SF pitcher Tim Lincecum won this year’s NL Cy Young award handily over Brandon Webb. He got 23 of 32 first place votes and outscored Webb 137 to 73 in total points.
His GM put it succinctly:
“In Obama-like fashion, it wasn’t close,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.
Lincecum became the 12th pitcher to win the award with a sub-.500 team. As a Cub fan, I didn’t have to look up 1979 Bruce Sutter, I knew he was on the list. This year’s second place Brandon Webb was also there. He won in 2006 with the 76-86 Dbacks.
The media’s sub-headline was that Lincecum won the second Cy Young for Giants. Without looking it up, I of course expected the other to be Juan Marichal. It wasn’t. Mike McCormick took it in 1967. Not only that, Marichal didn’t get a first place vote during his reign.
Cy Young Awards with clickable links to voting (via Baseball Reference)
Occupational hazard of playing at the same time of Koufax, Gibson, et.al.
On a personal note, let it be known that I got Lincecum for two measly bucks in the fantasy auction I was in this spring.
Did I get my money’s worth? I think so.
Update:
It was also announced that Lincecum had the honor of being on the cover of the Major League Baseball 2K9 video game.
A good day all around for Tim.