-Cardinals World Series Ring Ceremony
Hall of Famers-
Howard Bruce Sutter (born January 8, 1953 in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania) (last name is pronounced with a "long U", i.e. the first
syllable rhymes with "Bruce") is a former right-handed relief pitcher
in Major League Baseball who became possibly the first pitcher to make effective
use of the split-finger fastball.
One of the sport's dominant relievers in
the late 1970s and early 1980s, he became the only pitcher to lead the National
League in saves five times (1979-1982, 1984), and retired with 300 saves –
at the time, the third highest total in history, behind Rollie Fingers (341)
and Rich "Goose" Gossage (302), and an NL record until broken by Lee
Smith in 1993; Sutter had set the NL record in 1982 with his 194th save, surpassing
the mark held by Roy Face.
Real-time Bruce Sutter Items
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In his first nine seasons, only Kent Tekulve made more appearances, and he saved 133 of the Chicago Cubs' 379 wins between 1976 and 1980. In 1979, Sutter won the NL's Cy Young Award as the league's top pitcher.
Who ever said 13 was an unlucky number? It surely wasn't for Bruce Sutter. Sutter became just the 4th reliever to get elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, joining Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley. However, Sutter is the ONLY one of the four, to have NEVER made a major league start!
His 'election' in his 13th year of eligibility, is the latest of any player since Ralph Kiner was elected in 1975. Sutter's election was long overdue.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown in July, 2006.
"Three
more saves and he ties John the Baptist"
Hank Greenwald, on Bruce Sutter