Baseball Hall of Famer Don Sutton has passed away, his son Daron announced Tuesday. The former major league right-hander was 75 years old.
Sutton had a storied career with the Dodgers, Angels, Brewers, Astros and Athletics from 1966-88. Most of his time in the majors (16 years) was spent with the Dodgers, with whom he amassed 233 of his 324 regular-season victories. The Dodgers retired Sutton’s number in 1998.
Sutton is tied with fellow legend Nolan Ryan for 14th in wins and ranks seventh in innings pitched (5,282), having piled up more than 200 frames in a whopping 20 seasons. The workload never seemed to have a negative effect on Sutton, as he finished his career with a 3.26 ERA and currently ranks seventh in strikeouts with 3,574. Sutton also earned four All-Star berths during his time in the bigs.
After he was done playing, Sutton spent time in the broadcast booth with the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals. Sutton’s longest run as a commentator was with the Braves, who placed him in their Hall of Fame 2015.
MLBTR mourns the loss of a baseball great and sends our condolences to Sutton’s family and fans.
First Knucksy now Dandy Don? Sad start to the year for Braves Country.
and Dodgers Nation w first Tommy and now Curly passing away
Well he was on the Brewers staff and was a key part of getting to our only World Series in 1982. A great guy, met him more than once. Got his autograph on a baseball I caught. That’s when players were way more accessible than today.
RIP. Great pitcher and broadcaster.
He was a member at the golf course I worked for and was an AMAZING person. Baseball lost another legend and icon to what baseball is truly all about.
When I was a kid ,buddy and I had a hobby of writing to MLB players and requesting autographed photos. Most player, even some of the stars, graciously sent back autographed 5×7 B&W photos. Not only did Don Sutton send me his picture, he penned be a letter answering some of the questions I asked him about his hometown, his faith and whether he threw a fork ball like I did. I’ll never forget that. Godspeed, Don Sutton.
Man, I miss that. Nothing could really replicate that uncertain anticipation of who would reply and when. I remember I mailed former Mets utility man Tim Tuefel cause my name was Tim, too [I was like 8 lol] and he sent me a ball signed by like ten Mets.
Thanks for sharing that awesome Sutton story.
Those are both great stories. When I was a kid, my dad wrote to Will Clark ahead of my 11th birthday. Dad just asked for an autograph, but Will signed an Upper Deck card that he provided and sent it back in time for me to have a really great birthday. I found out later that his mom helped with all of his fan mail!
Don Sutton built my hotrod
Love to hear that you’d send off autograph requests…my dad RJ “Jack” Smalling was the author of The Baseball Address List that published the mailing addresses for all the living players.
Don Sutton graciously signed all 4 cards that I mailed him.
He would be the highest paid player if he pitched today. THIRD MOST STARTS behind Cy Young and Nolan Ryan. Never missed a start in decades.
Once when asked if he used a foreign substance on his pitches , he replied “No! Everything I use is made in America.”
Awesome quote
LDog.
That reminds me what John Wayne said when a college student was making fun of him for not having his own hair.
Paraphrasing John Wayne “What are you talking about? Of course it’s my own hair… I paid for it.”
RIP
Another legend. I believe Kershaw passed him for total strikeouts as a Dodger just last year.
Kershaw is 170 strikeouts behind Sutton
You’re right of course. He passed somebody on the all-time list last season and I can’t remember who. It wasn’t Koufax or Drysdale.
It actually was Drysdale that he passed, doing so on 8/20/20 against the Mariners. Only Sutton remains ahead of him.
Huh. I looked up the numbers for Drysdale and it didn’t seem to add up. Thanks I will check again.
Kershaw 2526/Drysdale 2486
One of the GOAT’s in MLB History! RIP Don Sutton
Meh. He wasn’t even the Greatest on his own rotation
This is terrible news. Thoughts and prayers to the Sutton family. I listened to his voice for many years with the Braves. He, Skip, Pete and Ernie Johnson Sr and Jr and others. They were incredible with the Braves for years. He will be missed. RIP Don.
Great pitcher, great hair! RIP Don.
Yeah, he permed his hair to cover his ears. BUZZR will have to show his Match game appearances as tribute this weekend.
I remember him going to Yankee clubhouse in uniform to congratulate after losing the World Series.
That’s a shame. So many of us [i assume] grew up listening to him on the superstation. RIP
This year is off to a terrible start. R.I.P. Don Sutton.
HOFers still active in the 70s who are still hanging in there.
Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Billy Williams, Steve Carlton, Fergie Jenkins. and Johnny Bench .
It can’t keep up. We’re running out of old players.
Plenty of other HOFers still alive that played in the 70s beside the six you listed above.
Career started prior to 1970
Bill Mazeroski, Nolan Ryan, Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, Reggie Jackson, Luis Aparico, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Joe Torre, Orlando Cepeda, Tony Perez, Rod Carew
Career started during the 1970’s
Rickey Henderson, Andrew Dawson, Mike Schmidt, Jim Rice, Robin Yount, George Brett, Carlton Fisk, Dave Winfield, Bert Blyleven, Dennis Eckersley, Rich Gossage, Bruce Sutter, Alan Trammell, Jack Morris, Eddie Murray, Paul Molitor
The whole TBS announcing crew from the 70s to 90s should be in the HOF as a group.
I was always a TNT fella- Steve and Harry were so much more fun
Holy Cow! That would be WGN.
Holy cow brings me back to Rizzuto on WPIX in the 80s!
Mlb on tnt? Gotta ring to it but never heard of such a thing.
RIP.
So sad to lose one of my high school classmates, HOFer Don Sutton. Don and his parents were always a class act. Condolences to Ronnie and Glenda as well as Don’s wife and children.
This one is a little more painful than the others. I don’t know why there is such a huge difference between 75 and early 80s, but there is.
Either that, or because I’m an LA Boy and this was a player of my youth, and a little closer to home.
Horrible news! COVID has taken so many away.
RIP Don Sutton.
It was covid?
No, he’s just an idiot!
Post doesn’t report whether it was Covid or not. Car Wash is still correct, Covid has taken so many away. It’s a false equivalency, but doesn’t make OP an idiot.
Yeah it does.
Correct, I never implied that Sutton died from COVID-19, just that it had taken so many away. Great catch.
Why don’t you have a signature that says that. Putting it here is a non sequitur. You meant it to stir the pot.
You’ll outgrow that when you become an adult.
Pot Kettle Black.
But I’ve noticed that about you. It’s hard not to notice that about you.
I stand by my original comment.
We’ve got trolls defending their fellow trolls. How cute!
Thanks. You put a bad image of dick waving in my mind.
Covid? Where? According to Don’s son, he passed away quietly in his sleep. Not from Covid. Or are you one of those hospital coders who get their hospital $8,000 more because you code the death as Covid?
Holy cow makes me think of Phil Rizzuto on WPIX in the 80s.
Whoops. My last comment ended up in the wrong thread on mobile.
That said, no, there’s no sign that Covid took Sutt. And no, there’s no need to be a jerk about an internet stranger’s honest mistake either.
Scut, It’s been done before and it got a lot worse than this. And he’ll do it again, unless people call him on it.
He’s being an idiot.
Eastern… He’s just being an idiot.
You picked the wrong idiot. This is misinformation, which when repeated knowingly, is called disinformation.
factcheck.org/2020/04/hospital-payments-and-the-co…
Please stop.
East,
Your comment entered the realm of moronic with your last sentence. Congratulations!
too bad ignorance isn’t painful!
RIP Legend.
Man, with all these passings my age is starting to show. RIP to them all.
RIP to a great pitcher
Grew up watching him on TBS. Sad to see most of these guys from that era are gone. RIP Sutt.
who?
A man who won his 300th game in a Angel Uniform.
Yes! I actually still have and occasionally watch the VHS of his first attempt at 300 against the Royals the start before. It was a WILD game. Called by Vin and Joe on the NBC Saturday Game of the Week. Dick Howser manager. Walley Joyner 1b. The old Family Section in the OF. What a time.
And to his 300th, he threw a complete game. Who would do that now? Amazing career.
I remember the last out. I believe it was a check swing. strikeout.
I went to the game the following day. Or maybe it was his next start. It was a long time ago.
It was the only time I ever went to an Angel game with my Mom.
Duuuuude. That’s cold
He wasn’t some lame ass troll on the internet.. I know that much.
NOOOOOO!! All the guys I watched as a young lad are passing on.
‘The workload never seem to have a negative effect…” How offensive :O
As brilliant as he was on the mound, his star shined just as bright in the broadcast booth.
As a Dodger fan I always thought it was kind of cool that his last season was with the Dodgers in 1988 (even though has was released in August before the world series run).. He was great as a broadcaster.
Man.
These old school guys, uh? 19 seasons (!) of 200 innings (!). I wish I would have known how truly special these guys were. I was just a little too young to actually understand how good they really were, man.
Great competitor. Great pitcher. Great player.
RIP Dandy One.
It was before sabermetrics and algorithms were invented. Bill James needed money at the time so invented a bunch of stats to analyze the game and shake things up.
The same thing will happen in the future when robots take the place of human players. It’ll be like Cub Scouts building derby cars with a bunch of soulless Ivy League grads trying to build the best robots for baseball teams.
The next time you get sick and see a doctor, you should ask him/her to use trepanation. You know… the ancient way to cure ailments by drilling a hole in your skull. Who needs expensive CTs and MRIs?
….oooo kkayyyyy……..
As a Braves fan he will be greatly missed. His announcing brought great knowledge to the average fan as well to the youth. Old school mentality seems to be growing shorter each season. True pillar of the game.
Braves radio legend! Many of my nights were spent driving home from work listening to Don call the game. RIP Don Sutton!!
Man. We lost so many baseball greats recently. RIP Don Sutton. I mainly knew him as a broadcaster, but what a career he had.
Terrible news! He gave me an autograph in 1976 at a dodger stadium old timers game, great guy, RIP DON.
You didn’t sell it on eBay, did you?
I remember when Don came over to Harvey’s Wallbangers in ‘82. It always seemed like he had an effortless approach to pitching. The results were anything but. RIP.
Dodger legends getting a rough 2021 start. Vin’s wife Sandy, Tommy, and now Sutton
None were young pups, but doesn’t make it any less sad. Legends through and through
Loved his commentary when he worked for the Braves. Brings back fond memories
Don got into a clubhouse scuffle with Steve Garvey once upon a time. Will always remember that Don gifted Garvey with a pretty good shiner for his troubles. Dodger Legend, RIP.
Anyone who gives Garvey a black eye is ok in my book. Arrogant, narcissistic SOB
True legend
One of the Angels of my youth. The big, gray curls popping out of that Navy blue hat, the fist pump when he got win 300.
RIP Don Sutton
Great quote. That’s right up there with Tug McGraw’s quote about Astroturf.
RIP to a great pitcher, a great guy and great Match Game panelist. And I thought 2021 was going to be better?
RIP Don
I seem to remember reading years ago that Sutton used to cut balls with his belt buckle.
So many have, you put your pressure on the side of a cut ball to make it move in or out. Negro League pitchers made it a science because anything went as far as doctoring up a baseball.
Always sad losing those we either listened to or watched play, in so many cases we grow up with them and they fill our life’s with good memories. I never met Sutton but over many, many springs in Tucson met so many players, always hurts seeing them pass on.
RIP Don and thanks for the memories, even enjoyed Daren doing Dback games and college hoops.. I believe he did the UNLV vs New Mexico last evening.
Sandra Scully (Vin’s wife), Tommy Lasorda, now Don Sutton. Since Tommy died, I was trying not to think of the “these things happen in threes” thing, but there ya go.
Next to Willie Davis, Sutton was my favorite player as a kid. Those Dodgers always had an outstanding starting rotation. Starters came and went, but Sutton was always there as the anchor. He is a bonafide Hall of Famer. There are many ways of making any HOF and Sutton found his.
My favorite Sutton story involves the famed fight with Steve Garvey. Apparently, both guys had their share of clubhouse foes. According to Tommy John, during the brawl someone yelled, “Stop the fight, they’ll kill each other!” Catcher Joe Ferguson’s response: “Good.” Los Angeles Huggers, indeed.
Sad. Another HoF player gone.
STOP IT 2021!
rest in peace mr sutton
I have to think if he’d have put up those numbers in today’s game, Sutton would have made WAY more than 4 All-Star teams. Always enjoyed watching him pitch, and as a commentator, he dded a lot to my enjoyment of the game.
Spent many years with Sutton, Skip and Pete van Wieren as the voice of the Braves. Such a delight and appreciate providing the soundtrack to much of my childhood. RIP Don, thanks for the memories.
I was at a Dodger game in the bleachers and 2 kids were there wanting his autograph. One was very demanding while the other was very proper. He came over and chewed the demanding kid out and told him he needed manners. Then he went and got the other kid assigned ball. I thought that was classy.
Sad day for Braves country. Loved listening to him call game.
Listened to him for only a couple decades on TBS Braves baseball. Sad news.
I really hated to see this today. I had grown accustomed to hearing Don do games for the Braves and the stories he would tell and to me, there was none better. All the good ones are leaving us…..
Don Sutton should’ve been the NL ROY in 1966. Instead he didn’t get a single vote.
Part of the sadness we feel is the weight of knowing that after our heroes are gone, we are closer to the end ourselves and it burns. A grim reminder of our own mortality, unsettling but true. Is it spring training yet?
Only middle of January and 3 h.o.f.’ers are gone already..this might outdo last yr..
Blessings and peace to the families and friends.
In the early 70’s, a friend of mine and I were walking up Cardiac Hill at Candlestick, getting ready to go to a Giants-Dodgers game. A man flew past us like we weren’t even there, but it was pretty obvious the guy was no ordinary fan. I asked my friend “Who was that?” He said “Don Sutton!” He was right. I recognized the curls. I think he was running the entire circumference of Candlestick, no mean deat! He was one heck of a competitor, I enjoyed watching him pitch, especially when he left L.A., and later, one of th great baseball analysts. R.I.P. Mr. Sutton. You will be missed.
Don Sutton is one of the greatest Dodger players, Brooklyn or LA.. There are 10 retired Dodger uniform numbers, and Sutton’s #20 is one of them. He was one of the first players who made me an MLB fan, and for that I will always be grateful. RIP, Don Sutton…
The iron man pitching equivalent of Cal Ripken. Don Sutton was Mr Consistency. Also, best helmet of ‘fro since Oscar Gamble. And he took down Steve “I have more illegitimate kids than Shawn Kemp” Garvey to the clubhouse floor back in the 70s.
RIP
Ernie, Skip, Pete, and Don. What a joy to listen to all those years. What a team they were. The Braves are my team and always will be, but they made it such a joy to root for them! We will miss you Don Sutton. I miss your team every season.
Getting older sucks, legends passing away weekly now. Thanks for the memories Sut and may you rest in the field of dreams sir.
Very, very sad. He died too young.
My company brought him in to speak at a conference just after he was elected to the Hall and just after Richie Ashburn died.. I went up to him, and congratulated him on his election. I said I was a Phillies fan and asked if he had a quick Whitey story. Much to the annoyance of his hosts from my company, he spent about 20 minutes talking about Richie.and what a great guy he was. I especially remember his comments that he was worried about Vin Scully. whose two favorite people in baseball were Don Drysdale (who had also just died) and Richie Ashburn. Don Sutton! What a class act!
Nothing better than the Dodgers – Giants rivalry. Sutton, Drysdale, Koufax vs Marichel , Perry & McCormick. Loved listening to Lon Simmons broadcast those heated matchups. Always a Giants fan, but much respect for Don Sutton.
Don Sutton was my second favorite Color guy for the Nats…
If only he hadn’t gotten in trouble for wanting to help coach the pitching staff.
We’ll miss you Don my your wings always carry you home when you are lost.