Verlander, Alcantara accept error-filled Cy Young trophies
Major League Baseball might want to start supervising its award engravers next year.
The major award winners of 2022 received their trophies Saturday at the New York Baseball Writers' dinner. Unfortunately, the Cy Young Awards handed to pitchers Justin Verlander and Sandy Alcantara overshadowed the star-studded event, with each plaque containing several glaring errors.
Verlander's and Alcantara's trophies had inscriptions reading "Most Valuble Pitcher." The awards also appeared to be copies of the inaugural Cy Young plaque, as both bore the wrong name (Don Newcombe) and year (1956).
Naturally, social media had plenty of fun with the goofs after photos surfaced:
Last night was a blast. Huge congrats to my brother @JustinVerlander.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) January 29, 2023
First player to ever win Most “Valuble”Pitcher 👏 pic.twitter.com/oXvWhVFXg1
So happy for Arson Judge winning Most Valuble Player
— - (@ckcydel) January 29, 2023
Maybe MLB really wants to contract the A's
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) January 29, 2023
most valuable pitchers, least valuable trophy making company apparently https://t.co/of8Z0Lp7vA pic.twitter.com/7pqPSUojRA
— Most “Valuble” Mascot (@BlooperBraves) January 29, 2023
Even Alcantara got in on the fun:
*Valuable
— Sandy Alcantara (@sandyalcantar22) January 29, 2023
The Cy Young inscriptions haven't read "Most Valu(a)ble" for some time. Recent plaques were inscribed to "The Outstanding (American or National) League Pitcher." It's unclear if the sudden change in wording might be permanent or simply the wording on what seem to be two haphazardly-made placeholders.
Fortunately for all, "valuable" was spelled correctly on the MVP trophies that Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt collected at Saturday's gala.