Good day all!
On the blog today, we
spotlight another card from my recent custom WTHBALLS set, "1981 Drake's
Big Pitchers", this time Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter:
The
man absolutely revolutionized the idea of a "relief" pitcher,
dominating as soon as he came into the league in 1976 with the Chicago
Cubs.
He led the league in saves five times, including a then record 45 saves with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984.
Between 1977 and 1984 he'd finish top-5 in the Cy Young voting four times, taking home the Award in 1979.
He also finished top-10 in N.L. MVP voting five times, while getting named to six All-Star teams.
These
were the days when your "Fireman" would pitch more than 100 innings a
year, with Sutter topping that mark five times, as well as a 99 inning
year in 1978.
Simply amazing to watch back then, as he mastered the split-fingered fastball that came to prominence in the 1980s.
Arm
issues curtailed his career in 1986, and by the age of 35 he was done,
but not before he picked up 300 saves, and posted an ERA of 2.83 over
661 appearances and 1042 innings, striking out 861 batters.
