This lefty is the right Cy choice

Thoughts from the deep end:

The American League Cy Young Award has evolved into a two-man race between Cliff Lee of the Indians and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox.

My vote goes to Lee, and it’s not a hometown one.

One national television commentator (no names, please … Skip Bayless) suggested Matsuzaka should win the award because he meant more to his team, which was battling for a postseason berth.

That theory is flawed (as are most of Bayless’ opinions, in my opinion — he’d suggest the sky was brown if it would get a reaction) for one simple reason: the Cy Young is awarded to the best pitcher in each league, not the most valuable pitcher. (That’s what the MVP award is for, which is quite a coincidence, since the words “Most” and “Valuable” are in it.)

The numbers don’t lie; Lee has been better

Simply, Lee has put up better numbers than Matsuzaka.

He has more wins — 20 entering Saturday to 16.

He has a better earned run average — 2.32 to 2.88

He has more complete games — four to zero.

He has more shutouts — two to none.

Despite making just two more starts than Matsuzaka, Lee has pitched nearly 48 more innings.

He has more strikeouts — 149 to 131 — and he’s walked just 27 batters to Matsuzaka’s 84.

And, to completely counter Bayless’ argument, Lee has accounted for 29 percent of the Indians’ 68 wins. Matsuzaka just 19 percent of Boston’s 83 victories.

The trendy pick is Matsuzaka because his team has been in playoff contention.

Anyone who truly understands the concept of awards, though, should easily see Lee is the most deserving recipient.

Openers could determine season

The Browns and Steelers open today, at home. (And thank goodness they kick off at different times, on different channels. That means one less week of some fans calling us to complain about local TV stations playing favorites. As if we have a say.)

What Cleveland and Pittsburgh have in common is this: Today’s games could really set the tone for the 2008 season.

NFL followers can quote hours of statistics about teams’ chances of making the playoffs, or going to the Super Bowl, or having their quarterback date Jessica Simpson, depending on if they start the season 0-1 or 1-0.

The TGFQ (Todor Gut Feeling Quotient) states this: if the Browns lay an egg against the Cowboys today, it could be the start to an awfully long and disappointing season. (Their rallying cry could be “Thank Goodness the Ravens and Bengals are in our division”.)

Cleveland didn’t show me anything in the preseason; granted injuries played a role, but that suspect secondary could be the downfall of a potentially great team.

And even though fans want Brady Quinn at quarterback, Derek Anderson — right now — gives them the best chance to win.

His health should be a major concern.

Similarly, the Steelers have issues with their offensive line and overall age of the team.

It’s funny — when an older team is winning it’s because of a “veteran presence,” but when that same team starts losing it’s because they’ve become old.

The young and brash Texans, who believe they are ready to complete for the playoffs after finally reaching the .500 mark last year, come to Heinz Field today.

If the Steelers get exposed, you can bet the film of this game will get circulated like a Jets practice at Bill Belichick’s house.

XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com.