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MLB

Former I-Cub Jake Arrieta Wins NL Cy Young

By Randy Wehofer
November 19, 2015

Des Moines, IA - Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta was named the National League Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday in a vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He is the fifth pitcher in Chicago Cubs history to win the award and is the fifth player in Iowa history to go on and claim the honor.

The Cubs acquired Arrieta in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles on July 2, 2013 and assigned him to Iowa. His Iowa debut came on July 5 at Albuquerque and lasted just one inning due to rain. He would make seven starts over two stints with Iowa that year, and was 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA (12ER/30.1IP). His top performance came on August 4 when he set a team-high, and matched a minor league career-high, with 11 strikeouts in five scoreless innings while earning a win at Tacoma. 

Arrieta is the first Cub, and first former I-Cub, to win the Cy Young Award since Greg Maddux in 1992. Maddux, who pitched for Iowa in parts of the 1986 and '87 seasons, also won the award with Atlanta in 1993, '94, and '95. Three other pitchers played for the Iowa Oaks and went on to win the American League Cy Young Award. Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez made 18 appearances, including eight starts, for the Oaks in 1981 (the franchise's first season as a Cubs' affiliate and final season with the Oaks nickname). Hernandez was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in May of 1982 and later dealt to the Detroit Tigers in March of 1984. Hernandez led the AL with 80 appearances and recorded 32 saves in helping the Tigers to a World Series title. He won both the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards that year. Lamar Hoyt won the Cy Young Award in 1983 with the Chicago White Sox. He pitched in 33 games, including 17 starts, for the Oaks over three seasons (1977, '79-80). Vida Blue pitched for the Oaks in 1970 and was 12-3 with a 2.17 ERA (32ER/133.0IP) in 17 starts. He tossed nine complete games, including four shutouts, and struck out 165 batters. His strikeout total is still Iowa's single season record and his season ERA ranks second all-time for pitchers with at least 100 IP in a year. (Rich Hill posted a 1.80 mark in 2006).

Two other former Iowa players have Cy Young ties. Rick Sutcliffe won the NL Cy Young for the Cubs in 1984 and later pitched on Major League rehab with Iowa in both 1990 and '91. Denny McLain won the AL Cy Young for the Detroit Tigers in both 1968 and 1969. He made eight appearances (four starts) for Iowa in 1973 in the final stop of his professional career.

The Chicago Cubs have matched a Major League record with three major award winners this week. Kris Bryant was named the NL Rookie of the Year on Monday and Joe Maddon was voted as the NL Manager of the Year on Tuesday.