Zack Greinke's 2.16 ERA was the lowest in the AL in nine years. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

When the phone rang Tuesday, Kansas City Royals ace pitcher Zack Greinke let it ring; he didn't recognize the number.

Only after listening to the voicemail message did he call back and find out he'd won the American League Cy Young Award.

Greinke easily beat out Felix Hernandez for the honour after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination. Winning left the extremely shy Greinke with mixed emotions.

"Back in Orlando, I haven't really got a whole lot of attention from people, which has been nice," he said. "So, I hope it doesn't get that way, where everyone is like, 'Oh, hey, Zack, hi'."

Greinke signed a four-year, $38-million US contract last winter and received a $100,000 bonus for winning the Cy Young.

The 26-year-old right-hander went 16-8 with a 2.16 earned-run average for the 65-97 Royals. Hernandez went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA for the 85-77 Seattle Mariners.

Kansas City scored just 13 runs in Greinke's eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or none.

It's been quite a turnaround for Greinke, who led the AL in losses in 2005 and quit baseball for six weeks the following year after being diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder.

Greinke received 25 first-place votes and three seconds for 134 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hernandez drew two firsts, 23 seconds and one third for 80 points.

Greinke deserving: Hernandez

"I thought it was going to be real close between the two of us," said Greinke of Hernandez.

"Greinke deserved it. Before the season was over, I said my vote was for him," Hernandez said in Venezuela.

"This has taught me that I need to be perfect, I will prepare myself to be stronger next season. I will need a superb year, because just a good one — it's not enough."

Steve Carlton was the only Cy Young Award winner who pitched for a club that was worse than the Royals. The Hall of Fame lefty was 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA for the 1972 Philadelphia Phillies, who went 59-97.

Detroit's Justin Verlander was third with the remaining first-place vote and nine thirds for 14 points. He was followed by the Yankees' CC Sabathia with 13 points and Toronto's Roy Halladay with 11 points.

The NL winner will be announced Thursday.

Not a fan of attention

Despite what he's overcome, Greinke doesn't view himself as a role model.

"I really don't like having a bunch of attention, so even if I did see myself in that light, I don't do anything about it," he said. "I'm real uncomfortable doing stuff like that, to be around people and doing stuff like that."

Greinke's ERA was the lowest in the AL since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 and his 242 strikeouts were second in the league behind Verlander.

He was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 2004 and got hit hard the next year. After leaving spring training in February 2006 to combat his anxiety, Greinke worked his way back to the majors by late September.

Greinke was 7-7 the following year and 13-10 in 2008 before his breakout season.

His victory total matched that of Arizona's Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.

Greinke was particularly sharp at the start and finish, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in April and 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts. He didn't allow any runs in his first three starts and any earned runs in his first four, and his 0.84 ERA through 10 starts was the first below 1.00 in the major leagues since Juan Marichal's 0.55 in 1966.

He struck out 15 over eight innings against Cleveland on Aug. 25, then followed five days later by pitching a one-hitter at Seattle. After Kenji Johjima's soft second-inning single, Greinke retired his final 22 batters.