Don Sutton

[doug.goodman]

Wow, such a legend.

He will be missed.

My dad used to get me autographs when he volunteered at the Little League World Series each year.

The program is from his major league debut on April 14, 1966

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

One of those guys who comes up as a borderline HOF'er, which I believed for a while but then took a deeper dive into his numbers and he must've been a hard luck loser a lot, plus a lot of his youth was on the can't-hit Dodgers of the late 1960's early 1970's.

Dude led the league in WHIP 4x, that's no fluke. Even though he hung on well past his prime his career WHIP was still only 1.14 which is outstanding for his era.

[triwak]

Rip

[icollectDCsports]

RIP, Don Sutton.

[Tyruscobb]

The prestigious 300-win club is down to 7 living members. Mr. Sutton was a great player, broadcaster, and overall guy. RIP.

[Trublubrucru]

At 13, as an aspiring pitcher, I was thrilled when Don Sutton was traded to the Brewers for the pennant run in September '82. A few weeks later, a friend told me that Don had an autograph signing early one Saturday morning at an under-advertised opening of a local bank branch. When I got there, Don was standing(not sitting) next to a big table wearing a suit. Amazingly, me and my mom were the only ones there. While chatting with us, Mr. Sutton signed ALL of my cards(a dozen or so), a team placard sign, and a ball. I asked him about his curveball, and he took the ball he had signed, laid his fingers on the laces just so and said he "cheated his fingers on the ball a bit because he had smaller hands" and did a little motion pitch to show me. I was awed. That ball was on my dresser for decades. People started filing in and my time was up. He thanked us for stopping in with a big smile. One of the nicest guys I've ever encountered in baseball.

Thinking back now, he did inspire me to become a better pitcher, but I never could get that curve down. Thanks Don

[scmavl]

What an awesome story, Trublu. I was a big fan of him as a broadcaster for the Braves.

[pclpads]

One of those guys who comes up as a borderline HOF'er . . .

Borderline?? :confused: IMHO, 324 wins makes him a HOFer. There isn't a pitcher today who will ever sniff 300.

[gm1967]

Back in the mid 1990's, Atlanta was playing the Reds in Cincinnati and the Reds just finished beating the Braves by 10 or so runs during a weeknight game.
My Dad and I were at the game and while walking to our car, which was parked at Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati, I noted to my Dad that Don Sutton was walking immediately behind us; by himself and carrying his briefcase.
Don had just finished announcing the game for the Braves. We stopped at a street corner to wait for the traffic light and talked to Don for a few minutes and asked him why he was not riding the team bus back to the hotel. He politely said that he wanted no part of being on the team bus as manager Bobby Cox was really giving the team an ear full for a terrible loss. Don said he knew what was best and decided to walk back to the hotel. This was the only time I had the chance to meet Don and he was a complete gentleman to talk to my Dad and I. We shook hands and went our separate ways. He took the time to talk to us on a street corner in Cincinnati and it was very much appreciated and gave my Dad and I a story that will last a lifetime.

[doug.goodman]

Borderline?? :confused: IMHO, 324 wins makes him a HOFer. There isn't a pitcher today who will ever sniff 300.

Agreed. He's may more deserving of his plaque than Mariano is.

[Tabe]

Borderline?? :confused: IMHO, 324 wins makes him a HOFer. There isn't a pitcher today who will ever sniff 300.

Wins are a poor measure of a pitcher's success.

I don't see Sutton as being borderline. He never put together that gigantic Cy Young season but he had a lot of really good ones.

Sutton was also part of probably the best starting rotation of the last 50+ years - the 1981 Houston Astros. The five starters - Joe Niekro, Don Sutton, Nolan Ryan, Bob Knepper, and Vern Ruhle - combined for a 2.42 ERA. Amazing.

[marzoumanian]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/sports/baseball/don-sutton.html

This story by Tyler Kepner in the NY Times is well worth reading, especially the first few paragraphs. What a class act. The piece also goes into his work ethic. Check it out. A nice guy and a humble man. RIP, Mr. Sutton.
Peace.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Wins are a poor measure of a pitcher's success.

I don't see Sutton as being borderline. He never put together that gigantic Cy Young season but he had a lot of really good ones.

Sutton was also part of probably the best starting rotation of the last 50+ years - the 1981 Houston Astros. The five starters - Joe Niekro, Don Sutton, Nolan Ryan, Bob Knepper, and Vern Ruhle - combined for a 2.42 ERA. Amazing.

His rookie season the rotation was Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, and Claude Osteen. Be pretty hard to pass that up!

[Tabe]

His rookie season the rotation was Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, and Claude Osteen. Be pretty hard to pass that up!

They actually had a 2.68 ERA. All five guys on the Astros had a lower ERA than the second-best on the Dodgers, with the top guy on the Astros having the lowest ERA of them all.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I appreciate the difference in ERA but if you had me choose which rotation I would want, not in the bubble of just a one year period, it's not very close!

Also Joe Moeller was a spot starter with 8 starts. His total ERA was 2.85. I'm too lazy to see if i was better as a starter or a reliever, but there's a chance he could lower it a coupe of ticks.

[SteveS]

First baseball player I ever met in person (1974). Here he is reminding me to look at my mom when she's taking a picture.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Great picture, Steve.

Met him before a Cards/Braves game in '98. He was very friendly.

[Tabe]

I appreciate the difference in ERA but if you had me choose which rotation I would want, not in the bubble of just a one year period, it's not very close!
Shame on you for taking Don Drysdale over Bob Knepper or Vern Ruhle :)

I'd take the '66 Dodgers every time as well.

[lumberjack]

Years ago, Bill James put Sutton's numbers up against Lefty's. I thought to myself, this is blasphemy, but when you compare the two guys, there isn't much of a difference.
James point was that if a player doesn't have an earth shattering season, we tend to overlook his accomplishments.
By the way James also used this to compare Bob Johnson, Indian Bob, with Hack Wilson and he came up with the same results.
lumberjack