Quick Facts

American former MLB pitcher Bruce Sutter is now retired. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was a strong reliever in the sport, making good use of the split-finger fastball. Sutter, a six-time All-Star and 1982 World Series champion, retired with 300 saves, third-most in MLB history, and a 2.83 career earned run average. He became the single pitcher to five times hold the NL lead in saves (1979–1982, 1984).

In 1971, the Chicago Cubs signed him as an undrafted free agent. He spent five seasons with the Cubs, four with the Cardinals, and three with the Braves. He started having shoulder issues in the middle of the 1980s and had three operations before retiring in 1989. His 13th year of eligibility saw him elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. He tragically passes away on October 13, 2022, at the age of 69.

On September 17, 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals retired his number 42, which he wore during his career, at a ceremony held at Busch Stadium. Jackie Robinson, whose number 42 was retired by all MLB teams in 1997, shares his retired number with him.

How much was the Net worth of Bruce Sutter?

Bruce Sutter was a well-known American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1976 and 1988. He joined the Atlanta Braves in December 1984 as a free agent. The New York Times stated that Sutter’s six-year contract paid him $4.8 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account at 13 percent interest. The article predicted that the account would pay Sutter $1.3 million per year for 30 years beyond the initial six seasons of the contract.

As of 2022, he has an estimated net worth of between $1 million To $5 Million. His main source of money came from his baseball career before his retirement from the team. He was making his wage in thousands of dollars from his profession. He was living a stylish lifestyle previous to his demise.

Early Years: Who were Bruce Sutter’s parents?

Howard Bruce Sutter was Bruce Sutter’s given name at birth on January 8, 1953. From Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the United States. He was Thelma and Howard Sutter’s son. His father oversaw the Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Farm Bureau warehouse. Bruce was one of six children. He was an American citizen who belonged to the White American ethnicity. In 2022, he finally celebrated turning 69.

Regarding his education, he received his diploma from Mount Joy’s Donegal High School, where he also participated in basketball, football, and baseball. In addition to being the quarterback and team captain for the football team, he also led the basketball team to a district championship during his senior year. His baseball club also captured the county title. He was an Old Dominion University student. He quit school and moved back to Lancaster to play semi-pro baseball.

What was the Professional Career of Bruce Sutter’s Career (Baseball)?

In the first round of the 1970 MLB draft, the Washington Senators picked Bruce. Sutter was signed as a free agent by Chicago Cubs scout Ralph DiLullo in September 1971. He made two starts with the Cubs of the Gulf Coast League in 1972. In 40 games of Class A baseball in 1973, he finished 3-3 with a 4.13 ERA, five saves, and a win-loss record. He played for both the Class AA Midland Cubs and the Class A Key West Conchs in 1974. He had a combined 2-7 record for the season with a 1.38 ERA in 65 innings pitched. In 1975, after returning to Midland, he had a 5-7 record, a 2.15 ERA, and 13 saves by the end of the season. The Class AAA Wichita Aeros were where he began the 1976 season.

In May 1976, he signed with the Cubs. He pitched in 52 games, posting a 6-3 win-loss record and 10 saves in the process. He won the NL Cy Young Award and tied the record established by Clay Carroll (1972) and Rollie Fingers (1978) by saving 37 games for the team. In 60 games in 1980, he posted a 2.64 ERA and went 5-8 win-loss. The St. Louis Cardinals then acquired him in a trade. The Cardinals won the 1982 World Series and Sutter is credited with two saves in the Series, including the Series-clinching save in Game 7 which finished with a strikeout of Gorman Thomas. He joined the Atlanta Braves in December 1984 as a free agent.

The New York Times stated that Sutter’s six-year contract paid him $4.8 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account at 13 percent interest. The article predicted that the account would pay Sutter $1.3 million per year for 30 years beyond the initial six seasons of the contract. He mentioned that he was attracted to the Braves because of Atlanta’s scenery and his affection for Ted Turner and Dale Murphy. In 1985, Sutter’s ERA jumped to 4.48 and his saves total declined to 23. He received surgery on the shoulder after the season and healed in time to appear in spring training in mid-March 1986.

He again underwent shoulder surgery in February 1987. He finished the year with a 1–4 record, a 4.76 ERA and 14 saves in 38 games thrown. In late September, he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. By March 1989, he was struggling with a badly injured rotator cuff and he admitted that he would be unlikely to return to baseball. “There’s definitely a 99.9 percent probability I won’t be able to pitch again,” he stated. He retired with exactly 300 saves – at the time, the third-highest total in history, after Rollie Fingers (341) and Goose Gossage (302).

He appeared on his twelfth Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2006. On January 10, 2006, Sutter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 13th year of eligibility by garnering 400 votes out of a possible 520 (76.9%). In November 2010, Sutter was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Sutter among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.

Awards and Achievements

• 6× All-Star (1977–1981, 1984)
• World Series champion (1982)
• NL Cy Young Award (1979)
• 4× NL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1979, 1981, 1982, 1984)
• 5× NL saves leader (1979–1982, 1984)
• St. Louis Cardinals No. 42 retired
• St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
• Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame

Who was Bruce Sutter married to?

Bruce Sutter was a married man to his wife whose name goes by Jayme Leigh. He had remained loyal to his wife till his death. They have been married for nearly five decades. The duo is blessed with three boys – Ben Sutter, Josh Sutter, and Chad Sutter. Before his demise, the family was living a comfortable life in Atlanta. His sexual orientaiton was straight and he was not gay.

His son Chad was a catcher who played for Tulane University and was taken by the New York Yankees in the 23rd round (711th overall) of the 1999 amateur draft. Chad played one season in the minor levels and then joined the coaching staff of the Tulane baseball team. On 23rd August 2010, he was designated a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was appointed to analyze pitching prospects at the team’s Class AA and AAA clubs.

When did Bruce Sutter passed away?

On Thursday, Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Famer who invented the split-fingered fastball, revolutionized the closer position, and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 1982 World Series 40 years ago this week, passed suddenly at the age of 69 not far from his Cartersville, Georgia, home. Following a recent cancer diagnosis, he passed away at a hospice in Cartersville, Georgia, on October 13, 2022, with his loved ones by his side. At the age of 69, he passes away.

Bruce Sutter’s career was described as “an extraordinary baseball success story,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. “I am very sorry by the news of his loss,” Manfred added. “By inventing the split-fingered fastball, Bruce rose from being an undrafted free agent to the pinnacles of baseball. The pitch not only got him into the Major Leagues, but also helped the Cubs win the Cy Young Award and the 1982 Cardinals win the World Series. … One of the greatest pitchers in the annals of two of our most illustrious clubs, Bruce will be remembered. I send my sympathies to Bruce’s family, his friends, and all of his fans in Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, as well as across Major League Baseball.

Bruce’s son Chad Sutter remarked, “Being a St. Louis Cardinal was a privilege he treasured greatly. “We appreciate all of the love and support over the years from the Cardinals, his teammates, and, most importantly, the best fans in all of sports. He will be sorely missed, but Cardinal Nation and his family will carry on his legacy!

Body measurement: Height and Weight

‘Bruce Sutter was a cool man with a height of 6 feet 1 inches or 1.87 m. His body weight consisted of 86 KG. He had dark brown eyes and his hair color was white. His physical type was ordinary.

Facts and Trivia