Gaylord Perry (24-16,1.92) of the Indians edges Wilbur Wood (24-17, 2.51) for the American League Cy Young Award

On October 31, 1972 — Gaylord Perry, rangy Cleveland right- t handier accused by opponents of winning Tuesday of the 1972 Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League. The – 34-year-old. Indian ace had a 24-16 record and an earned run average of 1.92, second to the league’s best, the 1.91 by Luis Tiant of Boston. In winning the Cy Young Award, Perry duplicated the feat of his brother, Jim, who was voted the AL’s top pitcher at Minnesota in 1970. That was the year Gaylord and Jim became the first brother combination in major league history to win 20 games each. Perry narrowly edged Wilbur Wood, Chicago White Sox knuckleballer, in the vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America.” He received nine first-place votes from the 24-man committee, two from each AL city, and finished with a total of 64 points compared with 58 for Wood. Under the voting system, five points are awarded for a first place vote, three for a second, one or third. Wood was picked first on seven ballots. No one pitcher was named on all 24 ballots. Perry’s achievement was remarkable because it came with a losing club. The Indians finished fifth in the AL’s Eastern Division. ‘ The tall right-hander won one-third of Cleveland’s games. He pitched 29 complete games j in 40 starts and never missed a turn. Besides Perry and Wood, four other pitchers received first-place votes for the Cy Young trophy. They were Mickey Lol-ich of Detroit, who got three and a total of 27 points for third place; Jim “Catfish” Hunter of Oakland, two, for 26 points; Jim Palmer of Baltimore, two, 20 points and Tiant, one. 16 points.

The American League’s grass infields and the skills of his catcher, Ray Fosse, were credited by lanky Gaylord Perry Tuesday for the 24-16 performance that won him the 1972 Cy Young Award as the league’s best pitcher. Im very happy,” Perry said at his home here 40 miles south of San Francisco. “It’s a great thrill. It was my best season ever in, baseball.” Perry, who moved to th Cleveland Indians last season after 10 years with the San Francisco Giants of the National League, had two 20 victory seasons with the Giants 21-8 in 1966 and 23-13 In 1970. But he considers the J972 campaign in which he achieved his lowest eamed-run average his best and noted that eight of his 16 losses “were by one run in low-scoring ball games.” “The big thing that helped me after moving to the American League,” said Perry, “is that they had only one Astro-turf infield the Chicago White Sox. The rest are on natural grass. The National League has six Astro turfs, and that made it a little harder. . – “I’m a low ball pitcher and try to get- them to hit on the ground. n Astrotunf the ball moves through a little quicker. Grass helps- out in slowing it down.” 1 “I’d say the other major factor in my good season was catcher Ray Fosse,” Perry added. “I rate him with the best around as far as receiving the ball, ‘setting the hitter up and calling the game. He was one of the big pluses.” For his award-winning season, Perry said, “I didn’t makt any drastic changes in my delivery. I just pitched every fourth day which is what I wanted.”

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