View source for Cy Young

==Professional career==
===Minor leagues===
Young began his professional career in 1890 with the [[Canton, Ohio]]-based [[Canton Nadjys]], team of the [[Tri-State League]], a professional minor league. During his tryout, Young impressed the scouts, recalling years later, "I almost tore the boards off the grandstand with my fast ball."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/deaths/cy_young_obituary.shtml |title=Cy Young Obituary |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 5, 1955 }}</ref> Cy Young's nickname came from the fences that he had destroyed using his fastball. The fences looked like a [[cyclone]] had hit them. Reporters later shortened the name to "Cy", which became the nickname Young used for the rest of his life.<ref name=bl>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/cy-young-1867 |title=The Ballplayers – Cy Young |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=Baseball Biography }}</ref> During his one year with Canton, he was 15-15.<ref name=bio/>

Franchises in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]], the major professional baseball league at the time, wanted the best players available to them. Therefore, in 1890, Young signed with the [[Cleveland Spiders]], a team that had moved from the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] to the National League the previous year.

===Cleveland Spiders (1890–1898)===
On August 6, 1890, Young's major league debut, he pitched a three-hit 8–1 victory over the [[Chicago Colts]].<ref name=1890chron>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1890#August |title=1890 Chronology |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=Baseball Library |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526075129/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1890 |archive-date=May 26, 2008 }}</ref> While Young was with the Spiders, [[Chief Zimmer]] was his catcher more often than any other player. [[Bill James]], a baseball [[statistician]], estimated that Zimmer caught Young in more games than any other [[Battery (baseball)|battery]] in baseball history.<ref name=abstract>James, Bill. ''The New Bill James Historical Abstract'' (Simon & Schuster, 2001), pp. 410–411</ref> Early on, Young established himself as one of the harder-throwing pitchers in the game. Bill James wrote that Zimmer often put a piece of beefsteak inside his [[baseball glove]] to protect his catching hand from Young's fastball.<ref name=abstract/> In the absence of [[radar gun]]s, however, it is impossible to say just how hard Young actually threw. Young continued to perform at a high level during the 1890 season. On the last day of the season, Young won both games of a doubleheader.<ref name=dugout/> In the first weeks of Young's career, [[Cap Anson]], the player-manager of the Chicago Colts spotted Young's ability. Anson told Spiders manager [[Gus Schmelz]], "He's too green to do your club much good, but I believe if I taught him what I know, I might make a pitcher out of him in a couple of years. He's not worth it now, but I'm willing to give you $1,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1000|1890|r=0}}}} today) for him." Schmelz replied, "Cap, you can keep your thousand and we'll keep the rube."<ref name=quotes>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmgworldwide.com/baseball/young/quotes.htm |title=Cy Young: Quotes |access-date=July 27, 2008 |publisher=CMG Worldwide |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071229062724/http://www.cmgworldwide.com/baseball/young/quotes.htm |archive-date = December 29, 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Cy Yoyng 1891.jpg|thumb|left|Young in 1891]]
Two years after Young's debut, the National League moved the [[Pitcher's mound|pitcher's position]] back by {{convert|5|ft|m}}. Since 1881, pitchers had pitched within a "box" whose front line was {{convert|50|ft|m}} from home base, and since 1887 they had been compelled to toe the back line of the box when delivering the ball. The back line was {{convert|55|ft|6|in|m}} away from home. In 1893, {{convert|5|ft|m}} was added to the back line, yielding the modern pitching distance of {{convert|60|ft|6|in|m}}. In the book ''[[The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers]]'', sports journalist [[Rob Neyer]] wrote that the speed with which pitchers like Cy Young, [[Amos Rusie]], and [[Jouett Meekin]] threw was the impetus that caused the move.<ref name=guide>{{cite book | last=Neyer | first=Rob | author2=Bill James | title=[[The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers]] | publisher=Fireside | date=June 2004 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/neyerjamesguidet00jame/page/496 496] | isbn=0-7432-6158-5 }}</ref>

The 1892 regular season was a success for Young, who led the National League in wins (36), ERA (1.93), and shutouts (9). Just as many contemporary Minor League Baseball leagues operate today, the National League was using a [[split season]] format during the 1892 season.<ref name=1892spiders>{{cite news |url=https://business.highbeam.com/62653/article-1G1-14655929/double-seasons-spiders-and-no-fall-stakes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018230409/https://business.highbeam.com/62653/article-1G1-14655929/double-seasons-spiders-and-no-fall-stakes |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |title=Of double seasons, Spiders and no fall stakes |access-date=July 27, 2008 |first=Steve |last=Gietschier |work=[[The Sporting News]] |date=November 15, 1993 |via=[[HighBeam]] }}</ref> The [[Atlanta Braves#Boston (1871–1952)|Boston Beaneaters]] won the first half and the Spiders won the second-half, with a best-of-nine series determining the league champion. Despite the Spiders' second-half run, the Beaneaters swept the series, five games to none. Young pitched three complete games: he lost two and one ended in a scoreless tie.

The Spiders faced the [[Baltimore Orioles (19th century)|Baltimore Orioles]] in the [[Temple Cup]], a precursor to the [[World Series]], in 1895. Young won three games in the series and Cleveland won the Cup, four games to one. It was around this time that Young added what he called a "slow ball" to his pitching repertoire to reduce stress on his arm. The pitch today is called a [[changeup]].<ref name=dugout/> In 1896, Young lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning when [[Ed Delahanty]] of the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] hit a single.<ref name=1896chron>{{Cite web|title=1896 Chronology |work=Baseball Library |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1896#July |access-date=June 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525124234/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1896 |archive-date=May 25, 2007 }}</ref> On September 18, 1897, Young pitched the first [[no-hitter]] of his career in a game against the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. Although Young did not walk a batter, the Spiders committed four [[Error (baseball)|errors]] while on defense. One of the errors had originally been ruled a [[Hit (baseball)|hit]], but the Cleveland [[third baseman]] sent a note to the press box after the eighth inning, saying he had made an error, and the ruling was changed. Young later said that, despite his teammate's gesture, he considered the game to be a one-hitter.<ref name=1897chron>{{Cite web|title=1897 Chronology |work=Baseball Library |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1897#September |access-date=June 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531211813/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1897 |archive-date=May 31, 2007 }}</ref>

===St. Louis Perfectos / Cardinals (1899–1900)===
Prior to the 1899 season, [[Frank Robison]], the Spiders owner, bought the [[St. Louis Browns (NL)|St. Louis Browns]], thus owning two clubs simultaneously. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders players were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Young, [[Jesse Burkett]], and [[Bobby Wallace (baseball)|Bobby Wallace]].<ref name=perfectos>{{cite web|url=http://www.wcnet.org/~dlfleitz/cleve.htm |title=The 1899 Cleveland Spiders |access-date=July 27, 2008 |first=David |last=Fleitz |work=wcnet |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501205105/http://www.wcnet.org/~dlfleitz/cleve.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2008 }}</ref> The roster maneuvers failed to create a powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and 1900. Meanwhile, the depleted Spiders lost 134 games, the most in MLB history, before folding. Young spent two years with St. Louis, which is where he found his favorite catcher, [[Lou Criger]]. The two men were teammates for a decade.<ref name=dugout/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/cy-young-award |title=Biography:Cy Young |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=answers.com }}</ref>

===Boston Americans / Red Sox (1901–1908)===
[[File:Cy Young.jpg|thumb|Young in 1902]]
In 1901, the rival [[American League]] declared major league status and set about raiding National League rosters. Young left St. Louis and joined the American League's [[History of the Boston Red Sox|Boston Americans]] for a $3,500 contract (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|3500|1901|r=0}}}} today). Young would remain with the Boston team until 1909. In his first year in the American League, Young was dominant. Pitching to Criger, who had also jumped to Boston, Young led the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, thus earning the colloquial [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|AL Triple Crown]] for pitchers.{{efn|Although it is not an actual award, many baseball fans and experts call a pitcher who leads his league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA the [[Triple Crown (baseball)#Pitching Triple Crown|Triple Crown]] winner in pitching.}}<ref name=stats>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/y/youngcy01.shtml |title=Cy Young Statistics |access-date=August 3, 2008 |work=Baseball Reference }}</ref> Young won almost 42% of his team's games in 1901, accounting for 33 of his team's 79 wins.<ref name="Chronology">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php? |title=Cy Young from the Chronology |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=Baseball Library |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913110956/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php |archive-date=September 13, 2008 }}</ref> In February 1902, before the start of the baseball season, Young served as a pitching coach at [[Harvard University]]. The sixth-grade graduate instructing Harvard students delighted Boston newspapers.<ref name=dugout/> The following year, Young coached at [[Mercer University]] during the spring. The team went on to win the Georgia state championship in 1903, 1904, and 1905.<ref>Spright Dowell, [http://ourcollegetown.net/index.php?main_page=page&id=4#12 A History of Mercer University, 1833–1953] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221063022/http://ourcollegetown.net/index.php?main_page=page&id=4 |date=February 21, 2009 }} (Macon, Georgia: Mercer University, [1958]).</ref>

The Boston Americans played the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in the first modern [[World Series]] in 1903. Young, who started [[1903 World Series#Game 1|Game One]] against the visiting Pirates, thus threw the first pitch in modern World Series history. The Pirates scored four runs in that first inning, and Young lost the game. Young performed better in subsequent games, winning his next two starts. He also drove in three runs in [[1903 World Series#Game 5|Game Five]]. Young finished the series with a 2–1 record and a 1.85 ERA in four appearances, and Boston defeated Pittsburgh, five games to three.

After one-hitting Boston on May 2, 1904, [[Philadelphia Athletics]] pitcher [[Rube Waddell]] taunted Young to face him so that he could repeat his performance against Boston's ace. Three days later, Young pitched a [[Cy Young's perfect game|perfect game]] against Waddell and the Athletics. It was the first perfect game in American League history.<ref name=bbhof>{{Cite web| title=Hall of Fame profile | work=Baseball Hall of Fame | url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=124692 | access-date=June 23, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071219021914/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=124692|archive-date=December 19, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/boxscore/05051904.shtml |title=Cy Young Perfect Game Box Score |access-date=July 27, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref> Waddell was the 27th and last batter, and when he flied out, Young shouted, "How do you like that, you hayseed?"{{efn|While the phrase "perfect game" appeared in record books as early as 1922, and was a common expression years before that, Major League Baseball did not formalize the definition of a "perfect game" until 1991, long after Young's death.
{{blockquote|''An official perfect game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) retires each batter on the opposing team during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings. In a perfect game, no batter reaches any base during the course of the game.''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/rules_regulations.jsp |title=The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Official Info: Rules, regulations and statistics |access-date=July 16, 2008 |publisher=MLB}}</ref>}}}}

Waddell had picked an inauspicious time to issue his challenge. Young's perfect game was the centerpiece of a pitching streak. Young set major league records for the most consecutive scoreless innings pitched and the most consecutive innings without allowing a hit; the latter record still stands at {{frac|25|1|3}} innings, or 76 hitless batters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clarifying Some of the Records* |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |url=http://research.sabr.org/journals/clarifying-some-of-the-records |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007093439/http://research.sabr.org/journals/clarifying-some-of-the-records |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Peticca |first=Mike |title=No-hitters: Did you ever attend a record-book type major league game? Tell us your memories |date=July 27, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] |url=http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/07/no-hitters_or_perfect_game_did.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014231559/http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/07/no-hitters_or_perfect_game_did.html |archive-date=October 14, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Even after he allowed a hit, Young's scoreless streak reached a then-record 45 shutout innings.

Before Young, only two pitchers had thrown perfect games. This occurred in 1880, when [[Lee Richmond]] and [[John Montgomery Ward]] pitched perfect games within five days of each other, although under somewhat different rules: the front edge of the pitcher's box was only {{convert|45|ft|m}} from home base (the modern release point is about {{convert|10|ft|m}} farther away); walks required eight [[Strike zone|balls]]; and pitchers were obliged to throw side-armed. Young's perfect game was the first under the modern rules established in 1893. One year later, on July 4, 1905, Rube Waddell beat Young and the Americans, 4–2, in a 20-inning matchup. Young pitched 13 consecutive scoreless innings before he gave up a pair of unearned runs in the final inning. Young did not walk a batter and was later quoted: "For my part, I think it was the greatest game of ball I ever took part in."<ref name=waddell>{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiaathletics.org/history/rubevscy.htm |title=Waddell vs Young |access-date=June 23, 2007 |work=By Daniel O’Brien |publisher=Philadelphia Athletics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626103928/http://www.philadelphiaathletics.org/history/rubevscy.htm |archive-date=June 26, 2007 }}</ref> In 1907, Young and Waddell faced off in a scoreless 13-inning tie.

In 1908, Young pitched the third no-hitter of his career. Three months past his 41st birthday, he was the oldest pitcher to record a no-hitter, a record which would stand 82 years until 43-year-old [[Nolan Ryan]] broke it. Only a walk kept Young from his second perfect game. After that runner was caught stealing, no other batter reached base. At the time, Young was the second-oldest player in either league. In another game one month before his no-hitter, he allowed just one single while facing 28 batters.<ref name="Chronology"/> On August 13, 1908, the league celebrated "Cy Young Day". No American League games were played on that day, and a group of All-Stars from the league's other teams gathered in Boston to play against Young and the Red Sox.<ref>{{cite web| title = Cy Young Day | work = brainyhistory.com | url=http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1908/august_13_1908_72365.html | access-date = November 11, 2006 }}</ref> When the season ended, he posted a 1.26 ERA, which gave him not only the lowest in his career, but also a major league record of being the oldest pitcher with 150+ innings and an ERA under 1.50.

===Cleveland Naps (1909–1911)===
Young was traded back to Cleveland, the place where he played over half his career, before the 1909 season, to the [[Cleveland Naps]] of the American League. The following season, 1910, he won his 500th career game on July 19 against Washington.<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1910&t=CL91910 Cleveland Naps Schedule] Baseball Almanac. Retrieved March 29, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/07/24/102044362.pdf "Cy Young's Great Record"] New York Times. July 24, 1910. Retrieved March 29, 2020.</ref>

===Boston Rustlers (1911) and retirement===
He split 1911, his final year, between the Naps and the [[Boston Rustlers]]. On September 22, 1911, Young shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1–0, for his last career victory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1911/B09220PIT1911.htm |title=Boston Rustlers 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 0 |access-date=August 3, 2008 |work=Retrosheet }}</ref> In his final start two weeks later, the last eight batters of Young's career combined to hit a [[Triple (baseball)|triple]], four [[Single (baseball)|singles]], and three [[Double (baseball)|doubles]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1911/B10062BRO1911.htm |title=Brooklyn Superbas 13, Boston Rustlers 3 (2) |access-date=August 3, 2008 |work=Retrosheet }}</ref> By the time of his retirement, Young's control had faltered. He had also gained weight.<ref name=dugout/> In two of his last three years, he was the oldest player in the league.<ref name=stats/>

===Career accomplishments===
Young established numerous pitching records, some of which have stood for over a century. Young compiled 511 [[Win (baseball)|wins]], which is the [[List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders|most in major league history]] and 94 ahead of [[Walter Johnson]], second on the list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/pitching/piwins2.shtml |title=Career Leaders for Wins |access-date=July 16, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref> At the time of Young's retirement, [[Pud Galvin]] had the second most career wins with 364. In addition to wins, Young still holds the major league records for most career [[innings pitched]] (7,356), most career games started (815), and most [[complete game]]s (749).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_ip.shtml |title=Innings Pitched Records |access-date=July 16, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_gams.shtml |title=Games Started Records |access-date=July 16, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_gamcg.shtml |title=Complete Games Records |access-date=July 16, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref> He also retired with 316 [[Loss (baseball)|losses]], the most in MLB history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/loss-records.shtml |title=Games Lost Records |access-date=July 16, 2008 |work=Baseball Almanac }}</ref> Young's career record for strikeouts was broken by Johnson in 1921.<ref>SABR, p.210, {{ISBN|978-1-4165-3245-3}} Retrieved on August 3, 2008</ref> Young's 76 career shutouts are fourth all-time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/historical/leaders.jsp?c_id=mlb&baseballScope=mlb&statType=2&sortByStat=SHO&timeFrame=3&timeSubFrame2=0|title=Pitching Leaders, Career All Time|work=mlb.com|access-date=July 29, 2008}}</ref>

{{Quote box |width= 18em |border= 4px |align= left|bgcolor= #FAF0E6 |halign= center | title="[[Line-Up for Yesterday]]"|quote=''Y is for Young''<br />''The magnificent Cy;''<br />''People batted against him,''<br />''But I never knew why.''
|source= — [[Ogden Nash]], [[Sport (US magazine)|''Sport'' magazine]] (January 1949)<ref name="nashpoem">{{Cite web |last=Nash |first=Ogden |title=Line-Up For Yesterday |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_line.shtml |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> }}
Young led his league in wins five times (1892, 1895, and 1901–1903), finishing second twice. His career high was 36 in 1892. He won at least 30 games in a season five times. He had 15 seasons with 20 or more wins, two more than [[Christy Mathewson]] and [[Warren Spahn]]. Young won two [[Earned run average|ERA]] titles during his career, in 1892 (1.93) and in 1901 (1.62), and was three times the runner-up. Young's earned run average was below 2.00 six times, but it was not uncommon during the [[dead-ball era]]. Although Young threw over 400 innings in each of his first four full seasons, he did not lead his league until 1902. He had 40 or more complete games nine times. Young also led his league in strikeouts twice (140 in 1896 and 158 in 1901), and in shutouts seven times.<ref name=stats/> Young led his league in fewest walks per nine innings fourteen times and finished second once. Only twice in his 22-year career did he finish lower than 5th in the category. Although the [[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]] ratio was not calculated until well after Young's death, he was retroactively league leader seven times and was second or third another seven times.<ref name=stats/>

Young is tied with [[Roger Clemens]] for the most career wins by a Boston Red Sox pitcher: they each won 192 games while with the franchise.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston Red Sox Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/leaders_pitch.shtml |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In addition, Young pitched three [[no-hitter]]s, including the third [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] in baseball history, first in baseball's "modern era". Young also was an above average hitting pitcher. He posted a .210 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (623-for-2960) with 325 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 290 [[Run batted in|RBIs]], 18 [[home runs]], and 81 [[bases on balls|walks]]. From 1891 through 1905, he drove in 10 or more runs for 15 straight seasons, with a high of 28 in 1896.<ref name="stats" />