Bruce Sutter Death: ‘Hall of Famer’ and ‘Cy Young’ Award Winner, Died at the Age of 69

Legendary relief pitcHoward Bruce Sutter was an American pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 years, from 1976 to 1988. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was one of the best relievers in baseball.

He was known for his split-finger fastball. Sutter was an All-Star six times and won the World Series in 1982. At the time of his retirement, he had the third-most saves in MLB history with 300.

Sutter was the best pitcher in the National League (NL) in 1979, and he won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award four times. He is the only pitcher in NL history to have led the league in saves five times (1979–1982, 1984).her and 1979 Cy Young Award winner Bruce Sutter has passed away. He was 69.

Brief Information About Bruce Sutter

Bruce Sutter Death

Sutter’s son Chad told the Associated Press that their father had just been diagnosed with cancer and had passed away in hospice care on Thursday night. Bruce Sutter, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame, passed away on January 9 in Cartersville, Georgia.

“All our father ever wanted to be known for was being a great teammate,” the Sutter family stated in a statement released on Friday. Aside from being a wonderful friend, parent, and grandfather, our late father was a devoted husband to our mother for 50 years. His devotion to his family is the only thing that comes close to matching his enthusiasm for baseball.

Sutter is widely regarded as one of the earliest pitchers to use the split-finger fastball. The right-hander pitched in the majors for 12 years, made the All-Star team six times, and recorded 300 saves.

Major League Baseball’s Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his “great sadness” at the news.

Hall of Famer Howard “Bruce” Sutter has died at the age of 69. https://t.co/qesfBTBJgj

— KMOV (@KMOV) October 14, 2022

Manfred said of Bruce: “He was one of the important people who foretold how the use of relievers would evolve, and he was the first pitcher to make the Hall of Fame without starting a game.” “Bruce will go down in history as one of the greatest pitchers for two of our most storied organizations.”

In 1976, Sutter made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs. In 1979, the reliever won the Cy Young Award after a season in which he had 37 saves, a 2.22 earned run average (ERA), and 110 strikeouts.

After signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, he was a member of the team from 1981 to 1984. There, in 1982, he struck out the Brewers to end Game 7 of the World Series and win the championship for his team.

According to a statement released by the Sutter family, “Being a St. Louis Cardinal was an honor that Johnny greatly treasured.” “To the Cardinals, his teammates, and most importantly to the finest fans in all of the sports, we thank you for all of the love and support you’ve shown us over the years,” the family wrote in a thank-you note to the newspaper.

While playing for the Atlanta Braves, he recorded his 300th and last save. In 2006, Sutter was honored by being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bill DeWitt Jr., the owner and chief executive officer of the St. Louis Cardinals, said in a statement that “Bruce was a fan-favorite during his years in St. Louis and in the years that followed,” and that “he will always be remembered for his 1982 World Series-clinching save and signature split-fingered pitch.” He was a true trailblazer in the industry, revolutionizing the job of late-inning relief.

January 1953 found Sutter being welcomed into the world in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While he was rehabilitating from surgery on his right elbow, the Baseball Hall of Fame stated in a release that he learned the split-finger fastball from a Cubs minor-league pitching instructor.

Sutter is claimed to be survived by his wife, three sons, a daughter-in-law, and six grandchildren, according to the Cardinals.

Jim Kaat, a Hall of Famer, expressed his sadness by saying, “I feel like a brother passed away.” “I knew Bruce better than just about any other teammate, and I was on the team for a long time.” We shared a lot of time together, but as our respective jobs came to an end, we went in different directions. However, we continued to communicate with one another and thought of ourselves as close friends.”