Warning: Attempt to read property "params" on null in /home/notinhal/public_html/plugins/k2/k2canonical/k2canonical.php on line 382
9. Don Sutton
Don Sutton might not have looked like an imposing figure on the mound, with his curly hair and friendly face, but he got a lot of players out, often vis three strikes.
Sutton debuted in 1966 for the Dodgers two years after he was signed, and he joined Los Angeles's Starting Rotation and proved immediately that he belonged. Playing 15 years with the Dodgers, Sutton never had less than 11 Wins in a season, at least 15 eight years in a row (1969-76), and a ninth one in 1978.
Sutton's best period was in the mid-70s, where from 1972 to 1976, he regularly finished in the top five in Cy Young voting and twice led the league in WHIP with one league lead in SO/BB. After his peak ended, Sutton was still among the better starters in the NL, and much of the success of Los Angeles in the late 70s stemmed from his work on the mound. A four-time All-Star, Sutton finally won the ERA Title in 1980, which would also be his last year with the Dodgers, as he signed with the Astros as a Free Agent.
Sutton entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 in his fifth year of eligibility. As per Dodgers tradition, they retired his number (20) that year. As of this writing, Sutton is still the franchise leader in Wins (233), Innings Pitched (3,816.1), Strikeouts (2,696), and Shutouts (52).
RIP: Don Sutton
2021 is looking a lot like 2020.
As we are days away from learning who the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will be, Don Sutton, who was inducted in 1998, passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 75 years old.
Sutton debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966, and played there for his first fifteen seasons. A four-time All-Star, from 1972 to 1976, Sutton finished in the top five in Cy Young voting and was a four-time league-leader in WHIP. He also played for Houston, Milwaukee, Oakland and California, and finished his career at age 43 with a final run as a Dodger.
He retired with a career record of 324-256 with 3,574 Strikeouts.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to fans, friends and family of Don Sutton.