Denton True 'Cy' Young
Pitcher Right-handed, Cleveland Spiders (NL) 1890-98;
St. Louis (NL) 1899-1900;
Boston Red Sox 1901-1908; Cleveland (AL) 1909-1911; Born-
Gilmore, Ohio.
Legendary Cy Young, the winner of more victories than any
other pitcher, was a master of control. In his first
few seasons, Young was a bit wild but when the pitchers' mound
was moved back to it's present 60' 6" his walk totals
per game were truly awesome. Many pitchers had trouble adjusting
to the change in the distance from the mound to the plate
(an additional 10 feet). Young's walk total went down, he
walk on average only one player a game. Historian Lee
Allen wrote, " There have been faster pitchers but Cy
Young's control was so unerring and he was so tireless that
he just kept throwing as if he were systematically chopping
down a tree".
In 1901, he left the National League ( for a higher salary
) and joined the newly formed American League's Boston Red
Sox. In Young's first year he was 33-10, an ERA of 1.62.
He walked only 37 batters in 371 innings.
In 1902, Cy Young had a 32-11 record, 2.15 ERA. In
1903 he was 28-9, and again only walked 37 batters in 341
innings. The Red Sox captured the pennant and Young pitched
in four the world series games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He won two games to lead the Red Sox to become the World Champs.
Cy Young had six different seasons in which his ERA was under
2.00. On June 30, 1908, at the age of 41, he pitched
his third no-hitter.
Cy Young was well-liked and often called, "a gentlemen's
gentleman because of his soft manner of treating everyone
pleasantly". He retired to his farm in Ohio and once
said, "Far as I can see, these modern pitchers aren't
going to catch me". Young died in 1955 and the
next season the award bearing his name was given out to the
best pitcher in baseball.
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