The 2012 Cy Young Awards were announced Wednesday night with Mets’ starter R.A. Dickey and Rays ace David Price taking home the NL and AL honors respectively.
The 38-year-old Dickey led the National League in innings pitched (233 2/3) and strikeouts (230) while finishing the season with a 2.73 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He also becomes the first knuckleball pitcher to win the award.
Dickey garnered himself 27 of the 32 first place votes while the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw received two first place votes. Washington’s Gio Gonzalez, Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto and Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel each received one vote.
“I’m beside myself,” he told MLB Network via satellite after his name was announced. “Clayton and Gio are both supernatural. They give everybody fits. This is an honor to be shared. My hopes always outweighed my doubts.”
On the American League side of things, David Price becomes the first Rays pitcher to win the coveted award beating out last year’s winner Justin Verlander of the Tigers and Angels ace Jered Weaver. And unlike the National League race the American League tally was much closer with Price narrowly edging out Verlander. Price received 14 of the 28 first place votes while Verlander obtained 13 of 28. Weaver came in third without receiving any first place votes with the final one going to Rays closer and Price’s teammate Fernando Rodney.
h/t: NBC Sports
