A workhorse pitcher with a powerful fastball, Cy Young stands true as one of the greatest pitchers in the long history of our National Pastime. Playing for teams in Cleveland, St. Louis, and Boston, Young set incredible pitching records that have no chance of being surpassed. His 511 wins, by far the most all time, are almost 300 more than the current active leader, Bartolo Colon.

     Denton True Young was a trailblazer during a rough-and-tumble era of baseball, throwing the first pitch in the modern World Series when his Boston Americans played the Pittsburgh Pirates for the championship in 1903. The Americans, led by the 36 year old Young, defeated the Pirates in eight games. Cy appeared in four games, throwing three complete games while winning two and losing one. His ERA, a sterling 1.85, was the lowest of any pitcher to throw at least nine innings in that Fall Classic. An excellent hitting pitcher, Young contributed at the dish in this series. His three run triple in Game 5 powered the Americans to an 11-2 win, in which he also threw a complete game, allowing only two unearned runs.

     Young would continue to pitch at a high level until 1911, his age 44 season. In his retirement, Young lived a peaceful life in rural Ohio, frequently returning to the baseball consciousness for games and other events. In 1937, Young was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a part of its second class, along with Nap Lajoie and Tris Speaker. A bridge between baseball’s early days as a sport played by outlaws and the current version of the game we still enjoy today, Young has an unimpeachable legacy as one of the greatest and most important players to ever grace the diamond.

     In 1956, the year after Cy died at the venerable age of 88, MLB established the Cy Young Award to honor the best pitcher in baseball (and later in each league). This award is a fitting tribute to the man who essentially invented modern pitching, a man who was the first ace and a consummate champion.

     Young signed this Ford C. Frick Official National League baseball to the right of Frick’s stamped signature. He signed this Spalding orb in 1946. Young used a bold black pen to scribe his signature, which presents beautifully even after all these years. This ball has been encapsulated and authenticated by Beckett Authentication, who have graded the signature a MINT 9 (0009788903) and a LOA from JSA (Z24409).

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