Eckersley Voted AL Cy Young Award Winner

Dennis Eckersley, who had a career-high 51 saves for the Oakland Athletics this season, on Tuesday became the first reliever since Detroit’s Guillermo Hernandez in 1984 to win the American League Cy Young Award.

Eckersley, 38, received 19 of 28 first-place votes from a panel consisting of two writers in each of the 14 league cities. Jack McDowell of the Chicago White Sox was a distant second with two firsts and 51 points, followed by Roger Clemens of Boston.

“This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. I feel very lucky,” Eckersley said during a satellite news conference from his home in Boston.

In the last five seasons, Eckersley has 220 saves in 246 chances.

Mike Mussina of Baltimore was fourth with two firsts and 26 points, followed by Jack Morris of Toronto with one first and 10 points, Kevin Brown of Texas with nine points and Charles Nagy of Cleveland with one point.

Milwaukee’s Rollie Fingers in 1981 and New York’s Sparky Lyle in 1977 are the only other relievers to win the AL pitching honor.

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Brown, who last season became the Texas Rangers’ first 20-game winner since Ferguson Jenkins in 1974, said that a recent examination found a broken rib near the left shoulder blade. The right-hander said that the injury wasn’t expected to affect his preparations for next season.