46 Facts About Don Sutton

Donald Howard Sutton was an American professional baseball pitcher.

Don Sutton played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels.

Don Sutton won a total of 324 games and pitched 58 shutouts including five one-hitters and ten two-hitters.

Don Sutton attended high school and community college in Florida before entering professional baseball.

Don Sutton registered only one 20-win season, but earned 10 or more wins in every season except 1983 and 1988.

Related searches

Don Sutton became a television sports broadcaster after his retirement as a player.

Don Sutton worked in this capacity for several teams, the majority being with the Atlanta Braves.

Don Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Don Sutton was born to sharecroppers at the end of World War II, in a tarpaper shack.

At the time Don Sutton was born, his father was 18 and his mother was 15.

Don Sutton's father tried logging and construction work, and in looking for work, moved the family to Molino, Florida, just north of Pensacola.

Don Sutton graduated in 1963 and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".

Don Sutton wanted to attend the University of Florida, but coach Dave Fuller was not interested.

Don Sutton attended Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City for one year, and then Whittier College.

Don Sutton struck out 209 batters that season, which was the highest strikeout total for a rookie since 1911.

Don Sutton was selected to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game four times in the 1970s.

Don Sutton was the National League's starting pitcher and MVP of the 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

Don Sutton had criticized what he thought was excessive media attention paid to Garvey, saying that Reggie Smith was really the team's best player.

Don Sutton was selected by ten teams in the 1980 free agent re-entry draft.

Don Sutton was courted by both the Yankees and Astros but ultimately selected Houston.

One factor in Houston's favor was that Don Sutton would be able to play in the pitcher-friendly Astrodome.

Don Sutton pitched 10 innings in the series, gave up nine earned runs and was charged with one loss.

In 1983, Don 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.

In 1985, Don Sutton was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Ray Burris.

Don Sutton was reluctant to report to the team, as he was hoping to play for a team in Southern California so that he could live at home with his family.

Related searches

Don Sutton ultimately reported to Oakland 12 days late for spring training.

Don Sutton said that he had his family's approval in the decision and he mentioned his win total – he was 20 wins shy of 300 career wins – as a factor in the decision.

Don Sutton appeared in two games in the 1986 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox, earning a 1.

Don Sutton finished his career where he'd started it, signing with the Dodgers again in 1988.

Dodgers executive vice president Fred Claire said that Don Sutton violated league rules by discussing such a position while under contract with a team, but Don Sutton said that he ran into Astros general manager Bill Wood at a game and simply mentioned his willingness to discuss the position later.

Claire said that Don Sutton's stamina was a major consideration in the move, as the team was looking for pitchers who could last more than five or six innings per start.

Don Sutton holds the record for most at-bats without a home run .

Don Sutton retains another record: seven times he pitched nine scoreless innings but got a no-decision.

Don Sutton holds the major league record for most consecutive losses to one team .

Don Sutton holds the Dodger franchise record for wins and held the strikeouts record for 42 years until he was passed by Clayton Kershaw in 2022.

Don Sutton started his broadcasting career in 1989, splitting duties between Dodgers cable telecasts on Z Channel and Atlanta Braves telecasts on TBS.

In 2002, Don Sutton was diagnosed with kidney cancer resulting in the removal of his left kidney.

Don Sutton left TBS after the 2006 season, mainly because the network would broadcast fewer games in 2007 and had to cut back on the number of broadcasters.

Don Sutton was a color commentator for the Washington Nationals on the MASN network during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

In 1997, Don Sutton appeared on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the fourth time.

Don Sutton had previously expressed his desire to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Don Sutton was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in July 2015 for his work as a broadcaster.

Don Sutton became the fourth Braves broadcaster to be honored in this fashion, joining his mentors Ernie Johnson, Skip Caray, and Pete Van Wieren.

Don Sutton was an avid golfer and wine enthusiast and frequently made references to those hobbies while broadcasting.

Don Sutton previously served as a color commentator for NBC's coverage of the 1979 National League Championship Series.

Related searches

Don Sutton's son, Daron, was a play-by-play broadcaster for the Los Angeles Angels.