Bruce Sutter
Arm surgery in 1973 nearly ended Sutter's career, but, with the help of Cub pitching
coach
Mike Roarke, he developed a split-finger fastball. The pitch, which dropped
like a rock as it reached the plate, made him an instant success in the Cubs' bullpen.
He saved 31 games while recording a microscopic 1.35 ERA in his sophomore season.
In 1979 his 37 saves earned him the NL
Cy Young Award.
He continued his dominance
from the bullpen with the Cardinals, peaking with 45 saves in 1984. The Cardinals
even hired Roarke to monitor Sutter's pitching mechanics. Sutter won two games and
saved two in All-Star Game competition. He holds the NL record for career saves and
was voted NL Fireman of the Year four times by TSN. Sutter signed a six-year,
eight-digit contract with the Braves in December 1984. Shoulder problems caused him
to miss most of 1986 and all 1987, but he
returned in 1988 to again be Atlanta's
closer. He lifted his career saves to an even 300, despite a mid-season bout with
Bell's palsy, which forced him onto the DL. More shoulder problems again threatened
his career.
(FJO)
Bruce Sutter from the Chronology
- Sep 28, 1991 -
The Cards Lee Smith ties the NL record for saves with his 45th‚ as St. Louis beats the Cubs‚ 3-2. Smith pitches a scoreless 9th to tie the mark of another Cardinal ex-Cub‚ Bruce Sutter‚ who racked up 45 in 1984.
- Sep 19, 1989 -
San Diego's Mark Davis becomes the 7th pitcher ever to save 40 games in a season by nailing down the Padres' 5-1 win over the Reds. He will finish the season with 44 saves‚ one shy of Bruce Sutter's NL record.
- Sep 9, 1988 -
Bruce Sutter joins Rollie Fingers and Rich Gossage as the only pitchers to save 300 games as Atlanta beats San Diego 5-4 in 11 innings.
- Aug 6, 1987 -
Rich Gossage earns his 287th career save in San Diego's 7-4 win over Atlanta to move past Bruce Sutter into 2nd place on the all-time list.
- Oct 4, 1986 -
On the next-to-last day of the season‚ Dave Righetti saves both ends of the Yankees doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox to give him a ML-record 46 saves. Bruce Sutter and Dan Quisenberry had shared the record with 45.
- Jun 30, 1985 -
In his final at bat of the month‚ Pedro Guerrero delivers a 2-run home run off Bruce Sutter to give the Dodgers a 4-3 win over the Braves. It is Guerrero's 15th home run in June (19th overall)‚ tying the ML record.
- Sep 28, 1984 -
Bruce Sutter ties the ML record with his 45th save of the season in the Cardinals 4-1‚ 10-inning win over the Cubs. Starter Joaquin Andujar (20-14) allows 2 hits over 9 innings to win his 20th game.
- Sep 3, 1984 -
Bruce Sutter breaks the NL record for saves in a season with his 38th in the Cardinals' 7-3 win over the Mets.
- Jun 23, 1984 -
At Wrigley Field‚ in game that will be known as the Sandberg game‚ the Cubs Ryne Sandberg goes 5-for-6 with game-tying home runs off Cardinals relief ace Bruce Sutter in both the 9th and 10th innings. He drives in 7 runs to lead Chicago to a 12-11 win in 11 innings. It is the first time Sutter has given up two HRs to the same batter in the same game. Dave Owens' base-loaded single wins it. Willie McGee hits for the cycle and drives in 6 runs in a losing cause.
- Jun 26, 1983 -
Mets Rusty Staub delivers his 8th consecutive pinch hit in the 9th inning of an 8-4 loss to the Phillies‚ tying Dave Philley for the all-time ML record. Staub's streak will be snapped by Cards Bruce Sutter 3 days from now.
- Apr 12, 1983 -
At the Pirates home opener‚ Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter is on the mound in the 8th when‚ with Keith Hernandez playing deep behind 1B‚ Pirate baserunner Bill Madlock takes a long leadoff. With Madlock distracted by Hernandez‚ Sutter darts off the mound and makes an unassisted put out. Sutter and the Cards are winners‚ 4-3.
- Oct 20, 1982 -
St. Louis rallies for 3 runs in the 6th and Bruce Sutter saves the 7th game 6-3 win to give the Cards the World Championship.
- Sep 4, 1982 -
Power beats speed as theSan Francisco Giants top the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 on Jack Clark's 2-out 3-run homer in the 9th off Bruce Sutter. The Cards Lonnie Smith is 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 5 stolen bases.
- Sep 4, 1982 -
Power beats speed as the San Francisco Giants top the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 on a Jack Clark 2-out 3-run homer in the 9th off Bruce Sutter. The Cards Lonnie Smith is 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 5 stolen bases.
- Dec 9, 1980 -
The Cubs trade reliever Bruce Sutter‚ the 1979 NL Cy Young Award winner‚ to the Cardinals for 3B Ken Reitz‚ OF-1B Leon Durham‚ and a player to be named.
- May 2, 1980 -
Paced by Lenny Randle's double and homer in the inning‚ the Cubs score 8 runs in the 12th to beat the Reds‚ 12-4. Bruce Sutter picks up the easy win over Tom Hume.
- Nov 7, 1979 -
Reliever Bruce Sutter‚ who had a 2.23 ERA and saved 37 of the Cubs' 80 victories‚ wins the NL Cy Young Award by a 72-66 margin over the Astros Joe Niekro.
- May 17, 1979 -
The wind is really blowing out at Wrigley as the Cubs (6) and the Phillies (5) combine for a ML-record-tying 11 HRs and 97 total bases during a wild 10-inning slugfest won 23-22 by the Phils. Dave Kingman has 3 HRs and 6 RBIs for the Cubs‚ while teammate Bill Buckner has a grand slam and 7 RBIs. Mike Schmidt's 2 HRs include the game-winner in the 10th off Cub relief ace Bruce Sutter. Bob Boone has 5 RBIs and Larry Bowa 5 hits. The Phils jump to a 7-0 lead in the 1st on 3 home runs‚ 3-run shots by Schmidt and Boone and one by P Randy Lerch. They lead 15-6 after 3 innings‚ and 21-9 going into the bottom of the 6th‚ but can't hold it. Rawly Eastwick shuts out the Cubs for 2 frames to win. The 2 teams combine to have 21 different players score runs and the 2-team total of 47 extra bases on long hits (24-Phi) sets a ML mark for an extra-inning game. It is the largest scoring game in the ML since August 25‚ 1922‚ when these same 2 teams met. At Wrigley Field.
- Sep 19, 1978 -
During a 12-11 win over the Cubs‚ the Pirates' 38-year-old‚ lead-footed Willie Stargell attempts to steal 2B. The Cubs' SS waits with the ball as Stargell slides 10 feet short of the base‚ signaling "time-out." The Pirates led 11-2 in the 7th‚ but the Cubs rally and tie it in the 9th. Dave Parker homers in 11th off Bruce Sutter to give the Bucs their 7th straight win and 30th in their last 38 since August 12. Besides his two homers‚ Parker adds two run scoring singles.
- Sep 8, 1977 -
At Wrigley‚ Cubs reliever Bruce Sutter strikes out the first 6 men he faces‚ including three batters (Ellis Valentine‚ Gary Carter‚ and Larry Parrish) on 9 pitches in the 9th inning. The Cubs score in the 10th against Montreal's Joe Kerrigan‚ and Sutter picks up the win‚ 3-2.
- Aug 3, 1977 -
The Cubs place Bruce Sutter and his injured arm on the 21-day disables list.
- Jul 12, 1977 -
Steve Henderson hits a game-winning HR‚ off Bruce Sutter‚ to give the Mets a 4-2 victory over the Cubs. After the game the Cubs relief ace admits his arm is bothering him‚ and asks to be excused from the All-Star game. Bleeding will be found in Sutter's arm and he will get the week off after the All-Star break to rest it.
- Jul 4, 1977 -
In the first game of a doubleheader‚ Chicago outfielder Larry Biittner pitches the last 1 1/3 innings for the Cubs‚ striking out 3. That's the good news. The bad news is he allows 6 earned runs on 5 hits and a walk as the Expos crush the Cubs‚ 19-3. Two of the three K's are of the opposing pitcher‚ Jackie Brown‚ and the last is Larry Parrish‚ who had homered on a 1-2 pitch from Biittner. Biittner also serves up homers to Valentine and Dawson‚ each of whom have five ribbies. Biittner is later fined $50 by the NL for throwing a "brush-back" pitch after surrendering the three home runs‚ but a collection is taken up to pay for his shave. Further bad news for the Cubs is that Bruce Sutter is knocked out for the first time this year‚ and a massive knot beneath his right shoulder will keep him out of the All-star game. The Cubs lose game 2‚ 7-6.
- May 28, 1977 -
The Cubs move into first place‚ beating the Pirates‚ 6-3. Bruce Sutter earns the save with three scoreless innings.
