NEW YORK — For once, Felix Hernandez got all the support he needed for a big win.
The Mariners ace earned the AL Cy Young Award on Thursday despite a modest 13-12 record. His major league-leading 2.27 ERA and superior stats put him far ahead of Tampa Bay’s David Price and the Yankees’ CC Sabathia and their impressive win-loss numbers.
Victimized by the Mariners’ poor hitting all season, Hernandez found ample backing with the voters in this pitchers’ duel. They clearly recognized how little the last-place Mariners helped him — in 10 starts, they were either shut out or held to one run.
“This confirms the Cy Young is an award not only for the pitcher with the most wins, but the most dominant,” a teary-eyed Hernandez said while celebrating with relatives at the family home in Valencia, Venezuela.
Hernandez got 21 of the 28 first-place votes and 167 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The 24-year-old right-hander led the league in innings (249 2/3), was second in strikeouts (232) and held AL opponents to the lowest batting average (.212).
Price, who went 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA, was second with four first-place votes and 111 points. Sabathia, who was 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA, drew the other three first-place votes and finished third at 102.
“I feel like they got it right,” Price said. “Felix, I thought he deserved it, even though he didn’t have a lot of wins. You can’t really control all that.”
The 13 wins by Hernandez marked the fewest for a Cy Young starter in a full season — Tim Lincecum set the record last year with 15 victories for San Francisco.
Gardenhire gets extension
MINNEAPOLIS — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire received a two-year extension through the 2013 season a day after he was named the AL manager of the year.
“I think most managers will tell you the same thing: It’s not a bad situation to be in when you’re with an organization that likes to keep you,” Gardenhire said of the Pohlad family ownership group. “They really take care of you.”
Gardenhire, whose career winning percentage is .550 with a record of 803-656, said he was happy to have his entire coaching staff under contract through 2012 as well.
Footnotes.
Jurors in the manslaughter trial of former major-league player Jim Leyritz deliberated almost two hours without reaching a verdict and will return today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• The Yankees traded first baseman Juan Miranda to the Diamondbacks for 19-year-old right-hander Scott Allen.
The Associated Press
