Posted on 10/14/2022 9:20:28 AM PDT by Repealthe17thAmendment
The St. Louis Cardinals organization, and baseball fans everywhere, were saddened today to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Howard “Bruce” Sutter at the age of 69. Sutter, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, was just the fourth reliever enshrined, and the first player to have never started a game to be elected. Sutter was a six-time All-Star and the 1979 NL Cy Young Award winner. His uniform number 42 is one of 14 numbers retired by the Cardinals.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlb.com ...
A Lancaster PA guy.(at least by birth)
RIP
He was known for his “split finger” fastball, which dropped on hitters. He was about the best reliever in baseball in his day. He died relatively young for modern times.
He was the shut down King against the Brewers in the ‘82 world series... RIP.
Sutter was a Bad A**. RIP.
Game Called. Across the field of play
the dusk has come, the hour is late.
The fight is done and lost or won,
the player files out through the gate.
The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,
the stands are bare, the park is still.
But through the night there shines the light,
home beyond the silent hill.
Game Called. Where in the golden light
the bugle rolled the reveille.
The shadows creep where night falls deep,
and taps has called the end of play.
The game is done, the score is in,
the final cheer and jeer have passed.
But in the night, beyond the fight,
the player finds his rest at last.
Game Called. Upon the field of life
the darkness gathers far and wide,
the dream is done, the score is spun
that stands forever in the guide.
Nor victory, nor yet defeat
is chalked against the players name.
But down the roll, the final scroll,
shows only how he played the game.
-Grantland Rice
If I remember them, then they were good.
I remember him closing out the 82 Series . that might be the pic
Cause of death?
He was lethal in his prime. Bottom dropped out of that splitter. RIP.
Until Bruce Sutter mastered the split fingered fastball pitch, his career was going nowhere. An old coach taught him the pitch and the rest was history. For several seasons, Sutter literally carried the Chicago Cubs while serving as the team’s closer. Whenever Sutter had to spend time on the disabled list, due to overwork, the Chicago season was effectively over.
Eventually, Sutter had to move on to secure bigger salaries than what the Chicago Cubs were paying and he had even greater success in Atlanta and St. Louis.
Not to be a nit picker…but 42 is retired all over MLB.
This guy was good. 69 is too young.
When Sutter was with the Cubs, the pitch entered the strike zone and dropped like it rolled off the edge of a table and fell to the floor. So many opposing batters struck out swinging on that pitch.
‘A Lancaster PA guy.(at least by birth)
RIP’
along with his teammate Tommy Herr...and Gene Garber was in the league as well at that time...
RIP
‘that might be the pic...’
best thing about the pic are the colored stirrup socks over the white hose...why modern ballplayers like the pajama bottoms they wear today I’ll never know...
I believe the Cardinals had retired the number for Sutter before MLB retired the number league wide. On the outfield wall in Busch Stadium, Sutter’s image appears with the number 42.
I haven’t seen it in any of the news stories. I know that he was unable to attend a 40th anniversary celebration of the 1982 World Series champions in St. Louis earlier this year, July, I think. He was apparently in poor health then. Not sure if he even attended opening day ceremonies this year.
Thank you. I couldn’t find any other info. either.
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