Cy Young

Cy Young was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1890 to 1911 who hold the all-time records for most career wins with 511, most innings pitched with 7,355, and most complete games with 749. To honor his unequalled achievements, baseball named the award for the best pitcher in each league after the hurler.

Fast Facts:

1. Did not use a baseball glove until his sixth season
2. Led his leagues in wins five times (1892, 1895, and 1901-1903)
3. Pitched 3 no hitters in his career
4. Pitched a perfect game in 1904
5. Retired with 511 career wins, the most in MLB history
6. Tied with Roger Clemens for the most career wins by a Boston Red Sox pitcher

Early Career

Young began playing baseball in the very early years of the professional sport. In 1890, he began pitching for the Cleveland Spiders, and quickly became known for his hard-throwing delivery. In 1891, as a result of new pitchers like Young throwing with so much velocity, the baseball mound was moved from fifty feet to the sixty feet, six inches where it remains today. Young stayed with the Spiders until 1898, amassing over 21 wins in every season on the team, and over 30 wins in three of the seasons. In 1899, many of the best Spiders players moved to a new team, the St. Louis Perfectos.

20th Century Career

As the sport expanded and became more popular, more opportunities opened up for talent like Young. In 1901, he joined the Boston Americans, a team which would later become the Boston Red Sox. In 1909, Young played for the Cleveland Naps, before retiring in 1911 with 511 career wins. Young was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, the first year of the institution's existence, and the Cy Young Award was named for him in 1956, the year after the legendary pitcher died.

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