Sutter is considered one of the first pitchers to throw a split-finger fastball. The right-hander played 12 seasons in the major leagues, was a six-time All-Star and ended up with 300 saves over his career."Bruce was the first pitcher to reach the Hall of Fame without starting a game, and he was one of the key figures who foreshadowed how the use of relievers would evolve," Manfred said in a statement.
Sutter debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 1976. The reliever won the Cy Young in 1979 in a season where he had 37 saves, 2.22 ERA and 110 strikeouts. He joined the St. Louis Cardinals and played with them from 1981 to 1984. There, he won a World Series in 1982, ending Game 7 against the Brewers with a strikeout.
"Being a St Louis Cardinal was an honor he cherished deeply," the Sutter family's statement said."To the Cardinals, his teammates and most importantly to the greatest fans in all of sports, we thank you for all of the love and support over the years."inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006"Bruce was a fan-favorite during his years in St.
Sutter was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in January 1953. The Baseball Hall of Fame said in a release that he learned the split-finger fastball from a Cubs minor-league pitching instructor while recovering from surgery on his right elbow."I feel like a brother passed away," Hall of Famer Jim Kaat said."I knew Bruce deeper than just about any other teammate. We spent a lot of time together, and as happens when your careers end, you go your separate ways.