Bruce Sutter was an American retired professional baseball pitcher. 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. He became the only pitcher to lead the NL in saves five times (1979–1982, 1984).
He was 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. In the mid-1980s, he began to experience shoulder problems, undergoing three surgeries before retiring in 1989. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, his 13th year of eligibility. Sadly, he dies on 13th October 2022 at the age of 69.
His 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.
Bruce Sutter dies at 69
Bruce Sutter, the Hall of Famer who revolutionized the closer position and the split-fingered fastball and clinched the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1982 World Series title 40 years ago this week, passed away at the age of 69 near his home in Cartersville, Ga., on Thursday. He died at a hospice in Cartersville, Georgia, on October 13, 2022, surrounded by his family, after a recent diagnosis of cancer. He dies at 69.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Bruce Sutter, whose career was an incredible baseball success story,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Bruce ascended from being a nondrafted free agent to the heights of baseball by pioneering the split-fingered fastball. The pitch not only led him to the Major Leagues but also made him a Cy Young Award winner with the Cubs and a World Series Champion with the 1982 Cardinals. … Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Bruce’s family, his friends, and his fans in Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta and throughout our game.”
“Being a St. Louis Cardinal was an honor he cherished deeply,” Bruce’s son Chad Sutter said. “To the Cardinals, his teammates, and, most importantly, the greatest fans in all of the sports, we thank you for all of the love and support over the years. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on through his family and through Cardinal Nation!”
What was Bruce Sutter Known For?
- Bruce Sutter was a professional retired baseball pitcher.
- He was known for playing 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988.
Who were the Parents of Bruce Sutter?
Bruce Sutter was born on 8th January 1953 with the birth name of Howard Bruce Sutter. He was from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. He was the son of Howard and Thelma Sutter. His father managed a Farm Bureau warehouse in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Bruce was the fifth child of six. He held American nationality and his ethnicity was American-White. He lastly celebrated his 69th birthday in 2022.
About his education, he 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. He attended Old Dominion University. He dropped out of school and returned to Lancaster to play semi-professional baseball.
Bruce Sutter Career Timeline (Baseball)
- Initially, Bruce was selected by the Washington Senators in the 21st round of the 1970 MLB draft.
- 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.
- He recorded a 3–3 win-loss record, a 4.13 earned run average (ERA), and five saves in 40 games in Class A baseball in 1973.
- He split the 1974 season between the Class A Key West Conchs and the Class AA Midland Cubs.
- 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.
- He joined the Cubs in May 1976. He pitched in 52 games and finished with a 6–3 win-loss record and 10 saves.
- He saved 37 games for the club, tying the NL record held by Clay Carroll (1972) and Rollie Fingers (1978), and won the NL Cy Young Award.
- He recorded a 2.64 ERA and finished with a 5–8 win-loss record in 60 games in 1980.
- He was then traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. 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.
- He 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.
- He said that he was attracted to the Braves because of Atlanta’s scenery and his respect for Ted Turner and Dale Murphy.
- 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.
- He again underwent shoulder surgery in February 1987.
- He finished the year with a 1–4 record, a 4.76 ERA and 14 saves in 38 games pitched.
- In late September, he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
- By March 1989, he 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.
- He retired with exactly 300 saves — at the time, the third-highest total in history, behind Rollie Fingers (341) and Goose Gossage (302).
- He appeared on his thirteenth Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2006.
- 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%).
- In November 2010, Sutter was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
- 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.
Bruce Sutter Awards and Achievements
- 6× All-Star (1977–1981, 1984)
- World Series champion (1982)
- 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
- St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
- Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame
Who was Bruce Sutter married to?
Bruce Sutter was a married man to his wife whose name goes by Jayme Leigh. He had been loyal to his wife till his death. They had been married for over five decades. The duo is blessed with three sons – Ben Sutter, Josh Sutter, and Chad Sutter. Before his demise, the family was living a happy life in Atlanta. His sexual orientaiton was straight and he was not gay.
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 23rd August 2010, he was named a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was hired to evaluate pitching prospects at the team’s Class AA and AAA affiliates.
How much was Bruce Sutter’s Net Worth?
Bruce Sutter was a well-known American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1976 and 1988. He 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.
As of 2022, he had an estimated net worth of between $1 million – $5 Million. His main source of wealth was from his baseball career before his retirement from the team. He was making his salary in thousands of dollars from his profession. He was living a cool lifestyle prior to his death.
Bruce Sutter Height and Weight
Bruce Sutter was a cool man with a height of 6 feet 1 inches or 1.87 m. His body weight consisted of 86 KG. He had dark brown eyes and his hair color was white. His body type was average.
Leave a Reply