Felix Hernandez wins the 2010 National League Cy Young award
On Thursday 18 November, Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez was awarded the 2010 American League Cy Young award. The Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) presents the Cy
Young on an annual basis to the best pitcher in each league. In winning the award, Hernandez garnered 21 of a possible 28 first place votes from the BWAA.
Hernandez did not have a gaudy total of wins for the 2010 season; playing on the offensively challenged Mariners, his win loss record stood at 13-12. His win total was far worse than his
two closest competitors for the award, David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays (19-6) and C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees (21-7).
The Mariners finished in last place in the A.L., posting a record of 61-101 and offered Hernandez very little run support. In 10 of his starts the team was either shut-out or held to a
single run.
In this environment Hernandez did his best to keep the opposition off the scoreboard. He led the major leagues with an earned run average of 2.27 and was second in strikeouts with 232,
one behind Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Hernandez was at home in Venezuela when he received the news that he had won the award. "This confirms the Cy Young is an award not only for the pitcher with the most wins but the most
dominant,” said Hernandez.
Second place finisher, Price, felt that Hernandez was a deserving winner. “The numbers he put up, those were pretty ridiculous numbers outside of the won-loss column," Price said. "I feel
as if Felix was on a different team, if he was on the Yankees or something like that, he's going to win quite a few ballgames."
Hernandez received an automatic raise by winning the award. His salary for next season will increase to $11 million. He received $500,000 raises for the subsequent years of his contract,
and he will be paid $19 million in 2012, $20 million in 2013 and $20.5 million in 2014.
Roy Halladay was presented the National League Cy Young award on 16 November.
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