Tag: Cy Young

Sept 9: Strikeout King

SEPTEMBER 9, 1987 | HOUSTON, TEXAS – If you needed a strikeout who would you want on the mound? Nolan Ryan wouldn’t be a bad choice. On this date in 1987 the Houston Astros’ right-hander struck out 16 in a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in the Astrodome. When Ryan struck out Mike Aldrete in the 7th he became the first pitcher to reach 4,500 strikeouts in a career. Only Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson have since reached that mark.

Nolan Ryan is to strikeouts what Cy Young is to wins. Ryan has almost a thousand more Ks than number 2 on the list – Roger Clemens. Cy Young had 511 career wins. Number 2 is Walter Johnson with 417.

Here, according to BASEBALL-REFERENCE, are the top 10 career strikeout leaders:

1. Nolan Ryan – 5,714
2. Randy Johnson – 4,875
3. Roger Clemens – 4,672
4. Steve Carlton – 4,136
5. Bert Blyleven – 3,701
6. Tom Seaver – 3,640
7. Don Sutton – 3,574
8. Gaylord Perry – 3,534
9. Walter Johnson – 3,509
10. Greg Maddux – 3,371

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Most strikeouts 
September 9, 1987 box score/play-by-play

AUG 7: Amazing Walter Johnson

AUGUST 7, 1907 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Only Cy Young was more dominant on the mound than Walter Johnson, and they named an award after him.

Walter Johnson’s road to immortality began on this date in 1907. Johnson was just 19-years old, and fresh off the family farm in Humboldt, Kansas when he pitched the Washington Senators to a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Naps (today’s Indians) – the first of 416 career wins . Only Cy Young has more career wins (511) than Walter Johnson.

Johnson’s accomplishments are stunning. From 1910 to 1919 he won 25, 25, 33, 36, 28, 27, 25, 23, 23 games.

  • He started 666 games in his 21-year career, completing 531.
  • He pitched 110 shutouts (11 in 1913 alone).
  • He pitched over 300 innings 9 times.

Johnson could hit, too! He had a .433 batting average in 1925 – 42 hits in 97 at bats. He hit .283 in 1924, .270 in 1921, and had a career average of .235 with 24 home runs and 255 runs batted in.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE:
Walter Johnson: Baseball’s Big Train, by Henry W. Thomas, 1995

A STORY FROM MARCH 29 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – The one & only Cy Young

TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES YOU TO GILMORE, OHIO MARCH 29, 1867. Denton Young was born on an Ohio farm on this date in 1867. Better known as Cy Young, he won more games, 511, than any other pitcher in baseball history. The pitcher in second place, Walter Johnson, had 94 fewer wins than the first and only true Cy Young.

Young’s nickname was coined by a catcher who, after warming him up, compared his fastball to a cyclone. He played for four teams during a 22 year career lasting from 1890 to 1911. His 511-wins and 316-losses are not the only stats that are eye-popping:

 • 15 seasons of at least 20 wins
 • 5 seasons of at least 30 wins
 • 19 double digit winning seasons
 • A 2.63 lifetime Earned Run Average

And of course, today the best pitcher in each league is recognized with the “Cy Young” Award.  Here are the fifteen winningest pitchers of all time:

Cy Young – 511
Walter Johnson – 417
Pete Alexander – 373
Christy Mathewson – 373
Pud Galvin – 365
Warren Spahn – 363
Kid Nichols – 361
Greg Maddux – 355
Roger Clemens – 354
Tim Keefe – 342
Steve Carlton – 329
John Clarkson – 328
Eddie Plank – 326
Nolan Ryan – 326
Don Sutton – 324

There have been dozens of Cy Young award winners. Denton Young is the first and only true Cy Young.

Contributing sources:
More on Cy Young
300 win Club
Most wins career