Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Bruce Sutter died Thursday at the age of 69.
Sutter died surrounded by loved ones after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his three children, according to ESPN.
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 made his way into MLB as an undrafted free agent in Sept. 1971. He played for the Chicago Cubs until 1980 before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.
Sutter was recognized around the league for his split-finger fastball, which he used to dominate batters throughout his career. His elite pitching earned him the 1979 Cy Young Award as a relief pitcher with the Cubs, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
By the time Sutter was traded to the Cardinals in 1981, he was already a four-time all star, according to Baseball Reference. Sutter pitched the final out in game seven of the 1982 World Series, securing a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. (RELATED: Minor League Pitcher Corey Phelan Dead At Age 20)
League commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement to MLB.com Thursday after news broke that the five-time all star had passed away. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Bruce Sutter, whose career was an incredible baseball success story. Bruce ascended from being a nondrafted free agent to the heights of Baseball by pioneering the split-fingered fastball,” Manfred said. “Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises.”
Sutter was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2006.