1966 LA 1980, 88
Right Handed Pitcher
AUGUST 14, 1998
Don Sutton spent 16 of his 23 Major League seasons with the Dodgers, ranking as the franchise's all-time leader in wins (233), games pilched (550), innings pitched (3,816.1), strikeouts (2,696) and shutouts (52). A four-time All-Star, he pitched in three World Series (1974, 1977, and 1978) with the Dodgers.
Number Retired on August 14, 1998
The durable right-hander spent 16 of his 23 Major League seasons with the Dodgers and more than made his mark in team history, ranking as the franchise's all-time leader in wins (233), games pitched (550), innings pitched (3,814), strikeouts (2,696) and shutouts (52). A four-time All-Star, he pitched in three World Series (1974, 1977, 1978) with the Dodgers, led the National League in shutouts (9) in 1972, was NL ERA leader (2.21) in 1980 and a 21-game winner in 1976. He made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 1966 and stayed with the team through 1980, before leaving and rejoining the club in 1988. Sutton finished his career with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts and was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Party Box 130
Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945 – January 19, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 23 seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels.Don Sutton:
- Sutton was born in Clio, Alabama. He attended high school and community college in Florida before entering professional baseball. After a year in the minor leagues, Sutton joined the Dodgers.
- Beginning in 1966, he was in the Dodgers's starting pitching rotation with Sandy Koufax [https://www.eatlife.net/dodger-stadium/sandy-koufax.php], Don Drysdale [https://www.eatlife.net/dodger-stadium/don-drysdale.php], and Claude Osteen.
- Sixteen of Sutton's 23 MLB seasons were spent with the Dodgers. He registered only one 20-win season, but earned 10 or more wins in every season except 1983 and 1988.
- Sutton became a television sports broadcaster after his retirement as a player. He worked in this capacity for several teams, the majority being with the Atlanta Braves.
- Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Don SuttonSutton was selected to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game four times in the 1970s
- Sutton attended J. M. Tate High School where he played baseball, basketball, and football. He graduated in 1963 and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed". He attended Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City for one year, and then Whittier College. After a good summer league, he was signed by the Dodgers.
- 1966 His major league debut came with the Dodgers on April 14, 1966. On the 1966 Dodgers, Sutton was the fourth starting pitcher. He struck out 209 batters that season, which was the highest strikeout total for a rookie since 1911.
- 1976 Sutton had his best major league season, finishing the year with a 21–10 win–loss record.
- 1977 He was the National League's starting pitcher and MVP of the 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He earned a complete game win in the 1977 playoffs.
- 1978 Sutton had a 15–11 record during the regular season, but he struggled in the postseason. In 17 postseason innings that year, Sutton gave up 14 earned runs.
Don SuttonDuring his time in Los Angeles, he set a team record for career wins
- 1980 Los Angeles made Sutton a free agent after the 1980 season and he ultimately selected Houston. One factor in Houston's favor was that Sutton would be able to play in the pitcher-friendly Astrodome.
- 1981 Sutton had seven wins and one loss. In an October 2 loss to the Dodgers, Sutton left the game with a patellar fracture, ending his season just as the Astros were about to clinch a berth in the NL postseason.
- 1982 The Astros sent Sutton to the Milwaukee Brewers
- 1983 Sutton had a down year for the Brewers, notching only 8 wins, his lowest full season total to date, and having an ERA of 4.08, the second highest of his career.
- 1984 His record and ERA improved in 1984 to 14–12 and 3.77.
- 1985 Sutton was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He was 20 wins shy of 300 career wins. After starting the season with a 13–8 record, Sutton was traded to the California Angels in September.
- 1986 Coming into the 1986 season, Sutton had 295 career victories. He struggled early in the season, recording a 9.12 ERA in his first five starts, but earned his 300th career win on June 18, pitching a complete game against the Texas Rangers in which he allowed only three hits and one run while striking out Gary Ward for the final out of the game.
- 1988 Sutton finished his career where he'd started it, signing with the Dodgers again in 1988. After spending 15 straight years with Los Angeles from 1966 to 1980, Sutton had pitched for five different teams in his last eight seasons.
Sutton holds the record for most at-bats without a home run (1,354). Sutton retains another record: seven times he pitched nine scoreless innings but got a no-decision. He also holds the major league record for most consecutive losses to one team (13 to the Chicago Cubs). Sutton also holds the Dodger franchise record for wins (233) and held the strikeouts record (2,696) for 42 years until he was passed by Clayton Kershaw in 2022.
As a hitter, Sutton was about average as pitchers go, posting a .144 batting average (195-for-1354) with 64 runs batted in and 60 walks. Defensively, he was above average, recording a .968 fielding percentage which was 15 points higher than the league average at his position.
Sutton won a total of 324 games and pitched 58 shutouts including five one-hitters and ten two-hitters. He is seventh on baseball's all-time strikeout list with 3,574.
Broadcasting Career:
Sutton started his broadcasting career in 1989, splitting duties between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves and the Washington NationalsPersonal life
Sutton was an avid golfer and wine enthusiast. He died of cancer on January 19, 2021, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 75.
