Don Sutton, Hall Of Fame Pitcher And Atlanta Braves Broadcaster, Dies At 75

Sutton In 2008 (Photo: Adam Fagen - Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.0 License)

DON SUTTON, the Hall of Fame major league pitcher who later became a radio and television baseball broadcaster, primarily with the ATLANTA BRAVES, died MONDAY (1/18) in his sleep at 75, according to his son, sportscaster DARON SUTTON, who tweeted the news on TUESDAY afternoon.

SUTTON pitched in the majors for 23 seasons (1966-88), 16 with the LOS ANGELES DODGERS; he also pitched for the HOUSTON ASTROS, MILWAUKEE BREWERS, OAKLAND ATHLETICS, and CALIFORNIA ANGELS, winning 324 games. He was inducted into the NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME in 1998. As a broadcaster, SUTTON briefly called DODGERS games on cable's Z CHANNEL and ATLANTA BRAVES games on TBS in 1989, then joined the BRAVES TBS crew fulltime in 1990. He left TBS in 2006 and joined the WASHINGTON NATIONALS for telecasts on MASN in 2007-08, when he returned to the BRAVES in 2009, this time on radio, through 2018.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, DON SUTTON," a statement from the BRAVES read. "A generation of BRAVES fans came to know his voice, as DON spent 28 seasons broadcasting BRAVES games after a 23-year, Hall-of-Fame Major League career with the DODGERS, ASTROS, BREWERS and ANGELS. 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. It is with a heavy heart that we send our condolences and sympathies to DON's entire family, including his wife MARY, his son DARON and his daughters STACI and JACQUIE."

“Today we lost a great ballplayer, a great broadcaster and, most importantly a great person,” said DODGERS President STAN KASTEN in a statement issued TUESDAY. “DON left an indelible mark on the DODGER franchise during his 16 seasons in LOS ANGELES and many of his records continue to stand to this day. I was privileged to have worked with DON in both ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, and will always cherish our time spent together. On behalf of the DODGER organization, we send our condolences to the entire SUTTON Family, including Don’s wife MARY, his son DARON and his daughters STACI and JACQUIE.”

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