The Atlanta ace was 16-6 with a 1.56 ERA, the third-lowest in 75 years. His ERA was more than 2 1/2 runs below the league average, the biggest differential in U.S. baseball history. He was the sixth pitcher to win the award three times, a total exceeded only by Steve Carlton's four.
Maddux, who lost $999,960 in salary during the 52-day player strike, also recouped a large chunk by winning the award in voting by a committee of the Baseball Writers Association of America. The five-year, $28 million contract he signed as a free agent with Atlanta after winning his first Cy Young with the Chicago Cubs in 1992 calls for an annual bonus of $250,000 for winning the award and a $500,000 bonus on top of that for winning it twice during the life of the contract.
"Naturally, I'm very excited," said Maddux, who was quick to thank his teammates and coaches. "I certainly had a lot of help, playing for a talented team like the Braves. We have a very good defensive team."
However, the super hurler expressed his disappointment over the decision by owners to cancel the playoffs and World Series after the players went on strike in August.
"One of the few goals I had set for myself was to play in a World Series and that was taken away from me and my teammates," added Maddux,
Atlanta General Manager John Schuerholz recently said he questioned whether bonuses should be honored in a strike-abbreviated season.
Monday, however, Schuerholz said Maddux had turned in another spectacular season and deserved the bonus.
"When we put that clause in, we were hoping he would do it," Schuerholz said. "If a guy wins the Cy Young, his team normally wins a pennant, but this wasn't a normal year."
The Braves trailed the Montreal Expos by six games in the National League East when the season was canceled.
Ken Hill, who was 16-5 with a 3.32 ERA for the Expos, was second in the voting. Bret Saberhagen of the New York Mets was third. He had a 14-4 mark with a 2.74 ERA.
Maddux, one of baseball's best all-around athletes, became the first unanimous Cy Young winner since Orel Hershiser in 1988. The right-hander led the majors with 202 innings pitched and 10 complete games, and tied with Hill for the lead in victories with 16. The Gold Glove fielder also batted .222 -- above the league-leading low of .207 that opponents hit against him.
(AP, LAT, Reuters)
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