Don Sutton

Pitcher

Class of 1998

Don Sutton

Pitcher

Class of 1998
Don Sutton pitched his teams to eight postseason appearances during 23 years in the big leagues.

Games

Birth year

About Don Sutton

“My mother used to worry about my imaginary friends ‘cause I would be out in the yard playing ball,” Don Sutton said in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1998. “She worried because she didn’t know a Mickey, or a Whitey, or a Yogi, or a Moose, or an Elston, but I played with them every day.”

Not only would Sutton get to join many of his childhood “friends” in the major leagues, Sutton rose to their status in his 23-year career, doubtlessly becoming a player in many children’s fantasy backyard games.

During a remarkably consistent career, Sutton went 324-256 and struck out 3,574 batters. He began his career as a member of the Dodgers’ rotation with fellow Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, helping Los Angeles win the NL pennant in his rookie season. In 16 seasons with the Dodgers, Sutton pitched on five pennant winners.

Sutton was the picture of consistency. He won at least 11 games and had 100 strikeouts in 21 seasons. His best season may have been in 1972 when he went 19-9 and threw nine shutouts. He led the NL with a 0.913 WHIP and was named to the All-Star Game, the first of four times he would earn All-Star honors.

That season was the beginning of a strong five-year stretch for Sutton. He won 93 games, posted a 2.73 ERA and finished in the Top 5 of the NL Cy Young voting in each season.

He became a celebrity in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, making several appearances as a panelist on Match Game on CBS-TV.

Later in his career, Sutton left the Dodgers and pitched for the Astros, Brewers, Athletics and Angels. He won his 300th game on June 18, 1986, with California, at the age of 41. After winning 11 games with the Angels in 1987, Sutton returned to the Dodgers in 1988, making 16 starts for a team that eventually won the World Series.

Sutton was known for his durability, never missing his turn in the rotation over 756 starts – third-most all-time behind only Cy Young and Nolan Ryan. He credited his work ethic to watching his father, who was a sharecropper in Florida.

"Other kids my age were playing for fun,” Sutton told Sports Illustrated in 1982. “I was playing to get to the big leagues.”

Sutton was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. He passed away on Jan. 19, 2021.

The Basics

Year inducted
1998
Birth Place
Clio, Alabama
Birth Year
1945
Died
2021, Rancho Mirage California

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Los Angeles Dodgers
Primary Position
Pitcher
Played For
Los Angeles Dodgers, 1966-1980
Houston Astros, 1981-1982
Milwaukee Brewers, 1982-1984
Oakland Athletics, 1985-1985
LA/California Angels, 1985-1987
Los Angeles Dodgers, 1988

Career MLB Stats

Games
774
Wins
324
Losses
256
Winning %
.559
Saves
5
Hits
4,692
Walks
1,343
Runs
2,104
Games Started
756
Innings Pitched
5,282
Completed Games
178
Shutouts
58
Earned Runs
1,914
Strikeouts
3,574
ERA
3.26
WHIP
1.142

Don Sutton Stories

Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.

Sutton signs with Astros

Sutton records 300th win

Sutton remembered for will to win, legendary durability