Donald Howard Sutton (born April 2, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball player and current television sportscaster. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Biography

Sutton was born in Clio, Alabama, a small town in Barbour County, and on the same date as future Dodger teammate Reggie Smith. He was born to sharecroppers at the end of World War II, in a tar-paper shack. At the time he was born his father was 18 and his mother was 15. "Chatting With A Hall of Famer" - Nats320 -- A Washington Nationals Blog - July 9, 2007 Sutton's father, Howard, gave him the strong work ethic that he had throughout his career. His father tried logging and construction work, and in looking for work, moved the family to Molino, Florida, just north of Pensacola.

Sutton attended J. M. Tate High School in Cantonment/Gonzalez, Florida where he played baseball, basketball, and football. He led his baseball team to the small-school state finals two years in row, winning his junior year, 1962, and losing 2-1 in his senior year, and was named all-county, all-conference, and all-state for both of those seasons. "Notes: Talent is sometimes tough to evaluate" - Washington Nationals-MLB - April 22, 2007 He graduated in 1963, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed". He wanted to attend the University of Florida, but then coach Dave Fuller was not interested. Instead he attended Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida for one year, and then after a good summer league, was signed by the Dodgers.

A right-handed pitcher, Sutton played for the Sioux Falls Packers as a minor leaguer, and entered the major league at the age of 21. Don Sutton's major league debut was on April 14, 1966, the same day that future 300-game winner Greg Maddux was born. In the majors, he played 23 years for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels. He won a total of 324 games, 58 of them shutouts and five of them one-hitters, and he is seventh on baseball's all-time strikeout list with 3,574 K's. He also holds the major league record for number of consecutive losses to one team, having lost 13 straight games to the Chicago Cubs.

Sutton was a 4-time All-Star. He also holds the dubious distinction of being the player with the most at-bats without a home run (1,354). When asked how close he ever came to hitting a home run, Don deadpanned "A triple."

Stats

• Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
• Weight: 185 lb (85 kg)
• Throws: Right
• Bats: Right
• Wins: 324 - Losses: 256
• Lifetime ERA: 3.26
• Total Innings: 5,282.1
• Strikeouts: 3,574
• One-Hitters: 5
• Two-Hitters: 9
• All-time Dodger leader in:
  • Wins (233)
  • Games Pitched (550)
  • Games Started (533)
  • Innings Pitched (3,814)
  • Strikeouts (2,696)
  • Shutouts (52)
  • Opening Day Starts (7)
• LC Series Games
  • Record: 4-1
  • ERA: 2.02
  • Total Innings: 49
• World Series Games
  • Record: 2-3
  • ERA: 5.26
  • Total Innings: 51
• All-Star Games
  • ERA: 0.00
  • Total Innings: 8
  • Record 1-0 (NL 4-0)

Broadcasting career

Sutton started his broadcasting career in with the Atlanta Braves on TBS, a position that he held through . He left TBS after the 2006 season, mainly because the network would broadcast fewer games in 2007. Sutton was a color commentator for the Washington Nationals on the MASN network until January 27, 2009. With his release from the Nationals, the Atlanta Braves signed Sutton later that day to broadcast their games on radio.

Sutton has also broadcast golf and served as a pre- and post-game analyst for NBC's coverage of the 1987 League Championship Series.

His son, Daron, is a broadcaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

See also

• List of Washington Nationals broadcasters
• List of Atlanta Braves broadcasters
• 300 win club
• 3000 strikeout club
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

References

1. Lederer, Rich. "1966 - Dodgers 6, Astros 3 -- Sutton's First Win" - This Day in Dodger Baseball - (c/o Baseball Analysts) - April 18, 2005
2. "Birdsong, Gaines, Summerall, Sutton headline Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s 2006 induction class" - Florida High School Athletic Association - February 22, 2006
3. Don Sutton - baseball-reference.com
4. "National High School Hall of Fame" - National Federation of State High School Associations
5. "In This Issue" - Gulf Coast Traveler Magazine - Second Issue-Volume 2, Issue 1
6. [1] - AJC-January 27, 2009
7. Sutton rejoins Braves’ broadcast team

External links