Lee Wins the Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year Award
San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum and Cleveland’s Cliff Lee are Sporting News’ Pitchers of the Year, as selected by a panel of 314 major league players.
In just his second season in the majors, the 24-year-old Lincecum went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA and led the majors with 265 strikeouts in 227 innings.
“You don’t see many guys his size throwing that hard, but it’s not so much his size and deception. It’s his stuff. He has ‘A’ stuff,” Phillies second baseman Chase Utley told Sporting News.
Lee tied for the major league lead with 22 wins — he finished 22-3 — and his 2.54 ERA was best in the American League. In 223 1/3 innings, the left-hander allowed just 34 walks and struck out 170.
“He’s always had the stuff, but this year he coupled that stuff with the ability to locate and trust his pitches,” Cleveland catcher Kelly Shoppach told SN. “He had zero fear of throwing to either side of the plate, no matter who the hitter was.”
The complete Sporting News’ MLB Awards package will be available in this week’s magazine, which also includes Sporting News’ Player of the Year, Managers of the Year, Comeback Players of the Year, Rookies of the Year and Relievers of the Year as well, as the magazine’s National League and American League all-star teams.
Matt has covered Major League Baseball and the "other two" Pro teams in Cleveland since 1994. He has been on the beat of the Indians in full-time mode since 1996, working for various raido and print networks around the country.
