Don Sutton, the longtime Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander who won over 300 games in his Hall of Fame career, died Monday night, his son Daron announced on social media.
The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, said Don Sutton died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, after a long struggle with cancer. He was 75.
“Saddened to share that my dad passed away in his sleep last night,” Daron Sutton wrote on Twitter. “He worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever known and he treated those he encountered with great respect…and he took me to work a lot. For all these things, I am very grateful. Rest In Peace.”
Saddened to share that my dad passed away in his sleep last night. He worked as hard as anyone I’ve ever known and he treated those he encountered with great respect…and he took me to work a lot. For all these things, I am very grateful. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/cvlDRRdVXa
— Daron Sutton (@lifeisgreatsut) January 19, 2021
Sutton’s career began and ended with the Dodgers, with whom he spent 16 of his 23 seasons — spanning from 1966 to 1980 and a final tour in 1988. He was a four-time All-Star and his 324 wins rank 14th in major league history.
He also pitched for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. After his playing career, Sutton served as an analyst for the Atlanta Braves for 28 seasons, calling games on both television and radio.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Don Sutton,” the Braves said in a statement. “A generation of Braves fans came to know his voice. … Don was as feared on the mound as he was beloved in the booth. A 300-game winner who was a four-time All-Star, Don brought an unmatched knowledge of the game and his sharp wit to his calls. But despite all the success, Don never lost his generous character or humble personality.”
Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
“Don Sutton’s brilliance on the field, and his lasting commitment to the game that he so loved, carried through to his time as a member of the Hall of Fame,” Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “I know how much he treasured his moments in Cooperstown, just as we treasured our special moments with him. We share our deepest condolences with his wife, Mary, and his family.”
Sutton’s passing comes on the heels of seven Hall of Famers dying in 2020, the most sitting members of Cooperstown to pass away in a calendar year. They were Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Phil Niekro and Tom Seaver.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
