during the 1969 season, cuellar achieved a win-loss record of 23–11, struck out 182 batters, and recorded an excellent 2.38 earned run average, as baltimore won a club-record 109 games and the very first american league east division title (prior to the season, both the american league and national league had been divided into east and west divisions). for his outstanding year, cuellar tied the detroit tigers' pitcher denny mclain for the american league cy young award. cuellar becoming the first pitcher born in latin america to win the cy young award. (note that following this tie in the voting, the system for voting was changed in a way that did not eliminate the chances for ties for the cy young award, but it did make this tie far more unlikely. no two pitchers have ever tied for the cy young award in either major league since then.)