#ThisDayThatYear: Eckersley achieves Cy Young-MVP double in same season (1992)
On November 19, 1992, Oakland Athletics reliever Dennis Eckersley achieved a historic milestone, becoming the American League MVP. Eckersley led MLB with 51 saves in 54 chances, a club record. His incredible season made him just the ninth player in MLB to win both the Cy Young Award and MVP honors in the same year. Here's more.
The ace's impressive 1992 season recap
In 1992, Eckersley earned AL MVP and Cy Young honors with 51 saves (1.91 ERA). He joined Rollie Fingers (1981) and Willie Hernández (1984) as becoming only the third reliever to win both awards. Eckersley managed a 7-1 record, pitched 80 innings, and managed 62 strikeouts, with a 0.91 WHIP across 69 games. In the three postseason games, he had a 6.00 ERA.
Pitchers who won Cy Young and MVP in same season
Only 11 players have won both the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season. Brooklyn Dodgers' Don Newcombe, was the first player to do so in 1956. Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Koufax then followed it by a stellar 1963 season. The most recent occurrence of the rare double was in 2014 when Clayton Kershaw won both awards in 2014 with the Dodgers.
MLB relievers winning both the Cy Young and MVP award
Rollie Fingers was the first reliever to win both the awards in 1981 season, capping off a stellar season with a 6-3 record and his then career-high 28 saves. Fingers then managed 29 saves the next season. Three years later Willie Hernandez repeated the feat while playing for the Detroit Tigers. He recorded a career-high 32 saves with a 9-3 record across 80 games.
