Nats’ Scherzer grabs third Cy Young
Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals coasted to his third Cy Young Award last night, winning for the second straight year in the National League. Scherzer breezed past Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, drawing 27 of the 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
“Yes!” Scherzer shouted, thrusting his arms up when the honor was announced on MLB Network.
Scherzer earned the NL honor last year with Washington and the 2013 American League prize with Detroit. He became the 10th pitcher with at least three Cy Youngs.
Scherzer was 16-6 with a career-best 2.51 ERA. The 33-year-old righty struck out a league-leading 268 for the NL East champion Nationals.
Kershaw already won three NL Cy Youngs, and was the last pitcher to win back-to-back. He was 18-4 with a league-best 2.31 ERA and 202 strikeouts.
Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals finished third.
Girardi was a-goner
Not even a World Series title would have saved Joe Girardi’s job managing the New York Yankees.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner revealed the decision to end Girardi’s tenure after a decade had long been discussed before the move was announced Oct. 26, five days after the seasonending loss to Houston in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.
A 28th title wouldn’t have caused Steinbrenner to change his mind.
“I’m sure there would have been more pressure,” Steinbrenner said yesterday at the general managers’ meeting in Orlando, Fla. “It maybe would have been a more difficult decision to make, but I still believe I would have made it because I felt that’s what’s best for the organization going forward.”
Steinbrenner said he spoke regularly with general manager Brian Cashman about the manager’s job throughout Girardi’s fouryear contract.
“This is not something that came from two or three weeks.” Steinbrenner said. “It came from two, three, four years and everything we observed in that time period.”
Girardi said Tuesday he expected to be back for an 11th season.
“I was a little shocked,” he said of his dismissal.
Now with the Mets
The New York Mets filled out their coaching staff, adding two former Red Sox coaches in Gary DiSarcina and Ruben Amaro Jr.
DiSarcina will become the bench coach for new manager Mickey Callaway. He was the Red Sox’ bench coach last season. Amaro will become the first base coach and outfield instructor. He was the Sox first base coach for two years.
Dave Eiland also was hired as the pitching coach. . . .
The Oakland A’s traded corner infielder Ryon Healy to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Emilio Pagan and shortstop Alexander Campos.