His 31 saves propelled him to a sixth-place finish in Cy Young voting and a seventh-place finish in MVP voting. In his first season as a professional in 1972, Sutter experienced pain in his right elbow while pitching in the Gulf Coast League and was shut down for the rest of the year. .drUhS rect{fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ Chad Sutter, son of the legendary closer, stressed the importance of the Cardinals organization and its fan base to Bruce in a statement released on Friday morning. From Jack Morris and Roger Clemens to practically every pitcher on Roger Craigs staff in San Francisco, the split-finger fastball was the ticket to success on the mound. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.). .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__subnav-arrow{-webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-90deg);transform:rotate(-90deg);margin-right:0;width:11px;height:11px;float:none;}/*!sc*/ He was 69. Six out of fifteen pitchers did time on the DL, missing a total of 400 days. check out my proven programs for pitchers of all ages, How to grip and throw a four-seam fastball, How to grip and throw a two-seam fastball, How to grip and throw a three-finger changeup, How to grip and throw a palmball (palm ball), How to grip and throw a beginners curveball, How to grip and throw a straight curveball, How to grip and throw a knuckle curveball, How to grip and throw a split-finger fastball, check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-items{background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__nav-item{margin-right:8px;width:18px;height:14px;float:left;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;}/*!sc*/ About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Sutter, 69, passed away on Oct. 13, 2022. Bruce Sutter was so honored when he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006, and since that time his kindness, his love for Cooperstown and his humility sparkled every time he returned to the Hall of Fame, said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Back to Sutter: He signed a six-year deal with the Braves after the 1984 season, a contract said to be worth, per the New York Times: about $44 million. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__team{width:100%;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ They're generally thrown in the same situations that would see a pitcher throw his breaking and off-speed pitches. That's because the pitch itself should be "choked" deep in the hand. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top{height:56px;}/*!sc*/ Same arm speed. Eighteen years later, Sutter received a call in January from the Baseball Writers Association of America, informing him of his election to the Hall of Fame. .mHQYb .p-search__list{z-index:50;min-width:250px;border-radius:6px;-webkit-mask-image:-webkit-radial-gradient(#ffffff,#000000);}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g101[id="styles__SearchWidgetButton-sc-1vorjk3-1"]{content:"cwEpxl,"}/*!sc*/ .fAmXvR{background:#f3f3f3;border-radius:6px;color:#444444;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-weight:500;padding:16px 16px 24px;}/*!sc*/ .hUHmCp > article .ad-top-right-container::before,.hUHmCp > article .ad-bottom-right-container::before{font-family:"proxima-nova";content:"ADVERTISEMENT";display:block;position:absolute;top:-17px;text-align:center;width:100%;color:#888888;font-size:0.694rem;line-height:13px;}/*!sc*/ Splitters are often referred to as "split-finger fastballs," but because of their break and lower velocity, they don't hold much in common with a typical fastball. Furthermore, I don't have a handle on how many minor league pitchers have suffered arm injuries due to splitter usage, or pitchers who have been relegated to the bullpen due to their splitter usage. Bruce Sutter is one of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history and popularized the split fingered fastball. .hspSPq svg{padding-top:1px;vertical-align:top;fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ To get to the next level, preparation is everything. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-item[aria-expanded='true']{-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item__link .icon__nav-item{margin-right:5px;width:10px;height:15px;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;}/*!sc*/ Sutter recorded 23 saves in 1985 before injuries began to curtail his career. It's an off-speed pitch. Some baseball pitchers may find it more helpful to place their index finger along the seam of the baseball since the index finger is the one from which the slider is thrown. The straight curveball (or "overhand curveball") is one of the most common breaking ball grips. .jiNMQU{background:#f3f3f3;padding-top:56.25%;position:relative;width:100%;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ A firm grip causes friction, which causes the baseball to change direction, usually "backing up" - or running in - to the throwing hand side of the plate. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos img{max-height:56px;max-width:none;}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-button__close{top:6px;left:5px;}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-icon__button{background:none;border:none;padding:0;}/*!sc*/ In 1982, Sutter pitched the final out in the seventh game of the World Series to help defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span{display:block;position:absolute;height:2px;width:24px;background:#ffffff;opacity:1;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;border-radius:3px;}/*!sc*/ Did you know Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter may have had one of the best splitters in the history of baseball, according to baseball analysts? It bears mentioning that the time missed by de la Rosa and most of the time missed by Matsuzaka resulted from an injury suffered the prior year. @media (min-width:768px){.cHcHkC{font-size:1.44rem;max-height:32px;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap;display:block;-webkit-line-clamp:none;-webkit-box-orient:inline-axis;}.cHcHkC::before,.cHcHkC::after{display:none;}}/*!sc*/ All the #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news you can use, four days a week. Martin taught Sutter the split-fingered fastball a variation of the much older forkball which Sutter picked up quickly. Another more advanced variation of the curveball is the knuckle curveball (sometimes called a spike curve). .dLQAwR{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-right:8px;min-height:48px;margin-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;}/*!sc*/ He was just an amazing relief pitcher \\[who\\] was so good.","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"1980-07-09T00:05:00Z","description":"7/8/80: Cubs pitcher Bruce Sutter fans the Tigers' Lance Parrish to earn the save in the NL's win in the 1980 All- Star Game","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:00:22","mp4AvcPlayback":null,"slug":"sutter-saves-all-star-game-c20759321","tags":[{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-home-team-id-160","title":"HBmig home_team_id: 160"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-mmtax-no-pre-roll","title":"HBmig No Pre-roll on this clip"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-away-team-id-159","title":"HBmig away_team_id: 159"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"gamepk-67199","title":"1980/07/08 al@nl"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-subject-mlbcom-feature","title":"HBmig MLBCOM_FEATURE"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-112","title":"Chicago Cubs"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-team-id-112","title":"HBmig Chicago Cubs"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-mlbtax-vtp-1980","title":"HBmig 1980s"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-subject-mlbcom-no-transcode","title":"HBmig MLBCOM_NO_TRANSCODE"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-combined-media-state-media-archive","title":"HBmig MEDIA_ARCHIVE"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"playerid-123004","title":"Bruce Sutter"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"hbmig-mlbtax-save","title":"HBmig Save"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"classic","title":"classic"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"pitching","title":"pitching"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"all-star-game","title":"All-Star Game"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight"}],"templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/jcghmk8p9sgzun2anyla","title":"Sutter saves All-Star Game","type":"video","url":"/video/sutter-saves-all-star-game-c20759321"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Herzog, who acquired fellow Hall of Fame closer Rollie Fingers from the Padres a day before trading for Sutter, referred to the shaggy-bearded Sutter as a door-slammer.\" Herzog also predicted when Sutter left via free agency in 1984 that he would be 25 games dumber without his trusted closer to finish off games.\n\nI feel like people didnt realize how good he was until you managed him, Herzog raved. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR:not(:last-child){border-right:1px dashed #ccc;}/*!sc*/ In 2011, six of the fifteen pitchers ended up on the DL, with two of them undergoing season-ending surgery. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav ::-webkit-scrollbar-track,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb{background:transparent;}/*!sc*/ The grip causes the ball to tumble. Slider arm speed should remain the same as fastball arm speed. Its not necessarily the pitch. He added, Im for anything thats going to make a guy successful and give him a chance to play in the big leagues.. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. .mHQYb .p-search__form{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;}/*!sc*/ You dont see that anymore.. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__subnav--transparent{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.7);width:calc(100vw - 145px);}/*!sc*/ He was a conventional pitcher, but it was Fred Martin with the Cubs who came up with the idea [to throw the splitter] because Bruce had big hands and he could really wedge that ball between his fingers, Kaat remembered. .cHcHkC{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0;max-height:48px;overflow:hidden;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;width:100%;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;}/*!sc*/ There are a lot of good ones -- and Im not knocking [Rich] Gossage or anybody else -- but when I warmed him up, if I didnt use him that inning, hed still pitch the next inning. After his retirement, he focused on raising his family. .hedPca{color:#666666;font-size:0.833rem;font-weight:500;margin-bottom:24px;padding-top:8px;}/*!sc*/ The modern splitter is often credited to baseball coach Fred Martin who threw the pitch in the minor leagues as a changeup of sorts. Sutter, the first pitcher inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame without having started a game, compiled 300 saves and a dazzling 2.83 ERA over 12 seasons with the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves. In 1979, Sutter returned to near his 1977 level, posting a 2.22 ERA and 0.977 WHIP, led the major leagues with 37 saves and won the Cy Young Award. Once I was done playing, I walked away, Sutter said. He missed the entire 1987 season before posting a career-worst 1-4 record in 1988 while dealing with ongoing shoulder problems. People are . He's also an assistant baseball coach at Wash U. Here are some of the most common baseball pitching grips and how I threw them in college and professional baseball. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(1){top:0px;}/*!sc*/ Splitter pioneer Sutter dead at 69 2022-10-15 - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS . I think he was sort of a precursor to what Mariano Rivera did with the cutter -- Bruce did it with one pitch and that was the split-fingered fastball, Hall of Famer and 1982 teammate Jim Kaat told MLB.com on Friday. pic.twitter.com/BjxKBnK0Lw, I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Bruce Sutter, whose career was an incredible baseball success story, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. data-styled.g141[id="sharestyle__Wrapper-sc-9nfkvu-1"]{content:"blUWSx,"}/*!sc*/ The split-finger fastball's grip is similar to the two-seam fastball, but the fingers are spread farther apart to change the rotation and add breaks. .mHQYb .p-search-item__team-logo{margin-right:15px;max-height:25px;width:25px;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g114[id="sc-bdfBwQ"]{content:"mHQYb,"}/*!sc*/ Bruce Sutter, one of the best splitter pitchers in the history of the game, says that it is very important to put your thumb on the back seam, not the front seam. How do you throw your pitches? Odds & lines subject to change. I teach a beginners curveball grip to younger pitchers who are learning a curveball for the first time because I feel that it's the easiest way to correctly learn proper spin. Rest in peace. data-styled.g158[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Message-sc-d7sh2p-3"]{content:"evwvnJ,"}/*!sc*/ There was a time, in the late 1970s, when the split-finger pitch thrown by Cubs closer Bruce Sutter baffled nearly every batter who tried to hit it. h5.headlinestyle__HeadlineWrapper-sc-1ccyctx-0{font-weight:normal;}/*!sc*/ The baseball should be tucked comfortably against the circle. .hHLkAw input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#aaaaaa;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon{background:none;padding:0px;width:24px;height:18px;position:relative;margin:0px auto;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:0.5s ease-in-out;transition:0.5s ease-in-out;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu{background:#ffffff;border-top:solid 4px #002867;box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2);box-shadow:6px 6px 15px -3px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);left:-99em;opacity:0;padding:10px;position:absolute;right:0;-webkit-transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;width:160px;z-index:99992;}/*!sc*/ Here's his splitter and splitter grip.Shop now at PitchingNinja.com !Follow on social media!Twitter: @pitchingninjaInstagram: @pitchingninjaTik Tok: @pitchingninjaDirected by Rob FriedmanProduced by Will LeaheySubscribe to our presenting sponsor, FanDuel, and connect with them on social:FanDuel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FDSportsbookFanDuel on YouTube: https://bitly.com/sub2FanDuel The pitch not only led him to the Major Leagues, but also made him a Cy Young Award winner with the Cubs and a World Series Champion with the 1982 Cardinals. He resurfaced for a brief part-time coaching stint in the Cardinals organization, but eventually chose to leave baseball for his wife and children. (The No. But in a Roger Kahn / Bruce Sutter interview in Kahn's book,The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound, he points out that this is not the case. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). Now it is viewed as more of a pitch of last resort for the veteran trying to hang on for a few more years or for the prospect who desperately needs it to get to the next level. .koKsQt{font-weight:600;}/*!sc*/ FILE - St. Louis Cardinals ace reliever Bruce Sutter celebrates after the last out in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series at St. Louis, Oct. 20, 1982. .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu__link:hover{background-color:#e2e2e2;color:#002867;border-radius:3px;}/*!sc*/ Other MLB pitchers to throw the splitter include Bruce Sutter, Masahiro . .dLQAwR a:hover{color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight{background-color:#333333;}/*!sc*/ .fuMUTu rect{fill:#ffffff;stroke:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ He was one who didnt have any trouble forgetting [a bad outing]. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo img{height:30px;}/*!sc*/ He was within about 30 minutes of getting released., Bruce Sutter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. @media (max-width:1023px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-items{font-size:14px;}}/*!sc*/ b,strong{font-weight:bolder;}/*!sc*/ Sutter remembered as pioneer of split-fingered fastball, https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. Jul 28, 2006. .cwEpxl{height:100%;width:100%;border:transparent;background:none;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:0.2s;transition:0.2s;padding:0px;}/*!sc*/ Bruce Sutter, a dominant relief pitcher whose mastery of the split-fingered fastball launched a career that culminated with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, has died, the. Im not even saying theres proven data that a split-finger hurts somebody, but its always in the back of your mind or in the back of their mind that this might not be a good idea and lets work on a changeup instead.. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-url-logos > *{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;}/*!sc*/ Ultimately, the two of them were swarmed by teammates and fans at Busch Stadium while celebrating the Cardinals' first World Series title in 15 years. His split-finger pitch was almost unhittable for a while. @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo img{min-height:40px;max-height:40px;}}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ /*-->*/ Him and Goose Gossage, who I was also teammates with, both had that ability to forget about a blown save. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.locale,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.search{display:none;}/*!sc*/ He posted 300 saves in a 12-year career with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and . @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular.woff') format('woff');font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ The Cubs offered Sutter $350,000, about a 50 percent increase from his $225,000 salary in 1979. While his induction proved that he did indeed belong among baseballs greats, Sutter also found he belonged outside of baseball. They both had that same calm demeanor and could handle ninth innings. His first couple of minor league seasons didnt go well and then he landed with the Key West Conchs, a Class A affiliate of the Cubs in the Florida State League in 1974. .mHQYb .p-search-item__image-thumbnail--team{margin:0 auto 0 0.25rem;height:40px;width:45px;}/*!sc*/ When Bruce would get a little off kilter mechanically, hed bring in Mike to help him and hed get it back.. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold.woff') format('woff');font-weight:600;font-style:normal;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ Next, place your thumb directly on the bottom side of the baseball and on the smooth leather in between the narrow seams (as shown in the picture on the right). In addition to Beyond The Box Score, he contributes at Prospect Insider and Gammons Daily. Walt Dixon, Sutter's manager in the rookie league and at Quincy, wasn't overly confident in Sutter's potential. Sutter recently was diagnosed with cancer and died in hospice. .mHQYb .p-search-item__image-thumbnail--rounded{background-color:#f7f7f7;margin-top:0;margin-left:0.25rem;height:40px;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;border-radius:50%;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){.sczZi{margin-left:0;margin-right:0;}}/*!sc*/ .evGxub{display:inline-block;width:48px;height:48px;border-radius:50%;-webkit-border-radius:50%;overflow:hidden;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ fieldset{padding:0.35em 0.75em 0.625em;}/*!sc*/ The Chicago White Sox and the pitching coach Don Cooper say it is all about throwing it with the proper technique. But if you throw the fastball overhand with enough force, it will appear to rise because it's not dropping as much as the batter's brain thinks it should. The Cardinals announced that Hall of Fame pitcher and World Series champion Bruce Sutter has passed away. Here's a splitter from Ubaldo Jimenez that makes Torii Hunter chase out of the zone: One of the big misconceptions in baseball is that playing the game keeps you in shape to pitch.