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Don Sutton
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Don Sutton from the Chronology
Jun 27, 2000 - The Atlanta Braves back off from their decision to bar from their chartered flights 4 team announcers who had raised questions about the catcher's box at Turner Field. After TBS discussed the width of the catcher's box in a game against the Brewers 3 days ago‚ Skip Caray‚ Pete Van Wieren‚ Joe Simpson and Don Sutton were kicked off a flight to Montreal and had to take a commercial flight. TBS aired a video showing the catcher's box was 4 to 5 inches smaller than it was the previous night‚ when Milwaukee management complained about where Braves catcher Javy Lopez was setting up. Opposing teams have long said that Atlanta pitchers are given the benefit of an extra-wide strike zone‚ particularly on the outside corners. Catchers who set up wide of the plate can increase the chances of an outside pitch being called a strike. The video was shown after a rare balk call against Fernando Lunar‚ the Braves catcher. Home-plate umpire John Shulock ruled that Lunar set up with his right foot outside the 43-inch-wide box. The balk led to Milwaukee's first run and a heated argument between Shulock and Braves manager Bobby Cox‚ who was ejected. Atlanta lost the game 2-1.
Jan 5, 1998 - 324-game winner Don Sutton is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his 5th try. Sutton‚ who missed election by 9 votes in 1990‚ was named on 81.6% of the ballots.
Jan 6, 1997 - Former Atlanta knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Niekro receives 80.34% of the vote. Former Dodger hurler Don Sutton falls 9 votes short of election.
May 30, 1992 - By beating the Milwaukee Brewers‚ 8-1‚ Scott Sanderson of the Yankees becomes the 9th pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams in his career. He joins Nolan Ryan‚ Tommy John‚ Don Sutton‚ Mike Torrez‚ Rick Wise‚ Gaylord Perry‚ Doyle Alexander and Rich Gossage as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.
Sep 12, 1991 - Texas Ranger Nolan Ryan wins his 10th game‚ beating the Twins‚ 4-3‚ and becoming just the second pitcher ever to reach double figures in wins in 20 different seasons. Don Sutton did it 21 seasons. The win‚ Ryan's 312th of his career moves him past Tom Seaver into 14th place on the career list. Jack Morris is the CG loser.
Jul 2, 1990 - Nolan Ryan strikes out 7 batters in a 3-2 loss to the Red Sox. This gives him a record 22 seasons with at least 100 strikeouts. He had shared the record of 21 with Don Sutton.
Jun 3, 1989 - Nolan Ryan pitches his 2nd one-hitter this season and 11th overall‚ allowing only a first-inning lead-off single to Harold Reynolds‚ in a 6-1 win over Seattle. Ryan also strikes out 11 to tie Don Sutton's ML record of 21 seasons with at least 100 strikeouts.
Aug 10, 1988 - The Dodgers release Don Sutton‚ the 12th-winningest pitcher in ML history and the club's all-time victory leader.
Apr 27, 1988 - At Los Angeles‚ veteran Don Sutton shuts out the Cubs‚ 4-0‚ beating Jamie Moyer. It is his last decision versus the Cubs and he closes out his career against Chicago at 18-20. Not bad‚ considering that his first 13 decisions against the Cubs were losses.
Aug 14, 1987 - Oakland's Mark McGwire slugs his 39th home run of the season‚ off Don Sutton in the 6th inning‚ in a 12-inning 7-6 win over California‚ breaking the ML record for rookies shared by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson. McGwire will finish the season with a whopping 49 homers.
Jun 18, 1986 - California's Don Sutton becomes the 19th pitcher in ML history to win 300 games‚ beating the Rangers 3-1 on a 3-hitter.
Sep 10, 1985 - To bolster their pitching staff for the pennant race‚ the Angels acquire veteran Don Sutton (13-8) from the A's for 2 minor league players to be named later.
Aug 8, 1984 - Veteran P Don Sutton ends Milwaukee's 10-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Royals. Sutton also passed the 100 strikeout mark for the 19th straight season‚ a ML record.
May 3, 1984 - Kansas City first two hitters-Daryl Motley and Pat Sheridan-reach Milwaukee's Don Sutton for home runs‚ but the Brewers come back to win‚ 6-5‚ in 10 innings. Reliever Tom Tellmann wins when Mark Brouhard strokes a bases-loaded single.
Jun 24, 1983 - Milwaukee's Don Sutton strikes out Alan Bannister in the 8th inning of a 3-2 win over Cleveland to become the 8th pitcher in ML history with 3‚000 career strikeouts. County Stadium is packed with 46‚037 fans for the game‚ mostly to welcome back popular OF Gorman Thomas‚ who was traded to Cleveland earlier this month.
Oct 8, 1982 - The pitching of veteran Don Sutton‚ and a 2-run home run by Paul Molitor‚ stave off elimination in the Brewers' game against California.
Oct 3, 1982 - Robin Yount smacks 2 home runs and a triple as Milwaukee whips Baltimore 10-2 to win the AL East championship. Don Sutton‚ 4-1 since being acquired by the Brewers in late August‚ is the winning pitcher. Milwaukee had lost 3 in a row to Baltimore before today's pivotal victory. Despite Yount's stellar game‚ he loses the AL batting title .332 to .331 to Kansas City's Willie Wilson‚ who sat out the Royals' final game. Yount ends the year with 114 RBI and joins teammates Cecil Cooper (121)‚ Gorman Thomas (112)‚ and Ben Oglivie (102) as only the 2nd foursome since 1940 to top the 100 RBI mark: The 1977 Bosox of Fisk‚ Rice‚ Hobson and Lynn were the others. Ted Simmons is just 3 short of 100 RBI or the Brewers would have joined the 1936 Yankees as the only squad with five 100-RBI hitters.
Sep 19, 1982 - Milwaukee scores 9 runs in the 8th to roll over the Yankees‚ 14-1. Don Sutton is the victor. Gorman Thomas has a double-his 2nd-and HR in the big inning and Molitor adds a HR then as well.
Aug 30, 1982 - In an effort to bolster its pitching staff for the pennant race‚ Milwaukee trades minor leaguers Kevin Bass‚ Frank DiPino‚ and Mike Madden to the Astros for veteran starter Don Sutton. Sutton has won 13 games for Houston this year. The Brewers are 4 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox.
Jul 7, 1982 - Houston's Don Sutton wins his 250th career game‚ a 5-1 four-hitter against the Cubs.
Apr 22, 1981 - Dodgers rookie Fernando Valenzuela tosses his 3rd shutout in 4 starts‚ strikes out 11‚ and drives in the game's only run with a single in a 1-0 win over Houston's Don Sutton (0-3).
Apr 11, 1981 - After 15 seasons as a Dodger‚ Don Sutton makes his debut with the Astros and is pounded by his former club for 6 runs in 4 innings. Los Angeles wins 7-4.
Dec 3, 1980 - Don Sutton‚ 35‚ the winningest pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers' history‚ signs a 4-year contract with the Houston Astros. Sutton was 13-5 in 1980 with a league-leading 2.21 ERA.
May 27, 1980 - In the 3rd inning at Riverfront Stadium‚ Don Sutton serves up consecutive homers to Ken Griffey‚ George Foster‚ and Dan Driessen. The homer outage is good for 5 runs in the Reds 6-1 win over the Dodgers.
Apr 12, 1980 - In his first game in the NL since 1971‚ Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan hits his first career home run‚ a 3-run shot off the Dodgers Don Sutton. Ryan leaves the game with a 5-4 lead‚ but Los Angeles wins 6-5 in 17 innings.
Aug 20, 1978 - Los Angeles beats New York 5-4 at Shea Stadium‚ but the real hitting occurs before the game when Dodgers Don Sutton and Steve Garvey engage in a clubhouse wrestling match. The two had been feuding for a long time‚ but newspaper remarks by Sutton about Garvey's All-American image sparked the brawl.
Jul 14, 1978 - Umpire Doug Harvey ejects a shocked Dodger P Don Sutton in the 7th after discovering 3 scuffed balls. Sutton takes the loss‚ 4-1‚ against the Cardinals with John Vuckovich getting the win.
Oct 16, 1977 - LA stays alive with a 10-4 victory in game 5. Yeager and Reggie Smith homer as Don Sutton pitches a complete game.
Oct 5, 1977 - In game 2 of the NLCS‚ Dusty Baker's grand slam‚ off Jim Lonborg‚ leads the Dodgers to a 7-1 win over the Phillies as Don Sutton goes the distance for LA. Bake McBride's homer in the 3rd is the only score for Philley.
Aug 18, 1977 - Dodger P Don Sutton throws his 5th one-hitter‚ tying the NL record‚ as he blanks the Giants‚ 7-0. The lone hit is Marc Hill's two-out single in the 8th.
Jul 19, 1977 - At Yankee Stadium‚ the NL scores 4 times in the opening inning off Jim Palmer‚ en route to a 7-5 All-Star Game victory. Don Sutton‚ hurling 3 scoreless innings‚ is named the game's MVP.
Apr 7, 1977 - In the Dodgers opener in Los Angeles‚ Giants leadoff hitter Gary Thomasson apparently doesn't get the word that the first pitch is to be handed over to the umps and sent to Cooperstown. Instead‚ he cranks the Don Sutton lollipop for a home run. But it is all the scoring the Giants can muster‚ and they lose‚ 5-1.
Sep 22, 1976 - Don Sutton wins his 20th game of the year for the Dodgers‚ beating the Giants 3-1 on a 6-hitter. Sutton will win 324 in his career‚ but this is the only year he will be a 20-game winner.
Mar 28, 1976 - A nearly completed Mets-Dodgers trade‚ involving ace pitchers Tom Seaver and Don Sutton‚ is leaked by the New York press. The subsequent public furor causes the Mets to abandon the deal.
May 31, 1975 - Andy Messersmith gets a loss and a save for the Dodgers in Chicago. In a game continued from the previous day‚ he saves a 3-1 win for Don Sutton‚ then loses 2-1 to the Cubs on two solo HRs.
Oct 17, 1974 - Vida Blue and Don Sutton are tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the 6th when Mike Marshall relieves and retires the side. In the 7th‚ a shower of debris halts the game for 15 minutes. When play is resumed‚ Joe Rudi hits Marshall's first pitch for a homer to give the A's a 3rd 3-2 win‚ clinching a 3rd straight World Championship for the team.
Oct 13, 1974 - Los Angeles‚ behind Don Sutton‚ evens the Series with a 3-2 win. The Dodgers score in the 2nd off Vida Blue‚ and a 2-run HR by Joe Ferguson in the 6th provides the margin.
Oct 9, 1974 - Los Angeles advances to the WS with a 12-1 win over the Bucs. Steve Garvey has 2 singles and 2 doubles‚ and scores 4 runs as Don Sutton wins his 2nd LCS game and 11th in a row.
Oct 5, 1974 - Don Sutton notches a 4-hit shutout to give the Dodgers a 3-0 win over the Pirates in the NL Championship Series opener.
Oct 1, 1974 - The Dodgers clinch the NL West with am 8-5 victory over Houston. Don Sutton earns the win over J.R. Richard.
Aug 24, 1974 - Davey Lopes steals 5 bases as the Dodgers top the Cardinals 3-0. He is thrown out on his 6th attempt. Don Sutton is the shutout winner.
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Sep 11, 1973 - The Reds whip the visiting Dodgers‚ 6-3‚ as Ed Armbrister hits a bases loaded double in the 8th inning to drive in 3 runs. Ken Griffey's 3-run homer in the 4th off Don Sutton starts the Reds scoring. The Reds push their lead to 4 games over LA in the NL West.
Jul 1, 1973 - The Reds‚ 11 games behind the Dodgers at the beginning of the day‚ stage two dramatic comebacks to snatch a doubleheader win from LA. Hal King's clutch 3-run pinch hit HR with 2 outs wins the first game 4-3 against Don Sutton‚ while Tony Perez's 10th-inning hit wins the 2nd 3-2. This day will be looked upon as the turning point of the National League's Western Division race.
Sep 27, 1972 - The Dodgers Don Sutton shuts out San Diego‚ 2-0‚ handing Steve Arlin his NL-high 21st loss of the year. Arlin also led the NL in losses last year with 19. It's Sutton's 9th shutout of the year to tie Nolan Ryan for the most in the ML‚ and his 3rd in a row.
Sep 19, 1971 - Dodgers Al Downing and Don Sutton hurl shutouts during a 12-0‚ 4-0 doubleheader triumph over the Braves. The Dodgers have 19 hits in the opener‚ including 4 by Davis. LA now trails the Giants by 1 1/2 games.
May 18, 1971 - Jose Cardenal singles in the 9th to give the Cards a 6-5 win over the Dodgers. Cardenal‚ playing RF‚ also nabs Don Sutton in the 3rd inning on a 9-3 putout.
Aug 28, 1970 - Jerry Reuss allows 2 hits and the Cards beat the host Dodgers‚ 1-0‚ when Joe Torre belts a 9th inning HR off Don Sutton. It is Reuss' 2nd 2 hitter this month‚ having beaten the Expos 4-0 on August 9.
Aug 15, 1969 - Don Sutton (15-11) opens a 9-game eastern swing for Los Angeles with a 9-2 win at Montreal. The Dodgers remain 2 games behind the first-place Reds. Montreal reliever Roy Face makes his final ML appearance‚ a record 657th consecutive relief effort (excluding his 2 games with the Tigers).
Aug 10, 1969 - Don Sutton breaks his 13-game losing streak to the Cubs with a 4-2 win at Los Angeles‚ but needs relief help to do it. Sutton tops Ken Holtzman‚ who handed Sutton his last four losses to Chicago. It was one short of the most consecutive losses by any pitcher to one club in ML history‚ and is the NL record for straight losses to a team from the start of a career. Sutton will close out his career with a record of 18-20 versus the Cubs.
Jul 24, 1969 - At Wrigley‚ Ken Holtzman tops Don Sutton for the 4th straight time-three this year-as Chicago beats the Dodgers‚ 5-3. For a frustrated Sutton‚ it is a Cubs-record 13th straight loss to Chicago stretching back to his rookie year.
May 20, 1969 - At Los Angeles‚ the Cubs beat the Dodgers Don Sutton‚ 7-0. Ken Holtzman is the winner for the second time in two weeks. Chicago hands Sutton his 12th loss in a row against them.
Sep 22, 1968 - Behind the potching of Don Sutton (10-15) the Dodgers score 2 earned runs in beating Bob Gibson (21-9) and the Cardinals‚ 3-2. Their last run‚ in the 8th‚ scores on an error by RF Hague. It is Gibson's 9th loss of the year‚ despite compiling a 2.14 ERA in the nine losses. He has not been knocked out of the box all year.
Sep 4, 1968 - The Dodgers Don Sutton allows just 3 hits and strikes out 12 to beat the Phils‚ 3-0.
Jul 28, 1968 - Ken Holtzman and the Cubs beat the Dodgers Don Sutton‚ 1-0. It is Sutton's 2nd straight 1-0 loss to Chicago; he is now 0-10 against the Cubs‚ and Holtzman will top him the next three times they face each other.
May 16, 1968 - In Los Angeles‚ the Cubs Rich Nye tops Don Sutton‚ 1-0‚ starting the Dodgers on another one-run per game run‚ as they will score one run in 4 of their next 5 games.
Sep 4, 1967 - In the opener of two‚ Cubs rookie Rich Nye allows no hits through 6 innings and is one out away in the 9th from a 1-0‚ 3-hit win. But Lou Johnson homers for the Dodgers to tie. In the 11th‚ Ernie Banks homers off reliever Don Sutton to give Chicago the win. Don Sutton is now 0-7 against Chicago. Cubs pitcher Chuck Hartenstein allows 4 hits in the 9th of the nitecap and the Dodgers rally for 5 runs to win‚ 8-6.
Aug 12, 1966 - In Los Angeles‚ Ken Holtzman and the Cubs edge the Dodgers‚ Don Sutton‚ 2-1. The Cubs will hand Sutton another loss in two days‚ beating him in the nitecap of two‚ 12-10 in 10 innings.
Apr 23, 1966 - Two days after putting on a Cubs uniform‚ Ferguson Jenkins hits his first major league homer‚ off Don Sutton‚ drives in a 2nd run‚ and shuts out the Dodgers to win‚ 2-0. For rookie Sutton‚ it is the first of 13 straight losses the Cubs will hand him.
Jul 21, 1892 - Tim Keefe of the Phillies outpitches veteran Jim Galvin of St. Louis 2-0. It is Keefe's 326th ML win against 211 losses. Galvin's career mark is 360-306. It is the 4th and last match-up-all in July the past three years-between these two 300-game winners. The next match-up of 300-game winners will be between Don Sutton and Phil Niekro on June 6‚ 1986; the next NL match-up won't come until Maddux and Clemens pair off on April 29‚ 2005.
Sep 18, 1886 - Chicago beats Kansas City and Jim Whitney‚ the 13th straight defeat for the pitcher at the hands of Chicago. It is a since-topped ML record‚ but it will stand as a Chicago record vs. a pitcher: the Dodgers Don Sutton will match Whitney's record against the Cubs in the 1960s.
