Bartolo Colon--"Mo didn't have enough saves." 11/9/05

Fascinating, Bartolo. Do tell us more.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tom Haudricourt

In the days leading up to the announcement of the award, Colon admitted to having doubts about emerging as the winner. He said he had a considerable respect for Rivera, who taught him how to throw the "cut" fastball that made the Yankees' closer one of the best in the business.

"A lot of crazy things came into my head," said Colon, who indicated he began thinking about the award after beating the White Sox's Jon Garland in an early-September match-up in Chicago.

"I have a lot of respect for Mariano Rivera. I knew he had a great year but other pitchers had more saves. I thought that might change the vote a little bit.

From the AP Mike Fitzpatrick, 11/9/05

NEW YORK -- Bartolo Colon won the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday in a surprisingly one-sided vote...

• "Surprisingly one-sided," showing that someone was cheated.

Also on 11/9/05, Matt Hurst beat reporter for the Angels voted for Colon and left Mariano off
the ballot entirely, also citing...guess who, the media darling Trevor...(from the NY Daily News)

One voter, Matt Hurst of the Riverside Press-Enterprise, voted for Colon and said he did not specifically exclude relievers but felt they needed to have an extraordinary season to beat out a strong starter candidate. He did not include Rivera on his ballot at all.

When Hurst compared Rivera's numbers this year to Dodgers closer Eric Gagne's stats in 2003 (when he had 55 saves, a 1.20 ERA and won the NL Cy Young), Rivera came up short; Hurst also pointed to Trevor Hoffman's 1998 season, in which he had 53 saves and a 1.48 ERA but finished second to Tom Glavine in the NL Cy Young voting, a similar situation to Rivera's this year.

"I wanted to put Rivera on my ballot, but after looking at those numbers, I felt like this was not the year," Hurst said.

• This is a crime.

And on 11/8/05 from Mike Scarr at MLB.com

"Still, speculation centered on Rivera as having the superior season and the idea haunted Colon during the first few weeks of the offseason. But it is Colon with this year's honor and he gives some of the credit to Rivera.

"He has taught me to hold the cut fastball," Colon said of the pitch that is considered one of the best in baseball. "He has also taught me how to be a complete pitcher."....

Colon named AL Cy Young winner | MLB.com: News

Nov 8, 2005 ... Colon named AL Cy Young winner. Angels right-hander easily outdistances runner-

up Rivera. By Mike Scarr / MLB.com ...
mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051108&content_id=1266027&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id...