by Sports Xchange

Greinke more than met expectations, going 16-8 with a big-league-best 2.16 ERA while striking out 242 and walking 51 in 229 1/3 innings. Greinke was a landslide winner in the American League Cy Young balloting, earning 25 of the 28 first-place ballots.

The Royals, however, were underachievers, losing 97 games and finishing tied for last with the Indians in the American League Central.

"I thought we had a good chance to win our division (in spring training)," Greinke said. "Obviously, we didn't even come close."

He said the Twins, Tigers and White Sox "all did better than I thought, and we did worse."

Greinke, who signed a $38 million contract extension that runs through the 2012 season on Jan. 26, said he expects the Royals to be better in 2010.

"We need to step it up a little bit, not just one guy," Greinke said. "It has to be done or we won't have a good year next year."

Greinke became the third Royals pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Bret Saberhagen won it twice, in 1985 and 1989, while David Cone was the 1994 recipient.

Greinke left the Royals in spring training 2006 with what was later diagnosed as a social anxiety and depression, but he has returned to become one of the most dominant starters in the game.

"In that way, it's a negative," Greinke said of the attention the Cy Young will bring him. "I was still hoping to get it. You work your whole life to do something and to get acknowledged. It is still something I work for and will try for next year. There are definitely more positives than negatives."