Peavy captures NL Cy Young
Jake Peavy become the 12th unanimous selection in NL history.
New York, NYÂ - San Diego Padres right-hander Jake Peavy was a unanimous choice for the National League Cy Young Award on Thursday by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Peavy placed first on all 32 ballots cast by two writers from each NL city to become the 12th unanimous selection in NL history and the first since Randy Johnson in 2002. Peavy received 160 points on the 5-3-1 tabulation system.
Last year’s winner Brandon Webb finished second with 94 points, placing second on 31 ballots and third on one. Los Angeles’ Brad Penny was third with 14 points, as he received 14 third-place tallies.
Peavy won just 11 games in 2006, while pitching to a 4.09 earned run average, but was absolutely sensational this season, becoming the first NL pitcher to win pitching’s Triple Crown since Johnson did it for the Diamondbacks in 2002, as he led the league in wins (19), earned run average (2.54) and strikeouts (240).
The 26-year-old hurler is the fourth Padre to win this award and the first since Mark Davis in 1989. Gaylord Perry (1978) and Randy Jones (1976) also won this award while pitching for the Friars.
Peavy, who joins seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens (2001, 2004) as the only starting pitchers to win this award without pitching a compete game, was the best pitcher from start to finish in the NL. He was 9-3 with a 2.19 ERA in the first half, earning him the start in the All- Star Game in San Francisco. Peavy did not slow up after the break, as he won seven decisions in a row from July 27-September 1 and had a 23-inning scoreless streak during that span.
Peavy, though, struggled in the Padres’ one-game playoff against the Colorado Rockies, surrendering six runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings of San Diego’s 9-8 loss. The setback, of course, cost the Padres a wild card spot.
Webb, meanwhile, was 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA for the NL West champion Diamondbacks one year after edging out Padres closer Trevor Hoffman to win this award.
The 28-year-old righty also led the league in shutouts (three), innings pitched (236 1/3) and made five consecutive starts between July and August without allowing an earned run. His stretch of 42 innings without surrendering an earned run was the most in the league since Orel Hershiser’s major league record of 59 set in 1988.
Webb is also the second NL pitcher to be the Cy Young runner-up the year after he won. The other was Tom Glavine in 1992.
Rounding out the voting was Cincinnati’s Aaron Harang (10), Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano (3), Philly’s Cole Hamels (2), Atlanta’s John Smoltz (2), Arizona’s Jose Valverde (2) and Jeff Francis (1) of Colorado.
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