Denton True Young
1867 – 1955
Denton True Young was born on March 29, 1867 near Gilmore, Ohio, the son of McKenzie Young and Nancy Mot Miller,
farmers. His middle name was the surname of a soldier who had saved his father's life during the Civil War.
The 6' 2" Young worked hard on the family farm until he was 23, developing strong arms, broad shoulders,
a thick chest, and muscular legs. He married his childhood sweetheart, Robba Miller, in 1892. They had no children.
In his spare time he liked to play baseball. He pitched and played third base for several northeastern Ohio teams,
for an independent Red Cloud, Nebraska, club, and in 1889 for the Tuscarawas County team. Denton's father wanted
him to remain a farmer, but in 1890 he tried out for the Canton, Ohio, team of the Tri-State League. The shy, gangly
farm boy walked around the outside of the Canton ballpark six times before mustering enough courage to enter. Canton
manager George Moreland, impressed with Young's size, gave him a tryout and signed him to a contract at $40 a month.
When Young's fastballs battered the grandstand boards, a Canton catcher nicknamed Young "Cyclone." A
sportswriter soon shortened it to "Cy".
The right‐handed Young won 15 of 30 decisions, including his final five games. On 25 July he struck out 18 batters
and held McKeesport hitless. Young's minor league career lasted only half a season because the Tri-State League disbanded
in July 1890. Davis Hawley, secretary-treasurer of the Cleveland Spiders' National League club, signed Young for
$300 in August 1890.
One of the fellows called me 'Cyclone' but finally shortened it to Cy and it's been that ever since.
Young usually pitched every other day for Cleveland. Excellent physical conditioning enabled him to need only 12 warm-up
pitches before games. He finished the season with a 9-7 won-lost
Denton True Young
1867 – 1955
mark, becoming the Spiders' lone
winning pitcher. Two of his victories came on 4 October in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics. In
1891, Young won 27 games and lost 20. His best season came in 1892 with a 36-11 record. That same season he led the
National League in shutouts with 9. His repertoire included an excellent fastball, overhand and sidearm curveballs,
and a "tobacco ball" delivered with consistent control. He allowed the fewest walks per nine innings
in the National League in 1890. Overall, he led the National League in fewest walks eight other times.
Young spent nine years with Cleveland, through 1898, compiling a 239-134 won-lost record. Except for his rookie year, he
had at least 21 victories each season and surpassed 30 wins in 1892, 1893, and 1895. He pitched the first of his three
career no-hitters on 18 September 1897, blanking the Cincinnati Reds.
In 1899, Young was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals. His $2,400 salary topped the National League and Young won 26 games
in 1899 and 20 in 1900. The American League, formed in 1901, started raiding National League clubs for players. Young, then
34 years old, joined the Boston Pilgrims (later the Red Sox) for $3,000 a year. He won 193 of 305 games for Boston from
1901 through 1908, leading the team in total innings, games started, complete games, victories, strikeouts, and shutouts.
He paced American League pitchers in victories in 1901 (33), 1902 (32), and 1903 (28), leading the Pilgrims in 1903 to their
first pennant. He pitched in the first modern World Series game in 1903, losing 7-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston
eventually upset the Pirates, five games to three, as Young won two games and relieved once.
Several outstanding individual games distinguished his Boston tenure. On 5 May 1904 he no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics,
pitching the first American League and third major league perfect game in history. The same year he set major league
records by pitching 23 consecutive hitless innings and 45-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. His
crucial 1-0 decision over
the New York Highlanders during the season's final week helped Boston win the 1904 title. On 4 July 1905, Young dueled
20 innings with Philadelphia's Rube Waddell and did not walk any Athletics; Philadelphia scored twice in the twentieth
inning to win. On 30 June 1908, Young pitched his third no-hitter, shutting out the New York Highlanders.
Young experienced his first losing seasons in 1905 and 1906 but surpassed 20 victories again in 1907 and 1908. In 1907 his
22 wins at age 40 gave the seventh-place Red Sox more than one-third of their wins.
In February 1909 the American League's Cleveland Indians acquired Young and although 42 years old,
Young won 19 games for the sixth-place club. After Cleveland released him in August 1911, the Boston Braves signed
him for the remainder of the National League season. Young took four of nine decisions, losing a 12-inning 1-0 heartbreaker
in his final game to rookie Grover Cleveland Alexander of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The "Grand Old Man of Baseball", Denton True "Cy" Young, was the first pitcher honored with membership in the Baseball Hall
of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y., 1937. He was the only pitcher in the first 100 years of baseball to win 500 games. Among his
511 victories were three no-hit-shut-outs and a perfect game with no batsman reaching first base. In all his career he
never received more than $3,000 a year.
Brother Young was raised in Mystic Tie Lodge No. 194, Uhrichsvile, Ohio, Feb. 29, 1904; exalted in Cyrus Chapter No. 114,
R.A.M., Nov. 12, 1904; greeted in Gebal Council No. 56, Dec. 27, 1904 and Knighted in St. Bernard Commandery No. 71, K.T.
on Feb. 1, 1905 (all of Uhrichsville). He Received the Scottish Rite degrees in Valley of Columbus, Nov. 27, 1908. Cy was
an active Freemason until his death. Less than a year before his death he told reporters that "we went over to
Canton Saturday night for a big Masonic doings." He was also a member of Aladdin Shrine Temple in Columbus
(Nov. 27, 1908). For his last 23 years he lived with his friend, Bro. John Benedum, and to him he left his Masonic ring.
He died Nov. 4, 1955 and was buried in his Masonic apron.