tanswers

1. The Los Angeles Dodgers in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Steve Howe led a bullpen by committee with 8 saves. The last team to do it in a non-strike year was Oakland in 1974. Rollie Fingers notched just 17 saves that year.

The last team to win a World Series without at least a 17-game winner was Cincinnati in 1990.Tom Browning led the team with a 15-9 record. In fact, all three non-dead-ball era World Championships for the Red have come without a 17 game winner. Gary Nolan led the ’76 Reds with 15 wins and Nolan, Jack Billingham and Don Gullet each had 15 wins in ’75.

2. The 1978 Yankees: Ron Guidry (25-3) and Ed Figueroa (20-9).

3. Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s in 1990. Both players (Chipper and Rickey) were on the losing side of the Fall Classic.

3a. Kirk Gibson and the Dodgers in 1988.

4. Mike Marshall (15-12, 21 saves 2.42 ERA) of the Dodgers and Catfish Hunter (25-12, 2.49 ERA) of the A’s in 1974. In fact since Major League Baseball began handing out two Cy Youngs instead of one (in 1967) it’s only happed four times. Bob Gibson and Denny McLain in 1968 and Tom Seaver and Mike Cuellar in 1969. Cuellar Shared the award with Denny McLain that year.

5. You might be surprised to learn that only five Yankees have won the Cy Young Award: Clemens in 2001, Ron Guidry in 1978, Sparky Lyle in 1977, Whitey Ford in 1961 and Bob Turley in 1958. The Red Sox have six to lead the American League franchises. Clemens 3 times (’86, ‘87, ’91), Pedro Martinez twice (’99, ’00) and Jim Lonborg in 1967.

6. Well, Atlanta/Milwaukee has seven. Glavine twice, Smoltz once, Maddux three times and Warren Spahn for the World Champion Milwaukee Braves in 1957. BUT… The Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers have nailed down the most Cy Young Awards, eight. Orel Hershiser (’88), Fernando Valenzuela (’81), Marshall (’74), then some guy name Koufax’63, ’65, ’66) Don Drysdale (’62) and Don Newcombe won the first ever Cy Young Award in 1956.

Only four franchises have never had a pitcher earn a Cy Young: Tampa Bay, Texas, Florida and Cincinnati.

Only the Reds are a surprise. Danny Jackson (23-8) would have won one in 1988 if not for Hershiser. Aside from that no Red has really ever come close.

Fergie Jenkins was barely beaten by Catfish Hunter in ’74, No one was overly spectacular for the ’97 Marlins and the best pitcher in Devil Rays history so far was Rolando Orrojo.