Cubs, Cardinals' Hall of Famer, Cy Young Winner, Bruce Sutter Dead at 69
Former 13-year Major League Baseball relief pitcher, Hall of Famer, and 1979 National League Cy Young Award winner, Bruce Sutter, has died at the age of 69.
According to the Associated Press, Sutter was recently diagnosed with cancer and died on hospice Thursday night in Cartersville, Georgia, in the presence of his family.
"All our father ever wanted to be remembered as was being a great teammate," the Sutter family said in a statement Friday. "But he was so much more than that. He was also a great husband to our mother for 50 years, he was a great father and grandfather and he was a great friend. His love and passion for the game of baseball can only be surpassed by his love and passion for his family."
Sutter made his Major League debut in 1976 with the Chicago Cubs. In five years with the club, he made four All-Star appearances and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1979, pitching solely in relief.
After the 1980 Major League season, the Cubs traded Sutter to their division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz and a player to be named later.
Sutter played a key role on the Cardinals' 1982 World Series championship team. Sutter recorded the final out of the World Series that clinched the franchise's first championship since 1967.
After four years with the Cardinals, Sutter signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent, where he would finish his career, playing his final season in 1988.
In 13 years in the big leagues, Sutter led the National League in saves five times, won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award four times, appeared in six All-Star games, and won a World Series and a Cy Young.
In 2006, Sutter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Sutter has also been inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame. His number 42 has been retired by the Cardinals.
The Cubs, Cardinals and Major League Baseball all issued statements on Twitter Friday, mourning the loss of one of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history.
Sutter is survived by his wife, three sons, daughter-in-law, and six grandchildren.
