Hall of Fame reliever, Cy Young winner Bruce Sutter dies

ST. LOUIS — Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and the 1979 National League Cy Young Award winner, has died. He was 69.

Sutter was recently diagnosed with cancer and died Thursday night in hospice, surrounded by his family, one of Sutter's three sons, Chad, told The Associated Press. The Baseball Hall of Fame said Bruce Sutter died in Cartersville, Georgia.

«All our father ever wanted to be remembered as was being a great teammate, but he was so much more than that,» the statement read. «He was also a great husband to our mother for 50 (years), he was a great father and grandfather and he was a great friend. His love and passion for the game of baseball can only be surpassed by his love and passion for his family.»

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.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he was «deeply saddened» by the news.

«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. «Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises.»

Sutter debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 1976. The reliever won the NL Cy Young in 1979 in a season in which he had 37 saves, a 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 read. «To the