Sutton’s control, durability led him to 3,000 strikeouts
Don Sutton signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1964. Two years later, he debuted with the club and struck out 209 batters as a rookie – becoming the first National League newcomer to surpass 200 strikeouts since Grover Cleveland Alexander, who accomplished the feat in 1911.
This immediately established Sutton as one of the league’s premier young pitchers.
By the end of his first stint with the Dodgers, which spanned 15 seasons and 2,652 strikeouts, Sutton had his sights on greater achievements.
Sutton told the Wisconsin State Journal: “It was a mountain I’ve wanted to climb. At risk of sounding selfish, it was something I wanted very badly since I got 2,000; I’ve been aware of it (3,000 strikeouts) since about three years ago.”
On June 24, 1983, Sutton reached that milestone. While playing for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Cleveland Indians, Sutton took the mound as fans at County Stadium were excited to see Gorman Thomas – an Indians outfielder who had been traded midseason after nine years with Milwaukee and was making his first return to the city. But the night soon belonged to Sutton.
After striking out five batters over six innings, Sutton was working on a no-hitter and eventually the fans had shifted from focusing on Thomas to Sutton.
Sutton told The Capital Times: “I was aware they didn’t have any hits, but I wasn’t aware of a no-hitter. To pitch a no-hitter, you have to be very lucky and very overpowering. I’m pretty analytical and realistic, and I know some of those things are out of my control.”
The suspense ended when Thornton, leading off in the seventh, drove a 3-and-1 pitch inside the left-field foul pole for a home run. But the Brewers and Sutton still led 4-1 at that point.
In the eighth inning, Sutton completed his historical feat. On a 3-and-2 slider to Alan Bannister, he recorded his 3,000th career strikeout. As Sutton pumped his fist and leaped off the mound, 46,037 Milwaukee fans rose in a standing ovation while teammates rushed to congratulate him.
Sutton later reflected to The Capital Times: “I don’t consider myself a strikeout pitcher; that may sound kind of stupid, sitting here on 3,000, but a lot of pitchers have better fastballs, curveballs, sliders and changeups. Maybe my greatest asset is control.”
Sutton became the eighth pitcher in major league history to reach 3,000 strikeouts. His Dodgers franchise strikeout record of 2,696 stood until 2022 when Clayton Kershaw surpassed it.
Even though Sutton never led the league in strikeouts, he finished his 23-year career with 3,574 Ks, earned four All-Star selections, won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award and held the record (since surpassed) with 21 seasons striking out at least 100 batters.
In 1998, Sutton was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Khadifi Madison was the spring 2026 Jim Murray Scholars intern at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
