History

As a baseball writer and president of the National League, Ford Frick was bothered by the fact that pitchers rarely received any consideration for the Most Valuable Player awards.

After becoming commissioner of baseball in 1951, Frick began a campaign to establish an award for the outstanding pitcher in the major leagues. He finally succeeded in 1956, when the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) approved such an award. It was named the Cy Young Memorial Award, for the great pitcher who had died in November of 1955.

Originally, one BWAA member from each major league city took part in the balloting and was allowed to vote for just one pitcher. If there was a tie, a second vote was taken, with only the tied pitchers on the ballot.

Once a pitcher won the award, he wasn't eligible to win again. However, that rule was abandoned in 1958.

Many BWAA members wanted an award for each major league, but Frick opposed that idea. It was finally adopted in 1967, a little more than a year after Frick retired and was replaced by William D. Eckert. At the same time, the vote was expanded to include two writers from each major league city.

After Denny McLain and Mike Cuellar tied for the American League award in 1969, the balloting system was changed. Each writer was to vote for three pitchers, with 5 points awarded for a first-place vote, 3 for second place, and 1 for third place. That system is still used.

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