Bruce Sutter - 1953-2022

Bruce Sutter (#42)

Pitcher

Full Name: Howard Bruce Sutter

Height: 6'2" Weight: 190 Bats: Right Throws: Right

Born: January 8, 1953 in Lancaster, PA

Years with Cardinals: 1981-1984

Number Retired: 2006

Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2006

Bruce Sutter was a pioneer whose journey landed him in Cooperstown. The right-handed lights-out closer, who made the split-fingered fastball famous, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. He became the fourth reliever enshrined into baseball's hallowed ground, following Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992) and Dennis Eckersley (2004). Sutter was the first player never to start a game to be selected.

Sutter pitched for the Cardinals from 1981 to 1984. Acquired from the Chicago Cubs on Dec. 9, 1980, in exchange for first baseman Leon Durham, third baseman Ken Reitz and minor-league third baseman Ty Waller, Sutter proved to be a key acquisition for general manager and manager Whitey Herzog in his transformation of the Cardinals from underachievers to World Champions.

During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Sutter saved 25 games – the most by a St. Louis pitcher since the save became an officially recognized statistic in 1969. Chants of "Bruuuuuce!" bellowed throughout Busch Stadium every time he ran in from the bullpen. Sutter recorded 36 saves in 1982 and struck out Gorman Thomas of the Milwaukee Brewers to wrap up Game 7 of the World Series.

Sutter had 45 saves in 1985 to tie the Major League record – set by Dan Quisenberry of the Kansas City Royals two years earlier – that since has been eclipsed. The Cardinals elected not to re-sign Sutter after that season, and he moved on to the Atlanta Braves. He subsequently was hampered by shoulder problems that led to his retirement following the 1988 campaign at the age of 35.

Struggling in the minor leagues with Class-A Quincy (Ill.) in 1973, Sutter learned the revolutionary split-fingered pitch from former Cardinals right-hander Fred Martin, then a Chicago minor-league pitching coach. The pitch, an offshoot of the forkball that Sutter was suited to throw because of his long fingers, aptly was described as "a fastball that winds up like a dead fish" because of its wicked forward spin.

By 1976, Sutter was in the big leagues with the Cubs. He won the 1979 N.L. Cy Young Award after amassing 37 saves and a 2.22 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 101.3 innings pitched. He was only the third reliever to be so honored, following Mark Marshall of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974 and Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees in 1977.

In 12 major-league seasons, Sutter totaled 300 saves to rank third on baseball's all-time list at the time of his retirement and tied for 29th through 2020. He worked more than one inning for 188 of his rescues and surpassed 100 innings pitched in a season on five occasions, with one more year at 99. Sutter led the Senior Circuit in saves in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984. He was a six-time All-Star – appearing in four games and earning two wins (1978 and 1979) and two saves (1980 and 1981) while not allowing a run – and received the Rolaids Relief Man Award four times.

Sutter's four-year St. Louis save total of 127 established a franchise record and now ranks fourth behind Jason Isringhausen (217), Lee Smith (160) and Todd Worrell (129). Sutter was voted the relief pitcher on the All-Busch Stadium II team in 2005 and was an inaugural member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.