Clemens Wins 6th Cy Young Award

(AP)  Roger Clemens won his record sixth Cy Young Award on Thursday, receiving 21 of 28 first-place votes for the American League honor.

The Rocket, who led the New York Yankees to their fourth straight AL pennant, also received five second-place votes and two thirds for 122 points from a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Clemens, 20-3 with a 3.51 ERA and 213 strikeouts, is the only pitcher to win more than four Cy Youngs. Arizona's Randy Johnson won his fourth on Tuesday, matching Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux.

Oakland's Mark Mulder (21-8, 3.64) was second in the balloting with two first-place votes, 13 seconds and 11 thirds for 60 points. Seattle's Freddy Garcia (18-6, 3.05), was next, with four firsts, eight seconds and 11 thirds for 55 points.

Seattle's Jamie Moyer (20-6, 3.43) got the other first-place vote and was fourth with 12 points, followed by Mike Mussina of the Yankees (17-11, 3.15) with two points, and Tim Hudson of the Athletics (18-9, 3.37) with one.

At 39 years, 3-1/2 months, Clemens became the third-oldest Cy Young winner. Early Wynn was 39 years, 10 months when he won the 1959 AL honor for the Chicago White Sox, and Gaylord Perry was 40 years, two months when he won the 1978 NL Cy Young for the San Diego Padres.

Clemens is the first player to win a BBWAA award on three teams. He won the Cy Young for Boston in 1986, 1987 and 1991, then won it for Toronto in 1997 and 1998.

He became the first pitcher ever to start a season 20-1 before losing his final two decisions. After injuring a hamstring and struggling in the first round of the playoffs, he rebounded to pitch well in the league championship series against Seattle and was the Yankees' most consistent pitcher in the World Series against Arizona. He won Game 3 and allowed just one run in New York's 3-2 loss in Game 7.

Boston's Pedro Martinez had won the previous two AL Cy Youngs but was injured for much of this season.

Clemens, a six-time 20-game winner, had the second-highest ERA for an AL Cy Young winner, below only LaMarr Hoyt's 3.66 for the Chicago White Sox in 1983.

It was the fifth Cy Young Award for the Yankees, the first since Ron Guidry in 1978. Bob Turley won in 1958, Whitey Ford in 1961, and Sparky Lyle in 1977.


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