1978 Cy Young and MVP votes.

Kent Tekulve was a relief pitcher for 16 years 1974-1989. He never started a game. In 1978 Tekulve finished higher in NL Cy Young and MVP award voting than Phil Niekro, who had the highest WAR for any pitcher in either league, including Ron Guidry who won the AL Cy Young award and was second in AL MVP.

Pitchers WAR in 1978 is curious. Tuesday, April 12, 2016
 10:09 AM

I doubt that anyone back then would have thought that Phil Niekro was a better pitcher than Ron Guidry or that Niekro had a better season in 1978.
____________________

1978 AL Cy Young votes:

Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	ERA+
1	Ron Guidry	NYY	140.0	28.0	100%	9.6	25	3	.893	1.74	35	35	0	16	9	0	273.2	187	61	53	13	72	1	248	1	1	7	1057	0.946	208
2	Mike Caldwell	MIL	76.0	0.0	54%	8.1	22	9	.710	2.36	37	34	1	23	6	1	293.1	258	90	77	14	54	3	131	7	1	8	1176	1.064	160
3	Jim Palmer	BAL	14.0	0.0	10%	6.3	21	12	.636	2.46	38	38	0	19	6	0	296.0	246	94	81	19	97	1	138	1	1	5	1197	1.159	143
4	Dennis Eckersley	BOS	10.0	0.0	7%	7.3	20	8	.714	2.99	35	35	0	16	3	0	268.1	258	99	89	30	71	8	162	7	0	3	1121	1.226	139
5	Rich Gossage	NYY	4.0	0.0	3%	3.2	10	11	.476	2.01	63	0	55	0	0	27	134.1	87	41	30	9	59	8	122	2	0	5	543	1.087	181
6	Fergie Jenkins	TEX	2.0	0.0	1%	5.5	18	8	.692	3.04	34	30	3	16	4	0	249.0	228	92	84	21	41	2	157	3	1	2	990	1.080	123
7	Ed Figueroa	NYY	1.0	0.0	1%	3.9	20	9	.690	2.99	35	35	0	12	2	0	253.0	233	96	84	22	77	4	92	3	1	6	1038	1.225	122
7	Larry Gura	KCR	1.0	0.0	1%	4.5	16	4	.800	2.72	35	26	1	8	2	0	221.2	183	73	67	13	60	3	81	4	1	1	890	1.096	141
7	Dennis Leonard	KCR	1.0	0.0	1%	4.0	21	17	.553	3.33	40	40	0	20	4	0	294.2	283	125	109	27	78	7	183	9	0	12	1218	1.225	115
7	Mike Marshall	MIN	1.0	0.0	1%	3.0	10	12	.455	2.45	54	0	51	0	0	21	99.0	80	31	27	3	37	1	56	1	0	2	404	1.182	158
7	Paul Splittorff	KCR	1.0	0.0	1%	2.9	19	13	.594	3.40	39	38	0	13	2	0	262.0	244	113	99	22	60	2	76	3	0	3	1069	1.160	112
7	Bob Stanley	BOS	1.0	0.0	1%	4.1	15	2	.882	2.60	52	3	35	0	0	10	141.2	142	50	41	5	34	5	38	1	0	0	578	1.242	160

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/12/2016.

1978 NL Cy Young votes:

Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	ERA+
1	Gaylord Perry	SDP	116.0	22.0	97%	4.3	21	6	.778	2.73	37	37	0	5	2	0	260.2	241	96	79	9	66	8	154	2	3	4	1055	1.178	121
2	Burt Hooton	LAD	38.0	0.0	32%	5.1	19	10	.655	2.71	32	32	0	10	3	0	236.0	196	74	71	17	61	4	104	0	0	3	942	1.089	130
3	Vida Blue	SFG	17.0	1.0	14%	5.8	18	10	.643	2.79	35	35	0	9	4	0	258.0	233	87	80	12	70	4	171	0	0	5	1042	1.174	123
4	J.R. Richard	HOU	13.0	1.0	11%	4.1	18	11	.621	3.11	36	36	0	16	3	0	275.1	192	104	95	12	141	4	303	2	3	16	1139	1.209	106
5	Kent Tekulve	PIT	12.0	0.0	10%	3.4	8	7	.533	2.33	91	0	65	0	0	31	135.1	115	44	35	5	55	18	77	2	0	5	573	1.256	160
6	Phil Niekro	ATL	10.0	0.0	8%	10.0	19	18	.514	2.88	44	42	1	22	4	1	334.1	295	129	107	16	102	5	248	13	3	11	1389	1.187	142
7	Ross Grimsley	MON	7.0	0.0	6%	1.8	20	11	.645	3.05	36	36	0	19	3	0	263.0	237	103	89	17	67	6	84	2	2	4	1068	1.156	115
8	Rollie Fingers	SDP	1.0	0.0	1%	2.5	6	13	.316	2.52	67	0	62	0	0	37	107.1	84	33	30	4	29	12	72	1	0	2	434	1.053	132
8	Tommy John	LAD	1.0	0.0	1%	1.5	17	10	.630	3.30	33	30	3	7	0	1	213.0	230	95	78	11	53	7	124	5	1	6	912	1.329	107
8	Don Robinson	PIT	1.0	0.0	1%	3.4	14	6	.700	3.47	35	32	1	9	1	1	228.1	203	98	88	20	57	4	135	3	4	9	937	1.139	108

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/12/2016.

1978 AL MVP votes:

Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	W	L	ERA	WHIP	G	GS	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO
1	Jim Rice	BOS	352.0	20.0	90%	7.5	163	677	121	213	46	139	7	58	.315	.370	.600	.970
2	Ron Guidry	NYY	291.0	8.0	74%	9.6	37	0	1	0	0	0	0	0					25	3	1.74	0.946	35	35	0	273.2	187	13	72	248
3	Larry Hisle	MIL	201.0	0.0	51%	5.3	142	520	96	151	34	115	10	67	.290	.374	.533	.906
4	Amos Otis	KCR	90.0	0.0	23%	7.4	141	486	74	145	22	96	32	66	.298	.380	.525	.905
5	Rusty Staub	DET	88.0	0.0	22%	1.5	162	642	75	175	24	121	3	76	.273	.347	.435	.782

1978 NL MVP votes:

Rank	Name	Tm	Vote Pts	1st Place	Share	WAR	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	W	L	ERA	WHIP	G	GS	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO
1	Dave Parker	PIT	320.0	21.0	95%	7.0	148	581	102	194	30	117	20	57	.334	.394	.585	.979
2	Steve Garvey	LAD	194.0	0.0	58%	4.7	162	639	89	202	21	113	10	40	.316	.353	.499	.852
3	Larry Bowa	PHI	189.0	3.0	56%	5.7	156	654	78	192	3	43	27	24	.294	.319	.370	.689
4	Reggie Smith	LAD	164.0	0.0	49%	4.5	128	447	82	132	29	93	12	70	.295	.382	.559	.942
5	Jack Clark	SFG	107.0	0.0	32%	5.9	156	592	90	181	25	98	15	50	.306	.358	.537	.895
6	George Foster	CIN	104.0	0.0	31%	4.8	158	604	97	170	40	120	4	70	.281	.360	.546	.906

13. Kent Tekulve PIT 23

17. Phil Niekro ATL 8