Don Sutton

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

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

Borderline?? 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]

Originally Posted by pclpads

Borderline?? 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]

Originally Posted by pclpads

Borderline?? 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/s...on-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]

Originally Posted by Tabe

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]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

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.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by 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!

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