Don Sutton

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(Number retired 14 August 1998 - Dodgers) #21 - Brewers; #27 - Angels
Don Sutton
Position	Pitcher (RH)
MLB Seasons	23 (16 LAD)
Teams	Dodgers (1966-1980, 1988; 550 games)
	Astros (1981-1982; 50 games)
	Brewers (1982-1984; 71 games)
	A's (1985; 29 games)
	Angels (1985-1987; 74 games)
Debut	14 April 1966 (LAD)
Final Game	9 August 1988 (LAD)
Total Games	785 batting (774 pitching)
LCS Appearances	NLCS: 1974 (LAD), 1977 (LAD), 1978 (LAD)
	ALCS: 1982 (Brewers), 1986 (Angles)
World Series Teams	1974 (LAD), 1977 (LAD), 1978 (LAD), 1982 (Brewers)
Allstar Teams	1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 (no ERA's allowed)
Awards	The Sporting New Rookie Pitcher of the Year (1966)
	ML Shutout Leader (1972; 9)
	Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1976)
	All-Star Game MVP (1977)
	ML ERA Leader (1980; 2.20)
	Hall of Fame (1998)
Nicknames'
"Little D" "Mr. Consistency" "Black & Decker"

Don Sutton is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

Donald Howard Sutton (born April 2, 1945 in Clio, Alabama) is a former Major League Baseball player and current television sportscaster.

A right-handed pitcher, Sutton played for the Sioux Falls Packers as a minor leaguer, and entered the major league at the age of 21. In the majors, he played 23 years for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels. He won a total of 324 games, 58 of them shutouts and five of them one-hitters, and he is eighth on baseball's all-time strikeout list with 3,574 K's. He also holds the major league record for number of consecutive losses to one team, having lost 13 straight games to the Chicago Cubs.

He was known for doctoring baseballs. His nickname was "Black & Decker"; legend has it that when Sutton met notorious greaseballer Gaylord Perry, Perry handed him a tube of Vaseline, and Sutton responded with a thank-you, then handed him a sheet of sandpaper.

A 4-time All-Star, Sutton was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. His candidacy and subsequent election were controversial, with critics pointing out that he had never won a Cy Young Award, had won 20 games only once, and had rarely led his league in any statistical category. However, supporters noted that no pitcher with either 300 victories or 3000 strikeouts had ever failed to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and that his 324 wins were, at the time of his retirement, the most by any right-handed pitcher since the 1920s, and many pitchers with worse records were in the Hall Of Fame.

Sutton started his broadcasting career in 1989 with the Atlanta Braves on TBS, and broadcasted there for 17 seasons. After the 2006 season it was announced he will not be returning to TBS, mostly because they will have fewer games in future seasons and could not afford to carry 5 broadcasters. It is not known what Sutton will do for the 2007 season, but he has indicated an interest in announcing for a west coast team. As of December 10th, 2006 Sutton has been mentioned as a candidate to do color commentary for Washington Nationals baseball games on the MASN network for the 2007 season. He has also broadcast golf and served as a pre- and post-game analyst for NBC's coverage of the 1987 League Championship Series.

[edit] Stats

• Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
• Weight: 185 lb (85 kg)
• Throws: Right
• Bats: Right
• Wins: 324 - Losses: 256
• Lifetime ERA: 3.26
• Total Innings: 5,282.1
• Stikeouts: 3,574
• One-Hitters: 5
• Two-Hitters: 9
• All-time Dodger leader in:
  • Wins (233)
  • Games Pitched (550)
  • Games Started (533)
  • Innings Pitched (3,814)
  • Strikeouts (2,696)
  • Shutouts (52)
  • Opening Day Starts (7)
• LC Series Games
  • Record: 4-1
  • ERA: 2.02
  • Total Innings: 49
• World Series Games
  • Record: 2-3
  • ERA: 5.26
  • Total Innings: 51
• All-Star Games
  • ERA: 0.00
  • Total Innings: 8
  • Record 1-0 (NL 4-0)

[edit] Trivia

Sutton was born on the same date as former Dodger teammate Reggie Smith.

He also appeared on episodes of the Match Game between 1976 & 1978.

His son, Daron, is a broadcaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

[edit] External links

• Hall of Fame page
• Don's page @ Baseball Library.com
• Sutton's Baseball Reference page
• Don's page @ Baseball Almanac.com
• The Baseball Page for Don

Preceded by: Joe Torre	Major League Player of the Month April, 1972	Succeeded by: Bob Watson
Preceded by: Johnny Bench	Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1976	Succeeded by: Lou Brock
Preceded by: George Foster	Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1977	Succeeded by: Steve Garvey