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA and 184 strikeouts. He was once again an All-Star and finished third in NL Cy Young Award balloting. Elbow problems returned in 2007 and Carpenter had surgery to remove bone spurs, virtually wiping out his season. There was another setback in 2008 due to nerve irritation in his shoulder that resulted in further surgery, wiping out another season. He came back with a strong season in 2009, compiling a 17-4 record and league-leading 2.24 ERA. He finished a close second in NL Cy Young voting and was the NL Comeback Player of the Year. In 2010 Carpenter topped the NL with 35 starts on his way to a 16-9 record and 3.22 ERA, garnering an All-Star selection. He topped the NL with 237.1 innings pitched in 2011 as he overcame a slow start and produced an 11-9 tally for the NL pennant winners. He was 4-0 in the postseason, including a three-hit shutout of the Phillies in the decisive fifth game of the NLDS and a solid six innings in Game 7 of the World Series against Texas to earn the decisive win. A nerve injury in his rotator cuff limited Carpenter to 17 innings in 2012. Missing all of 2013 due to numbness in his right hand, he retired. Overall for his major league career, Carpenter compiled a 144-94 record and a 3.76 ERA with 1697 strikeouts over 2219.1 innings pitched that included 33 complete games and 15 shutouts. He was 95-44 with the Cardinals with a 3.07 ERA and 1085 strikeouts over the course of 1348.2 innings with 21 complete games and 10 shutouts. He was a three-time All-Star. In the postseason he went 10-4 with a 3.00 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 108 innings pitched. In 2016 he was elected to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. He displayed great perseverance in the face of significant injuries that threatened his career on several occasions.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Cy Young Profile: Doug Drabek, 1990

Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age:  28 (July 25)

4^th season with Pirates

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1990:

A native of Victoria, Texas Drabek was drafted by the Cleveland Indians out of high school in 1980 but chose to attend the Univ. of Houston where he won a school-record 27 games from 1981-83, including 6 shutouts and 268 innings pitched. In ’83 he produced a 12-3 record that included a no-hitter. He was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 1983 amateur draft and this time he signed. Drabek was first assigned to Niagara Falls of the short-season Class A New York-Pennsylvania League where he compiled a 6-7 record with a 3.65 ERA in 103.2 innings pitched. During the 1984 season he was traded to the New York Yankees. With three teams that year at the Class A and AA levels he went 14-7 with a 2.24 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 160.2 innings pitched. In 1985 Drabek had a strong season with Albany-Colonie of the Class AA Eastern League, producing a 13-7 record in 26 starts with a 2.99 ERA and 153 strikeouts. He started the 1986 season with the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League and although he was struggling with a 1-4 record and 7.29 ERA in May after eight starts, he was promoted to the Yankees. Utilized primarily as a starter he went 7-8 with a 4.10 ERA as a major league rookie. In the offseason he was dealt to the Pirates as part of a six-player trade. A power pitcher who primarily relied on his fastball, Drabek moved into Pittsburgh’s starting rotation in 1987 and was 11-12 with a 3.88 ERA and 120 strikeouts over 176.1 innings pitched. Tough and determined, and having added a slider, curve, and changeup to his repertoire, he improved to 15-7 with a 3.08 ERA in 1988 with the up-and-coming Pirates. Receiving poor run support in 1989 Drabek went 14-12 with a 2.80 ERA, five shutouts, and 123 strikeouts.

1990 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [7, tied with five others]

Complete Games – 9 [2, tied with Bruce Hurst]

Wins – 22 [1]

Losses – 6

PCT - .786 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [3, tied with five others]

Innings Pitched – 231.1 [5, tied with John Smoltz]

Hits – 190 [18, tied with Scott Garrelts]

Runs – 78

Earned Runs – 71

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 56

Strikeouts – 131 [16]

ERA – 2.76 [6]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6

League-leading wins were +2 ahead of runners-up Ramon Martinez & Frank Viola

League-leading win percentage was +.017 ahead of runner-up Ramon Martinez

Midseason Snapshot: 9-4, ERA - 3.28, SO - 54 in 109.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 8 (in 9 IP) vs. Philadelphia 7/29, (in 7 IP) vs. Cincinnati 8/24

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Philadelphia 8/3

Batting

PA – 96, AB – 84, R – 8, H – 18, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 6, BB – 4, SO – 25, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .214, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 62

Put Outs – 25

Assists – 36

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .984

Postseason Pitching: G – 2 (NLCS vs. Cincinnati)

GS – 2, CG – 1, Record – 1-1, PCT – .500, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 16.1, H – 12, R – 4, ER – 3, HR – 0, BB – 3, SO – 13, ERA – 1.65, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

8^th in NL MVP voting (59 points, 18% share)

NL Cy Young voting:

Doug Drabek, Pitt.: 118 pts. – 23 of 24 first place votes, 98% share

Ramon Martinez, LAD: 70 pts. – 1 first place vote, 58% share

Frank Viola, NYM: 19 pts. – 16% share

Dwight Gooden, NYM: 8 pts. – 7% share

Randy Myers, Cin.: 1 pt. – 1% share

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Pirates went 95-67 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 4 games over the New York Mets, their first division title in 11 years. The pitching staff led the league in fewest walks allowed (413). Lost NLCS to the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘90:

Drabek dropped to 15-14 in 1991 with a 3.07 ERA and 142 strikeouts while pitching 234.2 innings as the Pirates once again topped the NL East. Pittsburgh made it three straight division titles in 1992 and Drabek contributed a 15-11 record with a 2.77 ERA over 256.2 innings with 177 strikeouts. In the offseason he signed as a free agent with the Houston Astros for four years and $19.5 million and suffered through a 9-18 year in 1993 with a 3.79 ERA over the course of 34 starts. He rebounded in the strike-shortened 1994 season to go 12-6 with a 2.84 ERA over 23 starts and was an All-Star for the only time in his career. He had lesser seasons in 1995 (10-9, 4.77 ERA) and ’96 (7-9, 4.57 ERA) after which he moved on to the Chicago White Sox in 1997 (12-11, 5.74 ERA) and Baltimore Orioles in ’98 (6-11, 7.29 ERA) where he finished his major league career. Overall in the major leagues, Drabek compiled a 155-134 record with a 3.73 ERA and 1594 strikeouts over 2535 innings pitched as well as 53 complete games and 21 shutouts. With Pittsburgh he was 92-62 with a 3.02 ERA and 820 strikeouts over 1362.2 innings. In the postseason his record was 2-5 with a 2.05 ERA in 7 games. He went on to become a minor league pitching coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and his son Kyle became a major league pitcher with the Blue Jays, White Sox, and Diamondbacks. The Univ. of Houston baseball team retired Drabek’s #16.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Cy Young Profile: Steve Carlton, 1972

Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  27

1^st season with Phillies

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1972:

A native of Miami, Florida Carlton played basketball as well as baseball at North Miami High School. Moving on to Miami-Dade College he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1964 he was first assigned to Rock Hill of the Class A Western Carolinas League where he excelled by compiling a 10-1 record in 11 games with a 1.03 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 79 innings pitched. He was sent next to Winnipeg of the advanced Class A Northern League where he went 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 12 appearances. Carlton finished up the year with Tulsa of the Class AA Texas League where he was 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA. He moved up to the Cardinals in 1965 in order to protect him from being taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft. Encountering arm trouble, he was used sparingly and appeared in 15 games, almost exclusively in relief, and had no decisions and a 2.52 ERA. Carlton opened the 1966 season in Tulsa and was 9-5 with a 3.59 ERA when he was promoted back to the Cardinals. For the remainder of the season he started nine games and went 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 25 strikeouts over the course of 52 innings pitched. He joined the starting rotation in 1967, a year in which the Cards won the NL pennant and World Series. He contributed a 14-9 record and 2.98 ERA while striking out 168 batters over 193 innings pitched. He also benefited from his proximity to ace RHP Bob Gibson and his fierce approach to pitching. Carlton lost his only start in the World Series against the Red Sox while giving up three hits and an unearned run over six innings. The Cardinals won the NL pennant again in 1968 and Carlton was an All-Star for the first time on his way to compiling a 13-11 tally with a 2.99 ERA and 162 strikeouts. He added a slider to his pitching repertoire that already included a rising fastball and curve in 1969 and improved to 17-11 with a 2.17 ERA and 210 strikeouts, including 19 in a loss to the Mets which set what was then the major league record for a nine-inning game. Once more an All-Star he sought a significant raise from his $26,000 salary and he held out in 1970 for a large part of spring training. He had a down year in ’70, with a 10-19 record and 3.73 ERA. Carlton bounced back in 1971 going 20-9 with a 3.56 ERA and 172 strikeouts while pitching 273.1 innings and completing 18 games. An All-Star for the third time he demanded a significant raise and antagonized owner Gussie Busch, who ordered that he be traded during spring training of 1972. He was dealt to the Phillies for RHP Rick Wise.

1972 Season Summary

Appeared in 41 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 41

Games Started – 41 [1]

Complete Games – 30 [1]

Wins – 27 [1]

Losses – 10

PCT - .730 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 8 [2]

Innings Pitched – 346.1 [1]

Hits – 257 [1]

Runs – 84 [18, tied with Bob Moose, Carl Morton & Bill Singer]

Earned Runs – 76 [18, tied with Bob Gibson]

Home Runs – 17 [19, tied with Ken Reynolds & Wayne Simpson]

Bases on Balls – 87 [7]

Strikeouts – 310 [1]

ERA – 1.97 [1]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 2 [3, tied with twelve others]

Wild Pitches – 8 [14, tied with eight others]

League-leading games started were +4 ahead of runner-up Steve Arlin

League-leading complete games were +7 ahead of runners-up Ferguson Jenkins & Bob Gibson

League-leading wins were +6 ahead of runner-up Tom Seaver

League-leading innings pitched were +57 ahead of runner-up Ferguson Jenkins

League-leading hits allowed were +3 ahead of runner-up Phil Niekro

League-leading strikeouts were +61 ahead of runner-up Tom Seaver

League-leading ERA was -0.02 lower than runner-up Gary Nolan

Midseason Snapshot: 14-6, ERA - 2.48, SO – 201 in 196.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 9 IP) at San Francisco 4/25

10+ strikeout games – 9

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at San Francisco 4/25

Batting

PA – 130, AB – 117, R – 6, H – 23, 2B – 3, 3B – 1, HR – 1, RBI – 8, BB – 5, SO – 31, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .197, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 47

Put Outs – 8

Assists – 37

Errors – 2

DP – 3

Pct. - .957

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

5^th in NL MVP voting (124 points, 1 first place vote, 37% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 4):

Steve Carlton, Phila.: 120 pts. – 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Steve Blass, Pitt.: 35 pts. – 29% share

Ferguson Jenkins, ChiC.: 23 pts. – 19% share

Mike Marshall, Mon.: 8 pts. – 7% share

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Phillies went 59-97 to finish sixth (last) in the NL Eastern Division, 37.5 games behind the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates in the season that started late and lost games to a players’ strike. Carlton accounted for a record 45.8 % of the team’s wins. Runner-up among the pitching staff to Carlton’s 27 wins was Darrell Brandon, who went 7-7.

Aftermath of ‘72:

Carlton dropped to 13-20 with a 3.90 ERA in 1973, although he again led the league with 18 complete games and 293.1 innings pitched. By the end of the season he had stopped speaking to reporters, a position he upheld for the remainder of his career. He improved to 16-13 with a 3.22 ERA and a NL-leading 240 strikeouts in 1974 and was 15-14 with a 3.56 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 1975. During this period Carlton developed a workout regimen with trainer Gus Hoefling designed to improve his concentration and stamina, building upon his established interests in martial arts and Eastern religion. His efforts bore fruit in 1976 with a 20-7 record and 3.13 ERA and 192 strikeouts for a Phillies team that topped the NL East. He was 23-10 in 1977 with a 2.64 ERA and 198 strikeouts and won his second Cy Young Award as the Phils again finished atop the division. They did once more in 1978 while their eccentric pitching ace known as “Lefty” compiled a 16-13 record with a 2.84 ERA and 161 strikeouts. He had an 18-11 tally for the fourth place Phils in 1979 with a 3.62 ERA and 213 strikeouts. The Phillies rebounded in 1980 to win the NL East and the league pennant as well as a franchise-first World Series. Carlton produced a 24-9 record and 2.34 ERA while also leading the league in innings pitched (304) and strikeouts (286). His performance earned him a third Cy Young Award. In the World Series vs. the Royals he won two games including the decisive sixth contest. In the strike-shortened 1981 season he was 13-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 179 strikeouts over 190 innings pitched and placed third in NL Cy Young Award balloting. Carlton followed with another outstanding season in 1982 in which he led the NL in wins with a 23-11 record as well as complete games (19), shutouts (6), and strikeouts (286). He was honored with a fourth Cy Young Award. In 1983, another pennant-winning year for Philadelphia, Carlton’s record dropped to 15-16 with a 3.11 ERA although he topped the league with 283.2 innings pitched and 275 strikeouts. He had a fair, but not outstanding, performance in 1984 that produced a 13-7 record and 3.58 ERA along with 163 strikeouts over 229 innings. He slipped considerably in 1985 at age 40, finding himself on the disabled list with a strained rotator cuff on his way to a 1-8 tally and 3.33 ERA in only 16 starts. He lasted until June in 1986 when he was released by the Phillies with a 4-8 record and 6.18 ERA in 16 starts. Signed by the San Francisco Giants, the situation showed no improvement as he went 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA prior to being let go in August, shortly after recording his 4000^th career strikeout. Carlton announced that he was retiring but ended up finishing the season with the Chicago White Sox. He was 4-3 in 10 starts for his third club in ‘86 with a 3.69 ERA. Carlton spent 1987 with the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, generating a combined record of 6-14. Re-signed by the Twins for 1988 Carlton made just four appearances before being released, thus ending his career, although he continued to seek opportunities to catch on with another team. Overall in the major leagues Carlton compiled a 329-244 record with a 3.22 ERA and 4136 strikeouts in 5217.2 innings pitched. With the Phillies he was 241-161 with a 3.09 ERA and 3031 strikeouts over 3697.1 innings pitched. While he pitched 254 complete games that included 55 shutouts, he didn’t pitch any no-hitters although he recorded 6 one-hitters. He was also called for a record 90 balks over the course of his career. In the postseason Carlton went 6-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 99.1 innings pitched. 13 of his 16 appearances came with the Phillies. He was a 10-time All-Star (7 with Philadelphia) and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. The Phillies retired his #32 and honored him on their Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park, outside of which a statue of him was erected.    

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Rookie of the Year: Harry Byrd, 1952

Pitcher, Philadelphia Athletics

Age:  27

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 188

Prior to 1952:

A native of Darlington, South Carolina Byrd was a logger with his father in his youth and played baseball with distinction at St. John’s High School and on a Junior American Legion team. Following his high school graduation in 1943 he enlisted in the Army and served in Europe during the late stages of World War II. Upon returning home in 1946 Byrd signed with the Athletics. Initially assigned to Martinsville of the Class C Carolina League, he went 15-12 with a 4.77 ERA. In 1947 he advanced to Savannah of the Class A South Atlantic League where he struggled with his control and produced a 16-13 record with a 5.56 ERA. Byrd returned to Savannah in 1948 and had a marginally better performance with a 15-15 tally and 4.09 ERA. He was sold by Savannah to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League in the offseason and he received enhanced pitching instruction from manager Paul Richards during spring training in 1949. He left the team without permission to help his family following his father’s heart attack and was suspended. After playing in the semipro Palmetto League he was reinstated by the Bisons and returned to Savannah, where he had a poor 2-8 record with a 4.67 ERA in 10 relief appearances that covered 54 innings. With a good spring performance in 1950 and injuries to three projected starters, Byrd found himself opening the season with the A’s. He appeared in six games with poor results and had a 16.88 ERA when he was sent down to Buffalo where he was 4-9 with a 6.75 ERA. Byrd was back with Savannah in 1951 and changed to a side-arm delivery which was more natural to him and allowed him to throw with more power. He had a productive season, pitching 248 innings and compiling an 18-14 record with a 3.59 ERA. He made it back to the A’s in 1952 where he started the season in the bullpen before being inserted into the rotation.

1952 Season Summary

Appeared in 37 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37 [15, tied with Ray Scarborough]

Games Started – 28 [16, tied with Art Houtteman]

Complete Games – 15 [7, tied with Mel Parnell & Bob Porterfield]

Wins – 15 [7, tied with Billy Pierce]

Losses – 15 [4, tied with Bob Hooper]

PCT - .500 [17, tied with Mel Parnell & Hal Newhouser]

Saves – 2

Shutouts – 3 [8, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 228.1 [10]

Hits – 244 [2]

Runs – 100 [9, tied with Bob Hooper]

Earned Runs – 84 [11]

Home Runs – 12

Bases on Balls – 98 [5]

Strikeouts – 116 [12]

ERA – 3.31 [12]

Hit Batters – 7 [3, tied with five others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [12, tied with ten others]

Midseason Snapshot: 5-7, ERA - 4.46, SO – 45 in 72.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 8 (in 9 IP) at Boston Red Sox 5/27

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min.7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Yankees 9/3

Batting

PA – 84, AB – 75, R – 4, H – 10, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 3, SO – 21, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .133, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 62

Put Outs – 26

Assists – 32

Errors – 4

DP – 5

Pct. - .935

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting:

Harry Byrd, Phila.: 9 of 24 votes, 38% share

Clint Courtney, StLB.: 8 votes, 33% share

Sammy White, BosRS: 7 votes, 29% share

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A’s went 79-75 to finish fourth in the AL, 16 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. It was the franchise’s last winning record while based in Philadelphia.

Aftermath of ‘52:

Byrd was a workhorse for the faltering A’s in 1953, leading the AL with 37 starts and producing an 11-20 record with a 5.51 ERA over 236.2 innings pitched. In the offseason he was part of a 13-player trade with the New York Yankees that most notably brought first baseman Vic Power to the A’s. Utilized as a spot starter, he was 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA for the Yankees in 1954 after which he was dealt once again, to the Baltimore Orioles in the trade that brought pitchers Bob Turley and Don Larsen to New York. Byrd got off to a 3-2 start in 14 appearances for the Orioles in 1955, 8 of them starts, before he was waived in June and picked up by the Chicago White Sox. His performance the rest of the year was mediocre and his overall record was 7-8 with a 4.61 ERA. Byrd started 1956 with the White Sox and was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA at the point he was traded to Detroit in May. He spent the remainder of the season with Charleston of the Class AAA American Association where he started 21 games and compiled an 8-9 record with a 4.06 ERA. He was back with Charleston in 1957 until he was sent down to Birmingham of the Class AA Southern Association. He was 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA in six starts for Charleston and 5-2 with a 2.08 for Birmingham prior to being called up to the Tigers at midseason where he was used as a short reliever. Byrd appeared in 37 games for Detroit and was 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 5 saves. He pitched in Venezuela during the winter but failed to stick with the Tigers in the spring of 1958 and was sent down to Birmingham from where he was sold to Omaha of the American Association. Byrd never returned to the major leagues, pitching in the minors in 1959 and ’60. He retired following the 1961 Pacific Coast League season, having appeared with Portland and Hawaii.  Overall for his ultimately disappointing major league career, Byrd produced a 46-54 record with a 4.35 ERA and 381 strikeouts over 827.2 innings pitched. He was 26-35 with the A's with a 4.71 ERA and 240 strikeouts. Byrd, who died at age 60 in 1985, was player/manager of a semipro team in his home town of Darlington for a time following his retirement from organized baseball.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.