1934 American League - Lefty Gomez, New York Yankees
26-5, 2.33 ERA, 158 K
Yet again a pitcher named Lefty won the AL Retroactive Cy Young Award, but for once it's Lefty Gomez, not Lefty Grove. With the winner of the past six awards having an injury-shortened year, Gomez stepped up nicely and won the Triple Crown, along with leading the league in winning percentage (.839), WHIP (1.133), hits per 9 innings (7.125), shutouts (6), WAR (8.1) and ERA+ (176). It was a dominating season for the future Hall of Famer, and interestingly the 17th consecutive season in which a future Hall of Famer was the best pitcher in the AL. He was selected third overall in MVP voting in 1934, first among all pitchers, and was selected to his second of seven All-Star games.
1934 National League - Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals
30-7, 2.66 ERA, 195 K
The 1933 winner, Carl Hubbell, had an impressive season in 1934 as well, leading the league in ERA by a third of a run, but it was impossible to not choose Dean's 30-win season. Dean was the last NL pitcher ever to win 30 games, and was the second to last (with Denny McLain in 1968 being the last) pitcher in either league to accomplish the now seemingly-impossible feat. The wins category wasn't the only thing that Dean led in though; he also lead in strikeouts, winning percentage (.811), shutouts (7), and easily won the NL MVP Award, en route to leading the Cardinals to a World Series title.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
1933 Cy Young Awards
1933 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
24-8, 3.20 ERA, 114 K
It was Lefty Grove's last season in Philadelphia, and although it wasn't quite as dominant as some of his previous seasons were, Lefty Grove was still, for the sixth time in a row and seventh time overall, the best pitcher in the American League. He led the league in wins, but finished a distant sixth in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Still, the only people ahead of him in ERA were Mel Harder, Tommy Bridges, and Lefty Gomez. None of them pitched as many innings as Grove, and both Harder and Bridges had mediocre win-loss records. I only briefly considered Gomez, before realizing that his low ERA was a product of the fact that he didn't have to pitch to his own team, unlike Grove and the others. In any case, his contemporaries agreed; he finished fifth in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and using the modern WAR statistic, which he led all pitchers in, it shows that the voters were justified in their choices.
1933 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
23-12, 1.66 ERA, 156 K
For the past few seasons, Hubbell had been one of the better pitchers in the league, but in 1933 there was no doubt that he was the best. Along with finishing first in wins and ERA, he finished second in strikeouts, and first with 10(!) shutouts, 308.2 innings pitched, 0.982 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 195. Overall, he had a season that would've been good in the Dead Ball Era, never mind in one of the greatest periods of offensive dominance in baseball history. For his efforts, Hubbell received his first of two MVP Awards, and was selected to the first ever All-Star Game, (and first of nine) in which he pitched two shutout innings for the NL.
24-8, 3.20 ERA, 114 K
It was Lefty Grove's last season in Philadelphia, and although it wasn't quite as dominant as some of his previous seasons were, Lefty Grove was still, for the sixth time in a row and seventh time overall, the best pitcher in the American League. He led the league in wins, but finished a distant sixth in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Still, the only people ahead of him in ERA were Mel Harder, Tommy Bridges, and Lefty Gomez. None of them pitched as many innings as Grove, and both Harder and Bridges had mediocre win-loss records. I only briefly considered Gomez, before realizing that his low ERA was a product of the fact that he didn't have to pitch to his own team, unlike Grove and the others. In any case, his contemporaries agreed; he finished fifth in MVP voting, ahead of any other pitcher, and using the modern WAR statistic, which he led all pitchers in, it shows that the voters were justified in their choices.
1933 National League - Carl Hubbell, New York Giants
23-12, 1.66 ERA, 156 K
For the past few seasons, Hubbell had been one of the better pitchers in the league, but in 1933 there was no doubt that he was the best. Along with finishing first in wins and ERA, he finished second in strikeouts, and first with 10(!) shutouts, 308.2 innings pitched, 0.982 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 195. Overall, he had a season that would've been good in the Dead Ball Era, never mind in one of the greatest periods of offensive dominance in baseball history. For his efforts, Hubbell received his first of two MVP Awards, and was selected to the first ever All-Star Game, (and first of nine) in which he pitched two shutout innings for the NL.
1932 Cy Young Awards
1932 American League - Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics
25-10, 2.84 ERA, 188 K
In 1932, Lefty Grove was a win and two strikeouts away from his third consecutive Triple Crown. In any case, he was still the best pitcher in the league, for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in seven years. He easily led the league in ERA, and was the only pitcher to finish the year under 3.00. In addition, he finished second in wins, one behind the leader, and second in strikeouts, two behind the leader. He also finished first in WHIP (1.193), shutouts (4), and WAR (8.5, nearly 2 wins above anyone else). He also, for the second year in a row, started 30 games and pitched 27 complete games. Both seasons, the 27 complete games led the league, and were a big reason why his win totals were so high despite not usually starting more than 30 games a year.
1932 National League - Lon Warneke, Chicago Cubs
22-6, 2.37 ERA, 106 K
This choice was as clear as it was unexpected; Warneke, who prior to 1932 had all of 65.2 innings of MLB experience, led in two thirds of the Triple Crown (wins and ERA), led all NL pitchers in WAR (7.2), ERA+ (160), and winning percentage (.786). It was the first full season for 23 year old Warneke, who would go on to have a respectable pitching career with the Cubs and Cardinals. He finished second in MVP voting, far above any other NL pitcher, and the following year, he was selected to his first of five All-Star games, and in the process hit the NL's first triple and scored their first run in All-Star history.
25-10, 2.84 ERA, 188 K
In 1932, Lefty Grove was a win and two strikeouts away from his third consecutive Triple Crown. In any case, he was still the best pitcher in the league, for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in seven years. He easily led the league in ERA, and was the only pitcher to finish the year under 3.00. In addition, he finished second in wins, one behind the leader, and second in strikeouts, two behind the leader. He also finished first in WHIP (1.193), shutouts (4), and WAR (8.5, nearly 2 wins above anyone else). He also, for the second year in a row, started 30 games and pitched 27 complete games. Both seasons, the 27 complete games led the league, and were a big reason why his win totals were so high despite not usually starting more than 30 games a year.
1932 National League - Lon Warneke, Chicago Cubs
22-6, 2.37 ERA, 106 K
This choice was as clear as it was unexpected; Warneke, who prior to 1932 had all of 65.2 innings of MLB experience, led in two thirds of the Triple Crown (wins and ERA), led all NL pitchers in WAR (7.2), ERA+ (160), and winning percentage (.786). It was the first full season for 23 year old Warneke, who would go on to have a respectable pitching career with the Cubs and Cardinals. He finished second in MVP voting, far above any other NL pitcher, and the following year, he was selected to his first of five All-Star games, and in the process hit the NL's first triple and scored their first run in All-Star history.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)