Bruce Sutter

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American baseball player (1953–2022)

title: "Bruce Sutter" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1953-births", "2022-deaths", "atlanta-braves-players", "baseball-players-from-chicago", "chicago-cubs-players", "cy-young-award-winners", "deaths-from-cancer-in-georgia-(u.s.-state)", "gulf-coast-cubs-players", "key-west-conchs-players", "major-league-baseball-pitchers", "major-league-baseball-players-with-retired-numbers", "midland-cubs-players", "national-baseball-hall-of-fame-inductees", "national-league-all-stars", "national-league-(baseball)-saves-champions", "quincy-cubs-players", "baseball-players-from-atlanta", "baseball-players-from-lancaster,-pennsylvania", "st.-louis-cardinals-players", "wichita-aeros-players", "20th-century-american-sportsmen"] description: "American baseball player (1953–2022)" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Sutter" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American baseball player (1953–2022) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox baseball biography"]

Field	Value
image	Bruce Sutter circa 1984.png
image_size	250
caption	Sutter with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984
name	Bruce Sutter
position	Pitcher
bats	Right
throws	Right
birth_date
birth_place	Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Cartersville, Georgia, U.S.
debutleague	MLB
debutdate	May 9
debutyear	1976
debutteam	Chicago Cubs
finalleague	MLB
finaldate	September 9
finalyear	1988
finalteam	Atlanta Braves
statleague	MLB
stat1label	Win–loss record
stat1value	68–71
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	2.83
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	861
stat4label	Saves
stat4value	300
hoflink	National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
hoftype	National
hofdate	2006
hofvote	76.9% (13th ballot)
::

Chicago Cubs (–)
St. Louis Cardinals (–)
Atlanta Braves (–, ) |highlights=
6× All-Star (1977–1981, 1984)
World Series champion ()
NL Cy Young Award (1979)
4× NL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1979, 1981, 1982, 1984)
5× NL saves leader (1979–1982, 1984)
St. Louis Cardinals No. 42 retired
Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame |hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |hoftype = National |hofdate = 2006 |hofvote = 76.9% (13th ballot)

Howard Bruce Sutter (; January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988. He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, making effective use of the split-finger fastball. A six-time All-Star and 1982 World Series champion, Sutter recorded a 2.83 career earned run average and 300 saves, the third-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement. Sutter won the National League's (NL) Cy Young Award in 1979 as its top pitcher, and won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award four times. He became the only pitcher to lead the NL in saves five times (1979–1982, 1984).

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Sutter briefly attended Old Dominion University and was subsequently signed by the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 1971. He played five years for the Cubs, four for the St. Louis Cardinals, and three for the Atlanta Braves, serving as each team's closer during his tenure. His usage in the eighth and ninth innings of games was partly responsible for ushering in a more specialized era for the closer role. In the mid-1980s, Sutter began to experience shoulder problems, undergoing three surgeries before retiring in 1989.

In 2006, Sutter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also honored by the Cardinals with the retirement of his uniform number 42 in 2006 and induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. Sutter also served as a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Early life

Sutter was born to Howard and Thelma Sutter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His father managed a Farm Bureau warehouse in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Bruce was the fifth child of six.

Sutter graduated from Donegal High School in Mount Joy, where he played baseball, football, and basketball. He was quarterback and captain of the football team and also served as captain for the basketball squad, which won a district championship in his senior season. His baseball team also won the county championship.

Career

Early career

After being selected by the Washington Senators in the 21st round of the 1970 MLB draft, Sutter instead attended Old Dominion University. He dropped out of school and returned to Lancaster to play semi-professional baseball. Ralph DiLullo, a scout for the Chicago Cubs, signed Sutter as a free agent in September 1971. He pitched in two games for the Gulf Coast League Cubs in 1972. When he recovered from surgery and returned to the mound a year later, Sutter found that his previous pitches were no longer effective. He learned the split-finger fastball from minor league pitching instructor Fred Martin. Sutter's large hands helped him to use the pitch, which was a modification of the forkball.

Sutter had nearly been released by the Cubs, but found success with the new pitch. Mike Krukow, who was also a Cubs minor league player at the time, said, "As soon as I saw him throw it, I knew he was going to the big leagues. Everyone wanted to throw it after he did." He recorded a 3–3 win–loss record, a 4.13 earned run average (ERA), and five saves in 40 games for the Quincy Cubs in Class A baseball in 1973.

Sutter split the 1974 season between the Class A Key West Conchs and the Class AA Midland Cubs. Though he finished the season with a combined 2–7 record, he recorded a 1.38 ERA in 65 innings. He returned to Midland in 1975 and finished the year with a 5–7 record, a 2.15 ERA, and 13 saves. He started the 1976 season with the Class AAA Wichita Aeros, but he pitched only seven games with the team before being promoted to the major leagues.

Chicago Cubs (1976–1980)

Sutter joined the Cubs in May 1976. He pitched in 52 games and finished with a 6–3 win–loss record and 10 saves. In 1977 he had a 1.34 ERA, earned an All-Star Game selection, and finished sixth and seventh in NL Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award voting, respectively.

Sutter's ERA increased to 3.19 in 1978, but he earned 27 saves. Sutter saved 37 games for the club, tying the NL record held by Clay Carroll () and Rollie Fingers (), and won the NL Cy Young Award. This year also marked the first of five seasons (four consecutive) in which he led the league in saves. Sutter also won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award. In addition to a league-leading 28 saves in 1980, Sutter recorded a 2.64 ERA and finished with a 5–8 win–loss record in 60 games. His strikeout total, which had been over 100 the previous three seasons, fell to 76 that year and he never finished with more than 77 strikeouts in any of his remaining seasons.

St. Louis Cardinals (1981–1984)

Sutter was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz, and a player to be named later in December 1980. He made his fifth consecutive All-Star Game in 1981. He recorded 25 saves, registered a 2.62 ERA, and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Sutter registered 36 saves in 1982, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting. The Cardinals won the 1982 World Series and Sutter is credited with two saves in that Series, including the Series-clinching save in Game 7 which ended with a strikeout of Gorman Thomas.

In 1983, Sutter recorded a 9–10 win–loss record and a 4.23 ERA; while his save total declined to 21.

Sutter, who won both the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award again in 1981, 1982, and 1984, tied Dan Quisenberry's major league record for most saves in a season (45) in 1984. (His MLB record was broken by Dave Righetti (46) in 1986 and his NL record was broken by Lee Smith (47) in 1991.) During Sutter's record-breaking season, he pitched a career-high innings. It was one of five seasons in which Sutter threw more than 100 innings.

Atlanta Braves (1985–1988)

Sutter joined the Atlanta Braves in December 1984 as a free agent. The New York Times reported that Sutter's six-year contract paid him $4.8 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account at 13 percent interest. The newspaper estimated that the account would pay Sutter $1.3 million per year for 30 years after the initial six seasons of the contract. Sutter said that he was attracted to the Braves because of Atlanta's scenery and his respect for Ted Turner and Dale Murphy.

Before the start of the 1985 season, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog commented on facing the season without Sutter. "To me, Bruce is the best there ever was," Herzog said. "Losing him is like Kansas City losing Dan Quisenberry...I told Bruce, 'Look, you've taken care of your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. Now, if I get fired in July, will you take care of me and Mary Lou?'"

When Sutter arrived in Atlanta, only two Braves pitchers had ever earned 25 or more saves in a season; the Braves in 1984 had recorded 49 saves as a team, just four more than Sutter's own total. In 1985, Sutter's ERA rose to 4.48 and his saves total decreased to 23. He underwent surgery on the shoulder after the season, and recovered in time to appear in spring training in mid-March 1986.

Near the end of March 1986, Sutter commented on his recovery, saying, "I'm throwing the ball as hard as I ever have, but it's just not getting there as fast. I don't know what's going to happen. I just have to keep throwing and see. So far, there have been no setbacks. Today I felt great, no problems." Sutter started the season with a 2–0 record and a 4.34 ERA in 16 games.

Sutter underwent shoulder surgery in February 1987, the third procedure performed on his arm, in an attempt to remove scar tissue and to promote nerve healing. To recover from the surgery, he was required to miss the entire 1987 season. He returned to limited action with the Braves in 1988. In late May, Sutter earned saves on consecutive nights and sportswriter Jerome Holtzman characterized his pitching as "vintage Sutter". He finished the year with a 1–4 record, a 4.76 ERA and 14 saves in 38 games pitched.

Retirement

By March 1989, Sutter was dealing with a severely torn rotator cuff and he admitted that he would be unlikely to return to baseball. "There's probably a 99.9 percent chance I won't be able to pitch again," he said. The Braves released him that November.

Sutter retired with exactly 300 saves — at the time, the third-highest total in history, behind Rollie Fingers (341) and Goose Gossage (302). His career saves total was an NL record until broken by Lee Smith in 1993.

Hall of Fame

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Bruce_Sutter_All_Star_Parade_2008_(cropped).jpg" caption="Sutter during the [[2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] Red Carpet Parade"] ::

Sutter appeared on his thirteenth Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2006. Sportswriter Matthew Leach of MLB.com referred to this ballot as Sutter's best chance for induction; he pointed out that Sutter would only be eligible for two more Hall of Fame ballots. Nearing the end of his eligibility, Sutter said he did not think about induction very often. "It's just an honor to be on the ballot, but it's not something I think that much about. I have no control over it. ... It's out of my hands. It's the voters, it's in the voters' hands. There's nothing I can do about it. I can't pitch anymore... There's a lot of guys that I think should be in that aren't in. It's for the special few people to get into the Hall of Fame. It shouldn't be easy to get in", he said. On January 10, 2006, Sutter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 13th year of eligibility by receiving 400 votes out of a possible 520 (76.9%). He was the fourth relief pitcher inducted, and the first pitcher inducted without starting a game.

MLB.com columnist Mike Bauman attributed the delay in Sutter's Hall of Fame election to several factors. He pointed out that Sutter's first five strong seasons were with the Cubs, a team that did not receive much attention during those years. He also noted that the closer role was relatively new in baseball history. Finally, he wrote that Sutter's candidacy was hurt because his career was cut short by injuries.

At his Hall of Fame induction that July, Sutter was the only former MLB player inducted. However, he was joined by 17 Negro league baseball players. During his induction speech, Sutter said, "I haven't played baseball for 18 years now and I'm getting more sentimental as I get older. You start losing family members and you start losing friends. There are teammates who have passed on. You start thinking of them as you put together a speech. I'm not usually an emotional guy. My kids said the first time they ever saw me cry was when I got that phone call [telling him that he was elected]. Now today. I guess a lot of people have seen me crying now." Johnny Bench and Ozzie Smith wore decorative beards to the induction speech in honor of Sutter.

Other honors

|Image = CardsRetired42.PNG |Name = Bruce Sutter |Number = 42 |Team = St. Louis Cardinals |Year = 2006 |}} Sutter's number 42, which he wore throughout his career, was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals during a ceremony at Busch Stadium on September 17, 2006. He shares his retired number with Jackie Robinson, whose number 42 was retired by all MLB teams in 1997.

In November 2010, Sutter was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. A few months later, Whitey Herzog accepted the honor in place of Sutter, whose wife was hospitalized with cancer. In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Sutter among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.

Personal life and death

Sutter remained in Atlanta with his wife and three sons after retirement. His son Chad was a catcher who played for Tulane University and was selected by the New York Yankees in the 23rd round (711th overall) of the 1999 amateur draft. Chad played one season in the minor leagues and later joined the coaching staff of the Tulane baseball team.

On August 23, 2010, Sutter was named a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was hired to evaluate pitching prospects at the team's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.

Sutter died at the age of 69 while in hospice in Cartersville, Georgia, on October 13, 2022, after a recent diagnosis of cancer.

Upon the news of his death, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, "Bruce Sutter was the first pitcher to reach the Hall of Fame without starting a game, and he was one of the key figures who foreshadowed how the use of relievers would evolve. Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises."

References

(2000). "Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: Q-Z". [[Greenwood Publishing Group]].
King, Bruce. "Bruce Sutter".
Smith, Claire. (July 30, 2006). "A reliever's long road trip". [[Philly.com]].
"Bruce Sutter Minor League Statistics & History".
Madden, Bill. (1977-09-09). "Bruce Sutter Ties Strike Out Record". Latrobe Bulletin.
"Fireman of the Year Award / Reliever of the Year Award by The Sporting News".
(December 18, 1980). "Relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, traded by Chicago to St....". United Press International.
(December 9, 1980). "Tuesday's Sports Transactions". United Press International.
"Bruce Sutter Statistics and History". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
Reeves, Jim. (1982-10-21). "St. Louis' Porter gets MVP". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
(July 28, 2006). "Mastery of splitter led to Sutter's success".
(December 8, 1984). "Sutter becomes a Brave". The New York Times.
(March 4, 1985). "Sutter-less Cards optimistic". The New York Times.
(March 31, 1985). "Sutter and Braves: A happy marriage". The New York Times.
(March 12, 1986). "Atlanta's fireman off to a hot start: Braves relieved after Sutter's first outing". [[Sun-Sentinel]].
(March 30, 1986). "Sutter's comeback goes slow: Braves relief ace's velocity in question".
(February 12, 1987). "Bruce Sutter recovering from surgery". [[Rome News-Tribune]].
Groff, Tyler. "Bruce Sutter". Pennsylvania Center for the Book.
(May 26, 1988). "Sutter finds touch again after not losing heart". [[Chicago Tribune]].
(March 29, 1989). "Sports People: Baseball; Sutter's Hopes Are Dim". [[The New York Times]].
(November 16, 1989). "Bruce Sutter Career Ends". [[Bangor Daily News]].
"Smith reaches top of saves list with No. 358".
Leach, Matthew. "Sutter braces for latest Hall chance". [[MLB.com]].
(January 10, 2006). "Sutter elected to baseball Hall of Fame".
"Bruce Sutter, ace relief pitcher who pioneered role of closer, dies at 69". [[The Washington Post]].
"No need to be split: Sutter deserves it".
(July 30, 2006). "History for Sutter, Negro Leaguers".
Bloom, Barry M.. (March 27, 2014). "History for Sutter, Negro Leaguers".
Leach, Matthew. (2006-09-17). "Cardinals pay tribute to Sutter".
(February 11, 2011). "Herzog subs for Sutter at Locker Room Luncheon". [[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]].
Cardinals Press Release. (January 18, 2014). "Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process".
"Chad Sutter Bio". [[Tulane University]].
"Phillies bring in Sutter to mentor young arms". Philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com.
"Sutter to work with Phils' pitching prospects".
Walker, Ben. (October 14, 2022). "Bruce Sutter, split-finger ace and Hall of Famer, dies at 69". Associated Press.
Denton, John. (2022-10-14). "Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter dies at age 69".

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