The Cy Young Award was introduced in 1956 by Ford Frick, Commissioner of Baseball. It was called the Cy Young Award in honor of HoF pitcher Cy Young who died in 1955.
From '56 to '66 it was given to one pitcher in the Majors deemed best for that season. Beginning in '67 new Commissioner William Eckert began awarding one to the best pitcher from each league due to pressure from fans if you can believe that.
In 1956 Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the very first winner of the CYA.
In 1967 Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants and Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox were the first winners of the now separate NL/AL Award.
Sandy Koufax won the CYA in '63, then again in '65 becoming the first multi winner of the award. He won again in '66 for the third time, becoming the first back to back winner.
In 1969 after a tie in the voting for the AL Award between Mike Cuellar of Baltimore and Denny McLain of Detroit, the voting process was changed and each writer would now vote for three pitchers using a point system, five for first, three for second and one for third. The pitcher receiving the most points wins the CYA.
Mike Marshall of the LA Dodgers was the first relief pitcher to win in '74.
Gaylord Perry of the San Diego Padres was the oldest winner at 40 in '78, until Clemens, 42, won in '04 when he was with the Houston Astros. It was Clemens seventh and final CYA and his only from the NL.
Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets at 20 in '85 was youngest winner.
Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson are the only pitchers to win four times in a row. Both have pulled off this feat as NL pitchers. Maddux in '92 with the Cubs and '93, '94 and '95 with the Atlanta Braves. Johnson won with the Arizona Diamondbacks from '99 to '02.
I believe there have been only two Canadian born pitchers to win. Ferguson Jenkins from right here in Ontario(Chatham) was the first Canadian to win the CYA in 1971 as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Eric Gagne in '03 with the LA Dodgers became the second Canadian to win the CYA and to date the last reliever to win it.
Pat Hentgen was the first Toronto Blue Jay to win the CYA in 1996. It was the first of three in a row for Blue Jay pitchers as Clemens would win in '97 and '98. Roy 'Doc' Halladay is the most recent Jays winner in '03. Doc is set to become only the fifth pitcher to win at least one from each league. Clemens, Johnson, Pedro Martínez and Gaylord Perry are the others.
Roger Clemens 7 - 6AL, 1 NL
Randy Johnson 5 - 1 AL, 4 NL
Steve Carlton 4 NL
Greg Maddux 4 NL
Sandy Koufax 3 NL
Pedro Martínez 3 - 1 NL, 2 AL
Jim Palmer 3 AL
Tom Seaver 3 NL
Bob Gibson 2 NL
Tom Glavine 2 NL
Denny McLain 2 AL
Gaylord Perry 2 - AL, NL
Bret Saberhagen 2 AL
Johan Santana 2 AL
Tim Lincecum 2 NL
From '56 to '66 it was given to one pitcher in the Majors deemed best for that season. Beginning in '67 new Commissioner William Eckert began awarding one to the best pitcher from each league due to pressure from fans if you can believe that.
In 1956 Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the very first winner of the CYA.
In 1967 Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants and Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox were the first winners of the now separate NL/AL Award.
Sandy Koufax won the CYA in '63, then again in '65 becoming the first multi winner of the award. He won again in '66 for the third time, becoming the first back to back winner.
In 1969 after a tie in the voting for the AL Award between Mike Cuellar of Baltimore and Denny McLain of Detroit, the voting process was changed and each writer would now vote for three pitchers using a point system, five for first, three for second and one for third. The pitcher receiving the most points wins the CYA.
Mike Marshall of the LA Dodgers was the first relief pitcher to win in '74.
Gaylord Perry of the San Diego Padres was the oldest winner at 40 in '78, until Clemens, 42, won in '04 when he was with the Houston Astros. It was Clemens seventh and final CYA and his only from the NL.
Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets at 20 in '85 was youngest winner.
Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson are the only pitchers to win four times in a row. Both have pulled off this feat as NL pitchers. Maddux in '92 with the Cubs and '93, '94 and '95 with the Atlanta Braves. Johnson won with the Arizona Diamondbacks from '99 to '02.
I believe there have been only two Canadian born pitchers to win. Ferguson Jenkins from right here in Ontario(Chatham) was the first Canadian to win the CYA in 1971 as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Eric Gagne in '03 with the LA Dodgers became the second Canadian to win the CYA and to date the last reliever to win it.
Pat Hentgen was the first Toronto Blue Jay to win the CYA in 1996. It was the first of three in a row for Blue Jay pitchers as Clemens would win in '97 and '98. Roy 'Doc' Halladay is the most recent Jays winner in '03. Doc is set to become only the fifth pitcher to win at least one from each league. Clemens, Johnson, Pedro Martínez and Gaylord Perry are the others.
Roger Clemens 7 - 6AL, 1 NL
Randy Johnson 5 - 1 AL, 4 NL
Steve Carlton 4 NL
Greg Maddux 4 NL
Sandy Koufax 3 NL
Pedro Martínez 3 - 1 NL, 2 AL
Jim Palmer 3 AL
Tom Seaver 3 NL
Bob Gibson 2 NL
Tom Glavine 2 NL
Denny McLain 2 AL
Gaylord Perry 2 - AL, NL
Bret Saberhagen 2 AL
Johan Santana 2 AL
Tim Lincecum 2 NL
