Don Sutton, the longtime right-hand man of the Los Angeles Dodgers who has won more than 300 games in his Hall of Fame career, passed away Monday night, his son Daron announced on social media.
The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, said Don Sutton died of cancer at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 75.
“Sad to share that my dad passed away in his sleep last night,” Daron Sutton wrote on Twitter. “He worked as hard as anyone I have ever known and he treated those he met with great respect … and he took me to work a lot. For all this I am very grateful. Rest in peace. . “
Sad to tell you that my dad passed away last night in his sleep. He worked as hard as anyone I had ever known and he treated those he met 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) 19 January 2021
Sutton’s career began and ended with the Dodgers, with whom he spent 16 of his 23 seasons – from 1966 to 1980 and with a final tour in 1988. He was a four-time All-Star, and his 324 wins were the 14th place in major league history.
He has also performed 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, playing on television and radio.
“We are very saddened by the passing of our dear friend Don Sutton,” the Braves said in a statement. “A generation of Braves fans got to know his voice. … Don was as terrified up the hill as he was in love in hockey. Don was a 300-game winner who was and has been a four-time All-Star.” ‘brought an unparalleled knowledge of the game and his sharp wit in his calls. But despite all the success, Don never loses 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 enduring dedication to the game he so loved passed on to his time as a Hall of Fame member,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chair of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum said in a statement. “I know how much he spent his moments in Cooperstown, just as we spent our special moments with him. We express our sincere condolences to his wife, Mary, and his family.”
Sutton’s death comes on the heels of seven Hall of Famers dying in 2020, the most sedentary members of Cooperstown who died 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.