Dallas County now has a motto. "Home of the best pitchers in the major leagues.’’
It’s not bragging if it’s true.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, of Highland Park, and Cleveland right-hander Corey Kluber, of Coppell, are the shining examples. Each won a Cy Young award on Wednesday.
Kershaw was a unanimous choice in the National League. Kluber finished 10 points ahead of Seattle’s "King Felix" Hernandez in the American League.
"That’s awesome," Kershaw said of the double. "It seems like for whatever reason, there are always a lot of pitchers out of Texas. This is very cool."
The last similar sweep of a major Baseball Writers Association of America award came in 1941. Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio and Dolph Camilli, both from San Francisco, won their respective league’s Most Valuable Player trophy.
"It’s a really good area for baseball," Kluber said. "There are a lot of good athletes in Texas. You can get some good ballplayers out of good athletes."
Kershaw could add to his trophy collection on Thursday, when the NL MVP will be announced. He is a finalist along with Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Only 10 pitchers have collected the Cy Young and MVP in the same season, none in the NL since Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in 1968.
"I don’t know if I can even fathom that happening," Kershaw said. "It’s overwhelming."
This was Kershaw’s third Cy Young in the last four years. Kluber won in his first full major-league season.
Cleveland obtained Kluber in July, 2010, from San Diego as part of a three-way deal that included St. Louis. The Indians gave up right-hander Jake Westbrook.
Kluber shuttled between the majors and the minors in 2011-12. He opened the 2013 season in the Triple-A International League, working on refining a sinking fastball to go with a sharp slider. Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who finished his playing career with the Rangers in 2003-04, wanted Kluber to be less reliant on a cut fastball to help the slider.
Two weeks into the 2013, the Indians brought Kluber back to the majors. He has never looked back. Kluber is 29-14 with a 2.98 ERA in his last 58 starts. The sinker made a significant difference because it breaks in the opposite direction from the slider, forcing hitters to protect each side of the plate.
Kluber led the AL in wins and starts this season, going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA in 235 2/3 innings. Hernandez was 15-6 with a league-low 2.14 ERA in 236 innings. Kluber had the handicap of being backed by the AL’s worst defensive team by any metric.
"I really wasn’t expecting it," Kluber said. "I fully expected Felix to win. He had an outstanding year."
Kluber earned support with a strong second half. He was 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA in his last 14 starts. Hernandez was 4-4 with a 2.16 ERA in his last 14 starts. Each pitcher’s club was trying to get into the playoffs but failed.
"I built off the good things I had done and learned from things that didn’t go smoothly," Kluber said of his second half. "It felt like everything was clicking. I wasn’t fighting anything."
Kershaw watched Kluber on television several times this season and in person on June 30, when the Dodgers scratched out a run to beat him 1-0. For Kershaw, Kluber was always at his best.
"I didn’t realize how good he was," Kershaw said. "I don’t know if a lot of people did. Just look at his stuff, the way he pounds the strike zone, his breaking pitches. All our guys were saying how good he was. It was impressive to watch."
A Cy Young winner watched a Cy Young winner at work.
Highland Park's Clayton Kershaw unanimous NL Cy Young winner
Former Coppell standout Corey Kluber wins first Cy Young Award
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