MARK MAYNARD: Here's why Webb wins 11/09/08

November 08, 2008 11:35 pm

— Ten reasons why Arizona Diamondback pitcher Brandon Webb should win National League Cy Young Award No. 2 when the announcement comes out Tuesday.
No. 10 — He doesn’t mess with the press. Webb’s likeable personality plays well with the media. He’s far more interested in what happens between the lines than between the news columns. You can tell the writers like him and it’s the writers who vote on the award. Trust me, how the writers feel about you matters.
No. 9 — Most wins. Twenty-two victories are four more than the nearest competition and voters love those victories even if the won-loss statistic is a bit skewed and not always the best determination of how good a pitcher really may be. If not for an almost unexplainable three-game meltdown late in the season, Webb’s win total would be through the domed roof and we wouldn’t need to make this list. But to collect 22 wins while playing for an offensive-challenged team with a bad bullpen is, well, amazing.
No. 8 — Consistency. All Webb does is give his team a chance to win almost every time he takes the mound. Usually, the D-backs got seven innings or more from him. What more do you want from an ace pitcher?
No. 7 — Name recognition. Webb is not a Johnny-come-lately. He’s a three-time All-Star and a known quantity whose star is still rising — 14 wins (2005), 16 wins (2006), 18 wins (2007) and 22 wins (2008). Nobody in baseball has more victories during that four-year span.
No. 6 — Durability. Every five days the Diamondbacks could count on giving the ball to Webb. He was ready, willing and able. Webb made 34 starts this season, tied for most in the National League.
No. 5 — He plays for a contender. Even though the D-backs faded from the picture late in the season, they led the National League West for most of the year. If the Dodgers don’t deal for Manny Ramirez, Arizona is in the playoffs and, with a front-loaded rotation of Webb and Dan Haren, maybe even in the World Series.
No. 4 — He’s a standup guy. Webb stays away from anything controversial and never throws teammates under the bus, even when the fielding is lousy and the hitting is worse. He’s a no-excuses kind of player and a great teammate. Luis Gonzalez, one of the most popular players in Diamondback history, told umpire Charlie Reliford that Webb was one of the best teammates he ever had. That’s a ringing endorsement.
No. 3 — He’s more than about baseball. Even though it probably shouldn’t factor in voters’ minds, it may. Webb does a lot outside the game within the communities where he lives (both in Arizona and Kentucky). He was a finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes players who give back to their communities. Webb’s K Foundation in Phoenix is a model organization run by Brandon and his wife, Alicia.
No. 2 — The competition. Young Giant pitcher Tim Lincecum is the top challenger and he did have a fine season and will be a Cy Young challenger for years to come, if that unorthodox motion doesn’t get the best of him. But the Giants didn’t have a fine season by any stretch and that will work against Lincecum. Phillie closer Brad Lidge was phenomenal but seldom do relievers win the award.
No. 1 — Brandon Webb is from Ashland. That one comes straight from the mouth (e-mail) of major league umpire Charlie Reliford, our very own “Mr. Ashland.” Reliford would love nothing more than reminding his umpire buddies proudly that, “Oh yes, two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb is ALSO from Ashland.”
MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.