The Cy Young Award was Commissioner Ford Frick’s idea to honor the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Hard lessons were learned by the Chalmers Award earlier in history so the recipients of the Cy Young Award were selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America from the beginning.
During the first eleven years (1956 – 1966), only one winner from Major League Baseball was selected. Immediately after Commissioner Frick retired, the rules were changed to honor the best pitcher from each league.
1981 – Milwaukee Brewers reliever Rollie Fingers, with a 6-3 record, 28 saves and a 1.04 ERA, wins the 1981 American League Cy Young Award, collecting 22 of 28 possible first-place votes. The other six go to Steve McCatty of the Oakland Athletics.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Stone, who led the American League with 25 victories, wins the Cy Young Award over Mike Norris of the Oakland Athletics.
Mike Flanagan (23-9, 3.08) wins the Cy Young Award, easily outdistancing New York’s Tommy John (21-9, 2.97). The Orioles’ southpaw receives 26 of the 27 first-place votes cast by the writers.
1978 – New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry is the unanimous choice for the 1978 American League Cy Young Award. Guidry led the league in wins (25), winning percentage (.893), shutouts (9), and ERA (1.74).
1977 – Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees becomes the first American League reliever to win the Cy Young Award. Lyle led the league with 72 appearances, posting a 13-5 record with 26 saves and a 2.17 ERA.
For the second consecutive season, Jim Palmer (22-13, 2.51) is the recipient of the American League Cy Young Award. The Orioles’ right-hander garners first-place votes on 19 of 24 ballots cast by the BBWAA, with the remaining five top spots going to rookie sensation Mark Fidrych of the Tigers.
1975 – Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer wins his second Cy Young Award, after pacing the American League in wins (23), shutouts (10), and ERA (2.09).
The writers select A’s hurler Catfish Hunter as the recipient of the American League’s Cy Young Award. The 25-game winner, due to a contract dispute with owner Charlie Finley, will be declared one of baseball’s first free-agents and will become the game’s highest-paid pitcher in baseball at the end of December when he signs a five-year contract with the Yankees for $3.75 million.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer is named the 1973 American League Cy Young Award winner. Palmer collected 22 victories and led the circuit with a 2.40 ERA.
Gaylord Perry (24-16,1.92) of the Indians edges Wilbur Wood (24-17, 2.51) for the American League Cy Young Award. Although the future Hall of Fame hurler receives only 9 of the 24 first-place votes, the North Carolina native still out points the White Sox starter, 64-58.
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