Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton dies
Hall of Fame pitcher and Los Angeles Dodgers great Don Sutton has died at the age of 75, his family announced Tuesday.
Sutton died in his sleep Monday night at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., after a long battle with cancer, his son Daron Sutton said on Twitter.
Sutton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 after a 23-year career spent mostly with the Dodgers. Sutton won 324 games against 256 losses and finished with 3,574 strikeouts. He spent 16 seasons with the Dodgers, winning 233 games. He made his debut on April 14, 1966, at 21 years old.
“Don left an indelible mark on the Dodger franchise during his 16 seasons in Los Angeles and many of his records continue to stand to this day,” Dodgers CEO and president Stan Kasten said in a statement. “On behalf of the Dodger organization, we send our condolences to the entire Sutton family, including Don’s wife Mary, his son Daron and his daughters Staci and Jacquie.”
A four-time all-star — all with the Dodgers — Sutton’s teams made four World Series appearances, winning none. He finished with a career 6-4 mark in the postseason with the Dodgers, Milwaukee
Brewers and California Angels. But he went 2-3 with a 5.26 ERA in eight World Series starts, six with the Dodgers (1974, 1977, 1978) and two with the Brewers (1982).
Sutton’s 324 wins rank tied for 14th all-time. He’s ranked 10th in shutouts (58), seventh in innings pitched (5,282.1) and strikeouts (3,574), and third in games started (756) in major-league history.
Sutton won his 300th game with the California Angels on June 18, 1986, in a complete game win over the Texas Rangers.
Sutton finished his career with the Dodgers, going 3-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 1988. He started 16 games that season before getting released on Aug. 10.