Baseball History: Billy Pierce

Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe won the very first Cy Young Award in 1956 as he posted a 27-7 record, while receiving 10 of the 16 votes from the baseball writers representing each team.

While Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees picked up one vote, it was Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox who would have likely won the award for the American League that season.

Pierce was the top pitcher in the balloting for AL Most Valuable Player in fifth place, while Bob Lemon of Cleveland was 10th and Ford finished 12th.

The lefty was 20-9 for the White Sox with an ERA of 3.32 as he led the AL in complete games with 21. He tossed a pair of three-hitters, winning 3-0 in Kansas City on April 22 and 2-1 at home against Cleveland on May 25.

In his 10th big league season, Pierce started the all-star game on the mound for the third and final time of his career. He worked the first three frames giving up a run, which tagged him with the loss as the NL won 7-3 in Washington D.C.

A seven-time all-star, Pierce finished his 18-year career with a 211-164 record. He pitched for Detroit in 1945 and 1948 before getting traded to the White Sox where he spent most of his career from 1949 to 1961.

In 1953, Pierce led the AL in strikeouts with 186. Two years later he led the league with an ERA of 1.97 in 1955, while recording a 20-12 mark that was the most victories in 1957. After leading the AL in complete games in 1956, he finished on top with 16 and 19 the following two seasons.

When the White Sox won the AL pennant in 1959, Pierce was 14-15 and appeared in three World Series games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and didn’t allow a run.

After the 1961 season, Pierce was sent to San Francisco where he helped the Giants reach the World Series. He was 16-6 that season and finished third in the National League Cy Young voting. After losing the third game of the World Series to the Yankees, Pierce won the fifth contest.

Pierce would go 6-11 with the Giants in his final two seasons as he would retire after 1964.

1956 VOTING FOR CY YOUNG AWARD

Don Newcombe (Brooklyn Dodgers) 10
Sal Maglie (Cleveland Indians-Brooklyn Dodgers) 4
Whitey Ford (New York Yankees) 1
Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves) 1

PRESS ROOM PASS CY YOUNG AWARD WINNERS (1956-1966)

1956 – Billy Pierce Chicago White Sox (20-9)

CY YOUNG AWARD WINNERS (1956-1966)

1956 – Don Newcombe Brooklyn Dodgers (27–7)
1957 – Warren Spahn Milwaukee Braves (21–11)
1958 –
Bob Turley New York Yankees (21–7)
1959 –
Early Wynn Chicago White Sox (22–10)
1960 –
Vern Law Pittsburgh Pirates (20–9)
1961 – Whitey Ford New York Yankees (25–4)
1962 –
Don Drysdale Los Angeles Dodgers (25–9)
1963 –
Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers (25–5)
1964 –
Dean Chance Los Angeles Angels (20–9)
1965 – Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers (26–8)
1966 – Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers (27–9)

Since 1967, the Cy Young Award has been handed out to the best pitcher in the American and National leagues. However, during the first 11 years of the award there was only one winner.

This series takes a look at who might have won the award, if there had been winners in both leagues in the early years.