A true icon of Major League Baseball has passed away. Bruce Sutter, a closer for the St. Louis Cardinals who was inducted into their Hall of Fame, has passed away at the age of 69.
The Cardinals and their fans just got some devastating news. There is yet no recognized explanation for the death. Bruce Sutter played in the majors for 12 years total, including four with the Cardinals.
In the 21st round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, Sutter was selected by the Washington Senators. He toiled in the minor leagues for five years, encountering setbacks and injuries (one that necessitated surgery on his elbow).
During Spring Training in 1974, the Chicago Cubs, for whom Sutter had been signed, were on the verge of cutting ties with him. Frank Martin, a minor league pitching teacher for the Cubs, recommended keeping Sutter on the team since he had taught Sutter and fellow pitcher Mike Krukow the grip for the contemporary split-fingered fastball.
Man, that sure was a wise choice! Sutter rose through the lower levels to become a strong pitcher, and he was finally called up to the majors in 1976. Bruce Sutter and his split-fingered fastball revolutionized baseball during the following five seasons for Chicago.
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During his time with the Cubs, the right-hander won a National League Cy Young Award in 1979 and posted a 2.39 ERA and 27 saves on average each season.
To this day, he is just one of nine bullpen pitchers in baseball history to achieve that distinction. Sutter was transferred to the Cardinals after the 1980 season, and he won the World Series with them the following year. He currently shares the 30th spot on the career saves list with only two other players.
His command of the splitter, however, is what established him as one of baseball’s all-time great pitchers. In 2006, Bruce Sutter became a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame.
The Sutter family is in our hearts and on our minds at this time.
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