It is very early in the 2023 season, and yet already we have on our hands the very real possibility that Shohei Ohtani may claim both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young awards. Has this happened before? The answer is actually yes and it happened in 1992. The history maker was legendary A’s closer Dennis Eckersley who won both awards in a historic 1992 campaign where he all but willed the A’s, by then starting to fall from their late 80’s and early 90’s peak to one last hurrah.
Eckersley had been in the majors since 1975 and began his career as a starter. In fact, he was rather good in this role early on in his career and even threw a no-hitter as a member of the Indians in 1977. He would enjoy further success in Boston including a 20 win campaign in 1978. However, things would turn for the worst in the 80’s and by the end of 1986, he had been jettisoned by the Cubs after a miserable campaign that year (6-11, 4.57 ERA). His career looked to be firmly on the down-swing as that season ended for the then 31 year old.
Three major changes happened in Eck’s life as 1986 became 1987. Firstly, he sought help and got clean after years of struggling with alcohol related issues. Secondly, he became an Oakland Athletic. Finally, he became a reliever and here began one of baseball’s great comebacks. By mid-1987, he was the primary closer for a team on the come-up. He would then proceed to rack up no less than 33 saves every season from 1988-91 inclusive. His 1990 season featured an absurd 0.61 ERA and 3.3WAR (as a closer) that was perhaps statistically better than the year we will discuss. He would put up multiple top 10 finishes in both the Cy Young and MVP races during those years. All this though, was a prelude for a historic 1992 season.
The A’s went into 1992 having played three World Series in a row from 1988-90, winning it in 1989. They looked up at the Twins in 1991 though and by 1992 they appeared to be heading towards transition. They still had the Bash Brothers, but Jose Canseco was traded mid-year. That said, the return in Ruben Sierra was worthwhile as the A’s made one last playoff push in the AL West. Veterans like Willie Wilson, Terry Steinbach, Carney Lansford and Walt Weiss supplemented a pitching staff including Ron Darling, Dave Stewart, Bob Welch and a bullpen featuring Rick Honeycutt, Goose Gossage (40 by then) and Jeff Parrett. They went 96-66 en route to reaching the ALCS in the then two division format where they lost to Toronto.
Eckersley in 1992 would anchor what was by all means a strong bullpen made all the stronger by having a closer best described as automatic. Eckersley would go on to post a 1.91ERA and 0.91WHIP, largely deriving from an absurd 11BB across 80 innings, one of the best control ratios ever seen. He would strike out 93 men and gave up just 62 hits en route to a 2.9WAR. He would also set a new career high with 51 saves and seven relief wins. His ERA+ was an exceptional 195 and FIP a minuscule 1.72. He was voted both MVP and Cy Young Award winner at the end of the season.
A couple of things to note here. The WAR is a bit low because of the nature of relief pitching. Relievers of the 60’s and 70’s posted higher WAR values on the account of having higher workloads hence why Eck’s WAR in 1992, or even his still more brilliant 1990, is lower than Sparky Lyle’s 3.7WAR in 1977 for example. Another thing to note is that his ERA+ pales drastically with his mind-boggling 603 figure from 1990. That’s how good his 1990 season was even compared to his MVP year. However, 1990 was the same year Rickey Henderson posted a 1.016 OPS, stole 65 bases and posted a 9.9WAR en route to winning the MVP and Cecil Fielder blasted 51 homers. On the pitching side, Roger Clemens picked that year to post a 21-6, 1.93ERA line with a 10.4WAR with a 211ERA+ and still finished 2nd in the Cy Young race to 27 game winner Bob Welch. In 1992, the highest WAR was again put up by Roger Clemens but it was only 8.7 and he only won 18 games. (remember WAR was not a consideration in Cy Young voting back then) The only 20 game winners were Jack Morris (ERA was 4.04) and Jack McDowell (on a weak White Sox team). On the hitting side, nobody put up an OPS over .975 (Frank Thomas) and the home run leader was Juan Gonzalez with 43.
To make a long story short, Dennis Eckersley’s 1992 numbers simply popped off the page more because the league leaders as a whole were less remarkable than in 1990. He was wholly deserving of both Cy Young and MVP awards in both seasons, but he only got it in 1992 because for starters, he hit the 50 save plateau which he did not in 1990, and because his numbers were on the surface more remarkable than those of his peers. There was more visibility that year for his achievements even though he was on a playoff team both years and he was dominant both years.
1992 was the final year of Oakland dominance over the American League West. It was also the final year of Eckersley’s dominance over MLB closers as he would never again finish top 10 in the Cy Young race. After the Alomar clout that confirmed 1992 as Toronto’s year, Eck did remain a strong bullpen option. He would retire in 1998 at age 43 as the only relief pitcher to ever win both a Cy Young and an MVP award in the same year and with a second career that was better than the first. That brilliant second act, climaxing in that historic 1992 campaign, would lead to a plaque in Cooperstown in 2004 and a successful broadcasting career that he has untaken in his post-playing life. He overcame personal demons and the perception that he was finished. Eck proved F. Scott Fitzgerald wrong on one of his most famous quotes. It turns out there can be second acts in America as Dennis Eckersley the relief ace showed, and even third ones if you count Dennis Eckersley the broadcaster.
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