Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter has died at age 69, the St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday. Sutter played 12 seasons in the big leagues from 1976-88, including four years with St. Louis, before being elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006 as the first pitcher inducted without ever starting a game.
“On behalf of the Cardinals organization and baseball fans everywhere, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the Sutter family,” Cardinals principal owner and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. “Bruce was a fan-favorite during his years in St. Louis and in the years to follow, and he will always be remembered for his 1982 World Series clinching save and signature split-fingered pitch. He was a true pioneer in the game, changing the role of the late inning reliever.”
Sutter was a pioneer who helped popularize the split-finger fastball, a pitch few threw regularly before he mastered it.
We are saddened over the passing of Bruce Sutter.
Sutter was a dominant pitcher and a member of the ’82 World Series Championship team.
He is a member of both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Our thoughts are with Bruce’s family and friends. pic.twitter.com/BjxKBnK0Lw
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 14, 2022
“Sutter from the belt, to the plate…a swing and a miss! And that’s a winner! That’s a winner! A World Series winner for the Cardinals!”
RIP Bruce Sutter, the #STLCards HOF closer
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) October 14, 2022