AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD : Command performance
Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008
In the story he’s told over and over again, there’s one theme Cliff Lee always hammered home.
Time after time during his breakout 2008 season, the Cleveland Indians left-hander and Benton native was asked to think back on his 2007 season, which bottomed out with a demotion to the Indians’ Class AAA affiliate in Buffalo, N. Y.
Lee’s response was always the same: He wasn’t going to be the bitter big leaguer just sent down to the minors.
Lee doesn’t have to worry about bitterness anymore. A year after riding buses in the minors and fighting to rebuild his career, the former Arkansas Razorback was named the American League Cy Young Award winner Thursday afternoon in a landslide vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Lee received 24 of 28 firstplace votes, and 132 of a possible 140 points.
“It’s the pinnacle of pitching,” Lee said. “It’s something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life.”
Lee’s 2008 statistics made almost any debate about the award a formality. No starting pitcher in the American League matched his victories (22 ) and only one pitcher in the majors, the New York Mets’ Johan Santana, bested Lee’s 2. 54 ERA.
But the story trumps the stats.
An 18-5 season in 2005 solidified Lee’s place in the Cleveland rotation, or so it seemed until 2007. That was when nagging abdominal injuries cost Lee his consistency and altered the way he attacked hitters. Seemingly getting further from his 2005 form with every outing, Lee saw his ERA balloon to over 6. 00 and was sent to the minors in July.
“It was kind of a touchy situation,” said Shane Pigue, owner of Fitness Unlimited in Benton, where Lee worked in the off-season to strengthen his core muscles and improve his durability. “Everybody was thinking he was done.”
Lee was the subject of mild trade rumors in the off-season, but was kept by the Indians. That said, the organization’s faith only went so far, as Lee entered spring training forced to compete for the fifth and final spot in the rotation with Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers.
Lee worked with Indians pitching coach Carl Willis to rediscover his fastball during the winter, and the results began to show as he fought to return to the big leagues.
“His first bullpen session back in February, he really exhibited that,” Willis said. “Then, his first outing, it was the same thing. He really commanded his fastball.”
What followed was a 6-0 start to the season that surprised everyone in baseball but Lee.
“I made the other team swing the bat,” Lee said. “I did what I could to avoid hitters ’ counts.... I don’t know if I’ve ever been nervous. I’m pretty laid-back and pretty even regardless.”
Lee, 29, a self-described country boy, did admit to one instance of goose bumps — starting for the American League in the last All-Star Game to be played at Yankee Stadium.
“The All-Star Game was something I was proud of,” Lee said. “To get out there and meet all those players, that was pretty memorable.”
Scott Richey, who coached Lee in American Legion baseball, said it was right around then that Lee began seeing the Cy Young Award as a legitimate goal.
“His determination this year was just incredible,” Richey said.
Lee went through the second half of the season with the same momentum that marked his start. For one stretch from July to September, Lee recorded 12 victories, one no-decision and no losses.
“He went out and did the work,” Willis said. “He’s a guy who, after the game, talks about it for five minutes and moves on to the next start.”
In that same spirit, Lee seems to have already moved on from the high of receiving baseball’s top pitching award. Pigue said Lee is already back to his daily workout routine, and Lee spoke Thursday about making sure he doesn’t go down as a one-time Cy Young contender.
“It’s something I can hopefully make a habit of,” Lee said.
But nothing for Lee probably will compare to 2008, the year that started with a fight to stay out of the minors and ended with so much more than just a big-league job.
“It’s totally gratifying to turn it all around,” Lee said. “It feels good to know I never doubted myself. Sometimes it takes someone to fall on their face to turn it around.” AL Cy Young Winners 2008 — Cliff Lee, Cleveland 2007 — C. C. Sabathia, Cleveland 2006 — Johan Santana, Minnesota 2005 — Bartolo Colon, Los Angeles 2004 — Johan Santana, Minnesota 2003 — Roy Halladay, Toronto 2002 — Barry Zito, Oakland 2001 — Roger Clemens, New York 2000 — Pedro Martinez, Boston 1999 — Pedro Martinez, Boston 1998 — Roger Clemens, Toronto 1997 — Roger Clemens, Toronto 1996 — Pat Hentgen, Toronto
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
