Since 1956, the MLB has awarded its best pitcher the prestigious award known as the Cy Young award at the end of each regular season, honoring one of the games most prominent figures from the last 200 years.

The self named title, however, may not be the most aptly named title, as another pitcher who debuted 10 years before Cy even threw his first Major League pitch. That man is Charles Radbourn, pitching ace for the Providence Grays and one of the greatest statistical pitchers of all time.

While Cy Young had one of, if not the greatest pitching careers in baseball history, the award is a season-by-season award, and Radbourn holds multiple single-season records including Games Played (75 GP), Games Started (73 GS), Complete Games (73 CG), Wins (60 W, 12 L), and ERA (1.38). 

Not only that, but Radbourn is part of an elite group of pitchers to have won the Triple Crown, meaning he led the league in Strikeouts, Wins, and ERA, something only 38 Major League pitchers have ever accomplished, as well as Winning the 1884 World Series and being a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Radbourn, born in 1854, played from between 1880 and 1891 and started 95% of all the games he played in. Despite this, he often faced injuries during the regular season due to the amount of time he played. This led to a somewhat tragic end to the great pitcher.

On April 13, 1894, Charles was accidentally shot in the face by a friend while hunting. Radbourn lost sight in his left eye and received considerable damage to his face, including partial paralysis and some speech loss. Because of his face and ill-health, he became somewhat of a recluse at his apartment. He suffered from the effects of the paresis of the eye and other ailments and drank heavily. During at least his last year, Radbourn had severe cognitive troubles, perhaps brain damage from syphilis. He was also subject to convulsions and abnormalities with his nervous system. On February 3, 1897, Radbourn suffered another convulsion which ultimately left him in a comatose state. He never woke up, dying at age 42 two days later at his residence in the Windsor Hotel. He was buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, Il. In 1939, he was elected posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame among the first group of inductees.

This petition seeks to see the change of the Cy Young award to be named to the Charles Radbourn award due to the achievements set by Radbourn and to create another award based on career achievements accomplished by pitchers and name it the Cy Young award in order to maintain recognition of the amazing career and achievements of Cy Young.

Read about Charles Radbourn's career and story here.