Don Sutton, an American professional baseball pitcher, had a remarkable 23-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB), predominantly with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He achieved 324 wins, 58 shutouts (including five one-hitters and ten two-hitters), and led the National League in WHIP four times. Sutton's impressive 3,574 strikeouts place him seventh on baseball's all-time strikeout list.
1911: Rookie Strikeout Record
In 1966, Don Sutton struck out 209 batters as a rookie which was the most since a record set in 1911
April 2, 1945: Birth of Don Sutton
Don Sutton was born on April 2, 1945 in Clio, Alabama.
1962: High School Success
In 1962, Sutton led his high school baseball team to victory in the small-school state finals.
1963: High School Graduation and "Most Likely to Succeed"
Don Sutton graduated high school in 1963 and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".
April 14, 1966: Major League Debut
Don Sutton made his major league debut with the Dodgers on April 14, 1966, at the age of 21.
1966: Sutton Joins the Dodgers
In 1966, Don Sutton joined the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting pitching rotation alongside Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Claude Osteen.
1969: Birth of Daron Sutton
Don Sutton's son, Daron, was born in 1969.
1973: Birth of Staci Sutton
Don Sutton's daughter, Staci, was born in 1973.
1974: Dodgers' Playoff and World Series Run
In 1974, the Dodgers reached the World Series, with Sutton contributing two wins in the playoffs and one in the World Series.
1976: Sutton's Best Season
Don Sutton had his best MLB season in 1976, achieving a 21-10 win-loss record.
1976: Sutton Appears on Match Game
Don Sutton started appearing as a panelist on the game show Match Game in 1976.
1977: All-Star Game MVP
Sutton started and was named MVP of the 1977 All-Star Game.
August 1978: Altercation with Steve Garvey
In August 1978, Sutton was involved in a physical altercation with teammate Steve Garvey following comments Sutton made about media attention and player performance.
1979: Sutton Broadcasts NLCS for NBC
Don Sutton provided color commentary for NBC's coverage of the 1979 National League Championship Series.
1980: Sutton's Final Match Game Appearances
Don Sutton made his last appearances as a panelist on Match Game in 1980.
1980: Joining the Astros
In 1980, after being selected by ten teams, Sutton chose to sign with the Houston Astros.
1980: Free Agency and Dodgers' Wins Record
Sutton became a free agent in 1980, having set a Los Angeles Dodgers record for career wins.
1981: Season-Ending Injury
Sutton's 1981 season ended prematurely due to a patellar fracture.
1982: Trade to the Brewers and World Series Appearance
In 1982, Sutton was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and participated in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
1983: Sutton Broadcasts ALCS for NBC
In 1983, Don Sutton worked as a pre- and post-game analyst for NBC's coverage of the American League Championship Series.
1983: A Challenging Year
In 1983, Sutton had one of his least productive seasons.
1983: Sutton's Lowest Win Total
In 1983, Sutton recorded only 8 wins, his lowest full-season total up to that point in his career.
1984: Improved Performance
Sutton's win-loss record and ERA improved in the 1984 season.
1985: Trades to Athletics and Angels
In 1985, Sutton was traded to the Oakland Athletics and later to the California Angels.
1986: 300th Career Win
Don Sutton achieved his 300th career win on June 18, 1986, against the Texas Rangers.
1987: Sutton Broadcasts ALCS for NBC
Don Sutton worked as a pre- and post-game analyst for NBC's American League Championship Series coverage in 1987.
1987: Sutton Reports Candelaria's Drunk Driving
In 1987, Don Sutton reported Angels pitcher John Candelaria's drunk driving to police. This led to one of Candelaria's two DUI arrests that year.
August 1988: Sutton Released by Dodgers
In August 1988, Don Sutton was released by the Dodgers after discussions with the Houston Astros about an assistant general manager position. While Sutton claimed the conversation was informal, Dodgers management felt he violated league rules. The Dodgers cited Sutton's declining stamina as a factor in his release.
1988: Another Low Win Season for Sutton
Along with the 1983 season, 1988 was another year where Sutton did not achieve 10+ wins.
1988: Sutton Re-Signs with Dodgers, Faces Candelaria Criticism
In 1988, Don Sutton re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He faced criticism from Angels pitcher John Candelaria for reporting Candelaria's drunk driving to the police in 1987. Sutton claimed concern for Candelaria's safety, while Candelaria accused Sutton of self-preservation.
1989: Sutton Begins Broadcasting Career
Don Sutton started his broadcasting career in 1989, working for both the Los Angeles Dodgers on Z Channel and the Atlanta Braves on TBS.
1996: Birth of Jacqueline Sutton
Don Sutton's daughter, Jacqueline, was born in 1996.
1997: Sutton Misses Hall of Fame, Daughter in NICU
In 1997, Don Sutton narrowly missed being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. During this time, his newborn daughter, Jacqueline, was in the neonatal intensive care unit.
1998: Hall of Fame Induction
Don Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
1998: Sutton Elected to Hall of Fame, Dodgers Retire His Number
In 1998, Don Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Los Angeles Dodgers also retired his number.
2002: Sutton Diagnosed with Kidney Cancer
In 2002, Don Sutton was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had his left kidney removed.
2003: Sutton Undergoes Lung Surgery
In 2003, Don Sutton had part of his lung removed. This followed his kidney cancer diagnosis and surgery the previous year.
2006: Sutton Leaves TBS
Don Sutton left TBS after the 2006 season due to the network reducing its baseball coverage.
2007: Sutton Joins Nationals Broadcast Team
In 2007, Don Sutton began working as a color commentator for the Washington Nationals.
2007: Sutton Joins Nationals Broadcast Team
In 2007, after leaving TBS, Don Sutton became a color commentator for the Washington Nationals on the MASN network.
2008: Sutton Continues with Nationals
Don Sutton continued his role as a color commentator for the Washington Nationals in 2008.
January 27, 2009: Sutton Returns to Braves Broadcasting
On January 27, 2009, Don Sutton negotiated his release from the Washington Nationals to rejoin the Atlanta Braves broadcast team.
July 2015: Sutton Inducted into Braves Hall of Fame
In July 2015, Don Sutton was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame for his contributions as a broadcaster.
2019: Sutton's Broken Femur Ends Broadcasting Career
Don Sutton broke his femur in 2019, which prevented him from returning to the broadcast booth.
January 19, 2021: Death of Don Sutton
Don Sutton passed away on January 19, 2021.
2022: Kershaw Breaks Sutton's Strikeout Record
In 2022, Clayton Kershaw surpassed Don Sutton's Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record for strikeouts. Sutton held the record with 2,696 strikeouts for 42 years.