Cy Young Profile: Mike Flanagan, 1979

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  27

4^th season with Orioles

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1979:

A native of Manchester, New Hampshire, Flanagan was the son of a minor league pitcher and grandson of an ambidextrous touring pitcher. Flanagan was a successful pitcher at the Little League and Babe Ruth levels. Chosen by the Houston Astros in the 1973 amateur draft, he chose to go to the Univ. of Massachusetts instead, where he compiled a 12-1 record. Drafted by the Orioles in 1973 he signed and was initially assigned to Miami of the Class A Florida State League in ’73 where he went 4-1 in 11 games with a 2.21 ERA. With Miami and Asheville of the Class AA Southern League in 1974 he produced a combined 12-10 record with a 1.97 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 187 innings pitched. Flanagan advanced to the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League in 1975 where he went 13-4 with a 2.50 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 173 innings pitched before receiving a September call-up to the Orioles. In his first taste of major league action he appeared in two games, one a start, and was 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA. Following an 0-3 start with Baltimore in 1976 Flanagan was sent back to Rochester where he went 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA before being called back to the Orioles in August. For the year with the Orioles he appeared in 20 games, 10 of them starts, and produced a 3-5 record with a 4.13 ERA. In his first full season of major league action in 1977 Flanagan had a 15-10 tally for the 97-64 Orioles with a 3.64 ERA and 149 strikeouts. He was chosen as an All-Star during a 1978 season in which he started 40 games and compiled a 19-15 record with a 4.03 ERA and 167 strikeouts. To his fastball, slow curve, and heavy sinker, Flanagan added a changeup in 1979.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 39 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 39

Games Started – 38 [2]

Complete Games – 16 [5, tied with Lary Sorensen & Mike Caldwell]

Wins – 23 [1]

Losses – 9

PCT - .719 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 5 [1, tied with Dennis Leonard & Nolan Ryan]

Innings Pitched – 265.2 [3]

Hits – 245 [11]

Runs – 107

Earned Runs – 91

Home Runs – 23 [17, tied with Tom Underwood]

Bases on Balls – 70

Strikeouts – 190 [3]

ERA – 3.08 [4]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6

League-leading wins were +2 ahead of runner-up Tommy John

Midseason Snapshot: 12-6, ERA - 3.83, SO - 90 in 141 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 12 IP) vs. Chi. White Sox 8/15

10+ strikeout games – 3

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 8 IP) vs. Cleveland 9/23

Fielding

Chances – 47

Put Outs – 4

Assists – 41

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .957

Postseason Pitching: 
G – 4 (ALCS vs. California – 1 G; World Series vs. Pittsburgh – 3 G)

GS – 3, CG – 1, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 22, H – 24, R – 13, ER – 9, HR – 2, BB – 3, SO – 15, ERA – 3.68, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0 

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

6^th in AL MVP voting (100 points, 3 first place votes, 26% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Mike Flanagan, Balt.: 136 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Tommy John, NYY: 51 pts. – 1 first place vote, 36% share

Ron Guidry, NYY: 26 pts. – 1 first place vote, 19% share

Jim Kern, Tex.: 25 pts. – 18% share

Mike Marshall, Min.: 7 pts. – 5% share

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Orioles went 102-57 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 8 games over the Milwaukee Brewers. Won ALCS over the California Angels, 3 games to 1. Lost World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 games to 3 (after having led by 3 games to 1). The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.26), shutouts (12, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers), fewest hits surrendered (1279), and fewest runs surrendered (582).

Aftermath of ‘79:

Flanagan followed up in 1980 with a 16-13 record and 4.12 ERA while striking out 128 batters. Dealing with a sore arm during the strike-interrupted 1981 season, Flanagan’s performance fell to 9-6 with a 4.19 ERA. He rebounded to 15-11 with a 3.97 ERA while pitching 236 innings in 1982. The Orioles won the AL pennant and World Series in 1983. Although limited to 20 starts due to a knee injury, Flanagan contributed a 12-4 record with a 3.30 ERA and was 1-0 in the postseason. Baltimore sank to 85-77 in 1984 and Flanagan was a mediocre 13-13 with a 3.53 ERA. He ruptured an Achilles tendon playing basketball in the offseason and missed half of the 1985 season in which he finished with a 4-5 record and a miserable 5.13 ERA. Flanagan suffered through an injury-marred 1986 season in which he was 7-11 with a 4.24 ERA. In 1987 he was traded to Toronto in August, having produced a 3-6 record and 4.94 ERA for the Orioles. Over the remainder of the season with the Blue Jays, who contended in the AL East, he was 3-2 with a 2.37 ERA. Flanagan spent another three seasons with Toronto with his performance declining each year, from 13-13 with a 4.18 ERA in 1988 to 8-10 and a 3.93 ERA in ’89 and 2-2 with a 5.31 ERA in just five games until he was released in May of 1990. Returning to the Orioles in 1991 he was utilized almost exclusively as a reliever in his last two seasons. He was part of a combined no-hitter with three other pitchers in a game against Oakland in ’91 on his way to a 2-7 record in 64 appearances with a 2.38 ERA. He appeared in 42 games in 1992 and had no decisions and an 8.05 ERA to close out his career. Overall, he produced a 167-143 record with a 3.90 ERA while starting 404 games, 101 of which were complete games. Flanagan recorded 1491 strikeouts over the course of 2770 innings pitched. With the Orioles he went 141-116 with a 3.89 ERA and 1297 strikeouts. He went on to serve as Baltimore’s pitching coach on two occasions, as well as a broadcaster and in the front office. He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1994, 17 years prior to his death via suicide at age 59.  

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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.