How They Got There: The 1980-1989 NL Cy Young Winners
If you want to get an idea of how high the bar is to become a Hall of Fame pitcher, consider that only two of the 17 Cy Young winners from the 1980s have been inducted. One, Steve Carlton, is a four-time winner whose career spanned three decades. The other, Rollie Fingers, was one of the better relievers in the game throughout his 16-year career.
Those not in the Hall of Fame had a shorter span of greatness, even if only one year. Temporarily unlocking that Cy Young ability can come down to a change of scenery, a strong supporting cast, or working with a new pitching instructor. In other words, being in the right place at the right time. Here’s a look back at how the NL Cy Young winners of the 1980s were acquired.
Rank | Name | Team | Age | How Acquired | W | L | IP | ERA | FIP | WAR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CY | Steve Carlton | PHI | 35 | Trade (STL) Feb’72 | 24 | 9 | 304.0 | 2.34 | 2.42 | 8.8 |
2nd | Jerry Reuss | LAD | 31 | Trade (PIT) Apr’79 | 18 | 6 | 229.1 | 2.51 | 2.99 | 4.6 |
3rd | Jim Bibby | PIT | 35 | Free Agent (CLE) Mar’78 | 19 | 6 | 238.1 | 3.32 | 3.82 | 2.6 |
At the time, St. Louis Cardinals lefty Steve Carlton and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Rick Wise were in very similar situations. Both were All-Stars in their mid-20s who wanted to be paid a higher salary than their respective teams were offering for the 1972 season. Players didn’t yet enjoy a right to free agency. If a player held out for his preferred salary, he might find himself sitting out part of the season, or on the trading block; very rarely did teams submit to a player’s salary demands. Read the rest of this entry »