After years of decline, offensive totals bottomed out this year. Pitchers were in complete control of the game; the league ERA was 2.99. Hitters batted just .243. Some of the individual pitching performances were incredible; in the AL, Denny McLain won 31 games. In the NL, the Cardinals won the pennant, and their best pitcher, Bob Gibson, had a 1.12 ERA.

         Gibson was the unanimous winner of the Cy Young Award. I can't disagree; I think his numbers speak for themselves. What I want to know is, how did he lose 9 games? I know runs were hard to come by this year... but think about it. Gibson gave up 1 run for every 9 innings he pitched, and he still lost 9 games. In addition to his fabulous season, Gibson really made his reputation in the first game of the World Series, when he struck out a record 17 batters. He was equally dominant in his next start, but the Detroit Tigers got to him in Game Seven, and won the Series.
        Don Drysdale was 32 years old, and he was coming off two straight losing seasons. He pitched very well this year, throwing 8 shutouts, though his won-loss record still wasn't great. This was the year that Drysdale threw 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, a new record (breaking Doc White's old record). Drysdale got some help; with the record drawing near, Drysdale hit a batter with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. But the umpire ruled that the batter had not made an effort to avoid the pitch. This was highly suspicious on the part of the umpire, and it tainted the record a little... but it doesn't really matter, as Orel Hershiser broke it in 1988. Drysdale won 5 games in 1969, and never pitched again.
        The New York Mets had made a habit this decade of finishing at or near last place; they did so again this year. Funny thing, though; next year they won the World Series. The "Miracle Mets", they were called, and perhaps they were. But you could see that things were about to turn around; both Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman were in their second seasons, Seaver was 23, Koosman was 25. Both were already among the best pitchers in the league, and would continue to pitch well for a long time.
        Gibson is an obvious choice for the award. Next, you can't argue with Juan Marichal, and then Koosman. In the fourth spot, I'm tempted to take Seaver, or maybe Steve Blass. But Fergie Jenkins won 20 games for the Cubs, and his ERA was pretty good for a guy pitching in Wrigley Field. I'll take him.