Books and articles about Bret Saberhagen

Saberhagen was not selected until the 19th round in the 1982 draft but quickly proved to be a fine acquisition for Kansas City. After logging an 18-7 record in his first year of minor league play, Saberhagen earned a berth in the Royals' rotation at the tender age of twenty, and demonstrated control and poise beyond his years.

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In 1985 Saberhagen dodged the sophomore jinx by becoming the youngest pitcher ever to capture the Cy Young Award. He ran away with WS MVP honors by limiting the Cardinals to twelve baserunners and one run over 18 innings, and became a father during the Series.

Saberhagen has sharp control (1.8 walks per nine innings over his first five seasons) and a 93-mph fastball, but had trouble putting it all together for a full season, often having an outstanding first half and then faltering. But in 1989 he again excelled, leading the AL in wins (23-6) and ERA (2.16, lowest in the AL since 1978) with a Cy Young-quality season. (FO)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 25, 1934: Johnny Broaca, Yankee P, fans five times in a row while beating the White Sox 13–2. Not until Bernie Williams, on August 21, 1991, will another Yankee fan five times (by Bret Saberhagen). Gehrig hits for the cycle for the first time in his career, and the Yankees regain first place from the Tigers, losers 13–11 in Philadelphia. » September 27, 1970: The Orioles rally for two runs in the 8th inning to beat the Indians Sam McDowell, 4–3. Dick Hall wins his 10th game with three innings of hitless relief. He also walks no one and ends the year with more wins than walks—10 wins and only six walks in 61 innings. Not since Slim Sallee's 21 wins in 1919 when he walked 20 has a pitcher accomplished this. Bret Saberhagen in 1994 will be the next, winning 14 and walking 13. Before Sallee, Christy Mathewson had two seasons of more wins than walks. » June 7, 1982: The Cubs select SS Shawon Dunston, who batted .790 this season for Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson HS, with the first pick in the annual June free-agent draft. The Blue Jays then pick SS Augie Schmidt. The Twins, picking 4th overall, take lefty Brian Oelkers, who will be the first to reach the majors. Dwight Gooden is the 5th overall, taken by the Mets, one of 12 Mets draft picks who will make the igs. The Red Sox with three first round picks, use their first on Sam Horn and their last 1st round choice on FSU slugger Jeff Ledbetter, who hit an NCAA record 42 home runs: at least Horn will make the majors. The Yankees select high school SS Bo Jackson in the 2nd round, but he opts for Auburn instead. The Angels also go for a 2-sport star, taking U of Vermont's Kirk McCaskill, the first college player taken in last years NHL draft. The A's pick Jose Canseco in the 15th round and sign him for $15,000; the Royals mine gold on the 19th round by taking Bret Saberhagen. The Reds strike out in the first round when they select Illini high schooler Scott Jones, but so better with 9th rounder Tom Browning. » April 19, 1984: Kansas City's Bret Saberhagen picks up his first ML victory as the Royals beat the Tigers 5–2. It is the first loss of the season for the red-hot Tigers, who began the year 9–0 and will never fall out of first place in the American League East. Dan Petry pitches eight innings, allowing four earned runs in the loss. » September 30, 1985: Bret Saberhagen pitches a CG win over the Angels to win his 20th game of the year. The win gives the Royals a tie for 1st place in the A.L. West. George Brett and Jim Sundberg homer for KC. » October 11, 1985: George Brett's bat (4-for-4, four runs, three RBI, 11 total bases) bails out 20-game winner Bret Saberhagen, and the Royals squeak past Toronto 6–5. » October 22, 1985: Bret Saberhagen gives Kansas City their first World Series win with a 9-inning 6–1 win. » October 27, 1985: The Royals rout the Cardinals 11–0 in game seven to become only the 6th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win the World Series. Series MVP Bret Saberhagen pitches the shutout while Cardinals ace John Tudor allows five runs in 21/3 innings and fellow 20-game winner Joaquin Andujar is ejected for arguing balls and strikes during Kansas City's 6-run 5th inning. The Cardinals finish the World Series with a .185 team batting average, lowest ever for a 7-game Series. » November 18, 1985: Dwight Gooden (NL) and Bret Saberhagen (American League) win the Cy Young Award in their respective leagues. » May 19, 1987: Bill Buckner raps his 2,500th career hit, a single off Bret Saberhagen in Boston's 4–1 loss to Kansas City. Saberhagen is now 7–1. » November 15, 1989: Twenty-five-year-old Bret Saberhagen becomes the 4th pitcher ever to win the American League Cy Young Award twice, getting 27 of a possible 28 first-place votes for his 23-6, 2.16 ERA season. He also won the award in 1985. » December 11, 1989: The Royals sign free agent Mark Davis to a 4-year contract. Davis and Bret Saberhagen will make the 1990 Royals the first team ever to have both defending Cy Young Award winners. » April 14, 1990: Bret Saberhagen gets the win and Mark Davis earns the save as Kansas City beats Toronto, 3–1. It is the first time ever that two reigning Cy Young Award winners have figured in the same victory. » August 26, 1991: Bret Saberhagen of the Royals hurls a no-hitter against the White Sox, winning by a 7-0 count. He strikes out five while walking only 2. Charlie Hough takes the loss for Chicago, becoming the 7th pitcher in history to wind up on the losing side of more than one no-hitter. Saberhagen also becomes the 3rd pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter, win a Cy Young Award, and be named World Series MVP, joining Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson. » December 11, 1991: In a blockbuster trade, the Mets obtain two-time Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen along with SS Bill Pecota from the Royals in exchange for Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies, and Keith Miller. » May 15, 1992: The Mets newly acquired Bret Saberhagen (3–2) pitches five innings before leaving with tendinitis in his pitching hand that will effectively sideline him for the rest of the year. He will not win another game following today's 4–1 over the Dodgers. » July 7, 1993: Mets P Bret Saberhagen throws a firecracker under a table near reporters at Shea Stadium, but no one is hurt. » August 7, 1993: The Mets Bret Saberhagen injures his left knee and will miss the rest of the season. » August 10, 1993: Mets P Bret Saberhagen admits to having sprayed bleach at three reporters on July 27. He agrees to donate one day's pay -- $15,384.61 -- to the Eye Research Foundation. » July 15, 1994: In game two against the Padres, the Mets Bret Saberhagen goes 10 innings, striking out 11, giving up five hits and allowing no runs. Consistent with his record-setting season, he walks none.