Nov. 15, 1962 - Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers today won the Cy Young Award as the major leagues’ pitcher of the year. The 26-year-old fireballing right-hander from Van Nuys, Calif., received 14 of the votes cast by the 20-man committee of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Not a single vote was cast for an American League pitcher. Jack Sanford, a 24-game winner for the Giants, finished second to Drysdale with 4 votes. One vote went to a 23-game winner, Bob Purkey of the Reds, and one went to a 16-game winner, Billy Pierce of the Giants. Drysdale, a 6-foot-6-inch 230-pounder, led the majors in victories (25) and innings pitched (314) during the 1962 campaign. He was the National League’s biggest winner since 1956, when Don Newcombe posted a 27-7 record and took the same award. The Cy Young Award has become a jinx award since Newcombe won it. The following year, Newcombe won only 11 games against 12 defeats. The only Cy Young winner who shook the jinx was Warren Spahn of the Braves, who won the award in 1957 with a 21-11 record. The following season, he had a 22-11 mark. Other winners were Bob Turley, Early Wynn, Vernon Law, and Whitey Ford — all of whom had disappointing seasons the following year.
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