Don Sutton

Don Sutton telling the HOF crowd that "the hair is all natural"

Don Sutton is a starting pitcher for California on the NES version of RBI. His low ERA might leave you disappointed if you don't realize that a pitcher's ERA in the game has nothing to do with their overall performance. However, you could certainly do a lot worse than the Great White Afro. He's very similar to teammate Mike Witt in that while neither are overpowering, they feature good curves to both sides of the plate and a decent drop pitch. Most importantly, Sutton and Witt both have energy ratings of 50, which is crucial - you'll want to avoid using California's crummy bullpen at all, if possible.

Bio

• Born on April 2, 1945 in Clio, AL
• Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1964
• Played in the Big Leagues with Los Angeles (1966-1980, 1988), Houston (1981-1982), Milwaukee (1982-1984), Oakland (1985) and California (1985-1987)
• Traded by the Houston Astros to the Milwaukee Brewers for players to be named later and cash on August 30, 1988. The Milwaukee Brewers sent Kevin Bass (September 3, 1982), Frank DiPino (September 3, 1982), and Mike Madden (September 3, 1982) to the Houston Astros to complete the trade.
• Named to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998
• TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1966
• 4-Time All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977)
• All-Star Game MVP in 1977
• Finished in the Top Five in NL Cy Young voting five times
• Lead NL in ERA in 1980 (2.20), finished in league Top Ten eight times
• The pitching match-up between Sutton and Phil Niekro on June 28, 1986 was the first between 300-game winners since Tim Keefe and Pud Galvin opposed one another in 1892
• Died on January 19, 2021, at the age of 75.

Career Stats

W	L	ERA	IP	K	BB	HBP	WP	GS	CG	SHO	SV	WHIP
324	256	3.26	5282.3	3574	1343	82	112	756	178	58	5	1.142

Hall of Shame Entries

• Was ejected from a game and suspended for 10 games for defacing the ball in 1978. After threatening legal action against the National League, Sutton’s suspension was dropped.

Fun Facts

• June 6, 2013 is Don Sutton bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium

RBI Baseball Cards

Don Sutton's 1987 Topps card

1987 Fleer card showing 300-game winners Don Sutton and Phil Niekro