Jack McDowell, who became the first Chicago White Sox in a decade to win the American League Cy Young Award, hopes he'll still be pitching for them next season.
"I'm definitely looking forward to staying here," McDowell said Tuesday after the voting was announced. "The team was really close. For a few years after I got here, the team changed over every year."It's not known whether McDowell will remain with the White Sox next season. He made $4 million in 1993 and there has been speculation Chicago would trade him if the sides can't agree on a multiyear contract.
"Talks have been going well, and I hope we can worked things out," he said. "Obviously, if we can't come to terms, it might be in their best interest to make a deal at some point. That's why we're working hard to get something done."
McDowell's award came a week after Chicago Gene Lamont was voted AL Manager of the Year. Frank Thomas is favored to win the AL Most Valuable Player award next week.
"It definitely means a lot. It's one of those historical things, and whenever you get to be a part of that, it's pretty amazing, something I really cherish," McDowell said.
McDowell, who was 22-10 and led the AL in victories, easily outdistanced Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. McDowell came in second in last year's balloting.
McDowell, who has lost his Black Jack image by dyeing his hair and beard blond after the AL playoffs, said innings pitched were the key to his success.
"If you are throwing 230 innings, 240 innings, 250 innings, you've got to be doing everything else well and throwing pretty well to be throwing that many innings a year," said McDowell, who pitched 2562/3 innings in 1993.
Kevin Appier of the Kansas City Royals was third in the balloting with 30 points, followed by Jimmy Key of the New York Yankees with 14 points and Toronto reliever Duane Ward with five points. Two Blue Jays followed, with Pat Hentgen getting three points and Juan Guzman getting one.
McDowell, who won 20 games and finished behind Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in last year's voting, won this time despite a 3.37 ERA, the third-highest ever for a Cy Young winner.
McDowell, 27, slumped late, going 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA after Aug. 31. He also was 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA against Toronto in Chicago's six-game playoff loss, but voting was completed before the start of the postseason.
McDowell is the winningest pitcher of the 1990s at 73-39 and the third White Sox pitcher to win the award, joining Lamarr Hoyt (1983) and Early Wynn (1959).