NEW YORK (REUTERS) ? Randy Johnson captured his third successive Cy Young Award, winning as the National League’s top pitcher by a wide margin Tuesday over his Arizona Diamondbacks teammate, Curt Schilling.
Johnson, nicknamed the “Big Unit” for his menacing 6-foot-10 frame, icy stare and 98-mph fastball, won 30 of 32 first-place votes for 156 points in the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
“I am extremely blessed,” Johnson said. “I have been around a lot of great baseball players who have made me look good.”
Johnson went 21-6 and led the National League with an ERA of 2.49. His 373 strikeouts in 249 2/3 innings established a record for strikeouts per nine innings (13.4).
Schilling, who teamed up with Johnson to pitch Arizona to a seven-game World Series triumph over the New York Yankees and was the co-MVP with Johnson of the series, received the other two first-place votes and finished second in the voting with 98 points.
The voting was conducted before the post-season began.
Schilling posted a 22-6 record with a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 293 batters and led the major leagues with 256 innings pitched.
“I got a call from Curt,” Johnson said. “That was before we knew who had won, and he just wanted to thank me for helping him become a better pitcher. “
“I would have had no problem with it being co-winners.”
Said Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo, “This is his day and his award. To say we are proud of him is an understatement.”
Colangelo brought Johnson to the Diamondbacks as a free agent before the 1999 season.
“When the decision was made to go out and compete, the one guy I targeted was Randy,” Colangelo said. “He gets better every year ? wins, strikeouts and most importantly, the postseason.”
Matt Morris of the St. Louis Cardinals, who tied Schilling for the league lead with 22 wins, finished third with one second-place vote and 28 thirds for 31 points.
Morris continued his remarkable comeback from surgery and was 22-8 with a 3.16 ERA. He became the first St. Louis pitcher to win 22 games since Hall of Famer Bob Gibson won 23 in 1970.
Johnson, 38, became the first pitcher to win the Cy Young three times in a row since Greg Maddux, who won from 1992 to 1995. It is the fourth Cy Young for Johnson, who also won the American League award with the Seattle Mariners in 1995.
Roger Clemens of the New York Yankees has the all-time record, with five Cy Young awards. Steve Carlton and Maddux are the only other pitchers with four awards.
