PHILADELPHIA -- The focus remains on the immediate future, but Roy Halladay took another step toward baseball immortality Tuesday.
He learned on a golf course somewhere in Mexico -- his foursome included Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter, Phillies backup first baseman Mike Sweeney and Padres righty Chris Young -- he was the unanimous 2010 National League Cy Young Award winner. He is just the fifth pitcher in baseball history to win the award in both leagues, and just the 16th multiple winner.
The honor is well deserved. Halladay became just the 20th pitcher in baseball history to throw a perfect game, when he threw one May 29 against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium, and just the second pitcher in baseball history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason, when he threw one Oct. 6 against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NL Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Halladay has been considered one of the best pitchers in baseball -- if not the best -- for the past nine seasons.
Halladay, who won the 2003 American League Cy Young Award with the Toronto Blue Jays, went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in 33 starts. He led the league in wins, complete games (nine), shutouts (four) and innings pitched (250 2/3). He finished second in strikeouts (219) and walked just 30 batters.
Only six other pitchers have walked 30 or fewer batters in 250 or more innings in the modern era, and none has accomplished the feat since Grover Cleveland Alexander walked 30 in 305 innings in 1923 with the Chicago Cubs. The other pitchers include Cy Young (1904-06), Christy Mathewson (1913-14), Deacon Phillippe (1902-03), Addie Joss (1908) and Babe Adams (1919-20).
Alexander, Mathewson, Joss and Young are in the Hall of Fame.
The other four pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues? Gaylord Perry, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. Perry already is in the Hall of Fame. Johnson and Martinez are locks. Clemens would be a lock, except for the controversy surrounding his use of performance-enhancing substances.
Halladay received all 32 first-place votes to finish with 224 points. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright finished second with 122 points, receiving 28 second-place votes. Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez finished third with 90 points, receiving four second-place votes.
Phillies teammate Roy Oswalt finished sixth. He received one third-place vote, three fourth-place votes and five fifth-place votes. Former Phillies pitcher Brett Myers finished 10th. He got one fourth-place vote.
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Source: MLB.com
Tim Hudson
- Photo2 by Tim Evearitt