Zack is the only reason to track the woeful Royals over the last month of the season. He should win his first Cy Young Award, unless he is jobbed out of it by the East-Coast bias of many of the baseball writers who vote on the award. Yesterday, Boston-based Jackie Macmullan, gave the East-Coast argument for CC Sabathia and against Zack. She said she excuses CC's ERA that is 1 run higher than Zack's because he pitches half his games in the Yankee Stadium homer palace. There are at least two problems with this argument.
No. 1. CC's ERA at home and away is virtually identical. It is 3.48 overall, 3.54 at home and 3. 43 away. Yankee Stadium has a miniscule effect on CC's ERA. BTW, Zack's overall ERA is 2.32.
No. 2. Zack's ERA would be even lower if he ever got to pitch against the most woefully inept offense in the League---the Royals. CC's ERA against the Royals this year is 0.00. 1 game, 7.2 innings, no runs.
Jackie also excused CC because he has to pitch in the "oh-so-tough" AL East. In truth, his ERA against BAL, BOS & TOR is lower than his overall average. His ERA against TB is 5.93 and it is over 6 against Florida and the LAAngels. In the reverse of Zack's situation, CC benefits ERA-wise because he doesn't have to pitch against the best offense in the League---the Yankees. Zack hasn't pitched against the Yankees this year yet, but they play 3 in NY at the end of September. KC should let him pitch in the Big Apple with the Cy Young Award on the line.
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