Owner of one of the most unbreakable records in MLB history, Cleveland Indians starter Cy Young earned career victory number 500 on this day in 1910.
Cy Young owns quite a few records that may never be approached again in the history of the Majors. His impressive 511 victories, 749 complete games and 7356 innings are all the standards for the MLB, marks that, unless something thoroughly unforeseen occurs, are likely to withstand the test of time.
Given that number of innings that Young pitched, and the complete games that he notched, it may not be a surprise that most of his milestones involved a testament to his amazing durability. That was the case when, on this day in 1910, the Cleveland Indians starter won his 500th career game, defeating the Washington Senators 5-4 in eleven innings.
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Young was not the same pitcher he had been in his early days by this point. He still posted a 2.53 ERA and 1.078 WHiP at age 43, but Young also pitched under 290 innings for the first time in 19 years. His arm, which had been so durable, was about to give out. Yet, he still had a few more impressive performances left, such as his eleven inning complete game to earn that 500th victory.
He did not have much left in his arm after that point, winning only eleven more games and struggling in 1911, in what would be his final year. Yet, his legacy is unrivaled, with the trophy awarded to the most outstanding pitcher in baseball bearing his name. His records are the stuff of legends, and while he may not have been the prototypical ace, Young was the greatest innings eater that the game has ever seen.
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Cy Young had an impressive ability to pitch virtually every inning of his outings, and to be effective during all those years. On this day in 1910, he added another astonishing milestone by picking up his 500th career victory.