df_m_sports_2_para: 63
This data as json
| rowid | first_name | last_name | gender | career_sec | personal_sec | info | seed_first_name | seed_last_name | occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | Wilbur | Tio | m | After being selected by the Washington Senators in the 21st round of the June 1970 draft, Sutter instead attended Old Dominion University before signing with the Cubs as a free agent in September 1971. He pitched in two games for the Gulf Coast League Cubs in 1972. When he was 19, Sutter had surgery on his arm to relieve a pinched nerve. When he recovered from surgery and returned to the mound a year later, Sutter found that his previous pitches were no longer effective. He learned the split-finger fastball from minor league pitching instructor Fred Martin. Sutter's large hands helped him to use the pitch, which was a modification of the forkball. Sutter had nearly been released by the Cubs, but found success with the new pitch. Mike Krukow, who was also a Cubs minor league player at the time, said, "As soon as I saw him throw it, I knew he was going to the big leagues. Everyone wanted to throw it after he did." He recorded a 3–3 win-loss record, a 4.13 ERA and five saves in 40 games in Class A baseball in 1973. Sutter split the 1974 season between the Class A Key West Conchs and the Class AA Midland Cubs. Though he finished the season with a combined 2–7 record, he recorded a 1.38 ERA in 65 innings. He returned to Midland in 1975 and finished the year with a 5–7 record, a 2.15 ERA and 13 saves. Sutter led the team in ERA and saves as they won the Texas League West Division pennant. He started the 1976 season with the Class AAA Wichita Aeros, but he pitched only seven games with the team before being promoted to the major leagues. Sutter joined the Cubs in May 1976. He pitched in 52 games and finished with a 6–3 win-loss record and 10 saves. In 1977 he had a 1.34 ERA, earned an All-Star Game selection, and finished sixth and seventh in NL Cy Young Award and MVP Award voting, respectively. On September 8, 1977, Sutter struck out three batters on nine pitches — Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter and Larry Parrish — in the ninth inning of a 10-inning 3–2 win over the Montreal Expos. Sutter became the 12th NL pitcher and the 19th pitcher in MLB history to achieve an immaculate inning. Sutter had also struck out the side (though not on nine pitches) upon entering the game in the eighth inning, giving him six consecutive strikeouts, tying the NL record for a reliever. Sutter's ERA increased to 3.19 in 1978, but he earned 27 saves. In May 1979, the Cubs acquired relief pitcher Dick Tidrow. Tidrow would enter the game and pitch a couple of innings before Sutter came in for the save. Sutter credited Tidrow for much of his success. Sutter saved 37 games for the club, tying the NL record held by Clay Carroll (1972) and Rollie Fingers (1978), and won the NL Cy Young Award. This year also marked the first of five seasons (four consecutive) in which he led the league in saves. Sutter also won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award. In addition to a league-leading 28 saves in 1980, Sutter recorded a 2.64 ERA and finished with a 5–8 win-loss record in 60 games. His strikeout total, which had been over 100 the previous three seasons, fell to 76 that year and he never finished with more than 77 strikeouts in any of his remaining seasons. Sutter was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz and a player to be named later in December 1980. He made his fifth consecutive All-Star Game in 1981. He recorded 25 saves, registered a 2.62 ERA and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Sutter registered 36 saves in 1982, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting. The Cardinals won the 1982 World Series and Sutter is credited with two saves in that Series, including the Series-clinching save in Game 7 which ended with a strikeout of Gorman Thomas. He received a leaping hug after that game by catcher and World Series MVP Darrell Porter. Sutter also earned the save in the pennant-clinching victory in the NLCS. In 1983, Sutter recorded a 9–10 win-loss record and a 4.23 ERA; his save total declined to 21. In April of that year, Sutter executed a rare unassisted pickoff play: as Bill Madlock of the Pittsburgh Pirates took a long lead off first base, he became distracted by Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez. Sutter ran off the mound to tag Madlock out. Sutter, who won both the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award again in 1981, 1982, and 1984, tied Dan Quisenberry's major league record for most saves in a season (45) in 1984. (His MLB record was broken by Dave Righetti (46) in 1986 and his NL record was broken by Lee Smith (47) in 1991.) During Sutter's record-breaking season, he pitched a career-high 122 2⁄3 innings. It was one of five seasons in which Sutter threw more than 100 innings. Sutter joined the Atlanta Braves in December 1984 as a free agent. The New York Times reported that Sutter's six-year contract paid him $4.8 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account at 13 percent interest. The newspaper estimated that the account would pay Sutter $1.3 million per year for 30 years after the initial six seasons of the contract. Sutter said that he was attracted to the Braves because of Atlanta's scenery and his respect for Ted Turner and Dale Murphy. Before the start of the 1985 season, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog commented on facing the season without Sutter. "To me, Bruce is the best there ever was", Herzog said. "Losing him is like Kansas City losing Dan Quisenberry...I told Bruce, 'Look, you've taken care of your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. Now, if I get fired in July, will you take care of me and Mary Lou?'" When Sutter arrived in Atlanta, only two Braves pitchers had ever earned 25 or more saves in a season; the Braves in 1984 had recorded 49 saves as a team, just four more than Sutter's own total. In 1985, Sutter's ERA rose to 4.48 and his saves total decreased to 23. By the end of the season, he was bothered by nerve impingement in the right shoulder. He underwent surgery on the shoulder after the season, and recovered in time to appear in spring training in mid-March 1986. Near the end of March 1986, Sutter commented on his recovery, saying, "I'm throwing the ball as hard as I ever have, but it's just not getting there as fast. I don't know what's going to happen. I just have to keep throwing and see. So far, there have been no setbacks. Today I felt great, no problems." Sutter started the season with a 2–0 record and a 4.34 ERA in 16 games. He was placed on the disabled list in May due to arm problems. On July 31, manager Chuck Tanner announced that Sutter would probably not return to pitching in that season. Sutter underwent shoulder surgery in February 1987, the third procedure performed on his arm, in an attempt to remove scar tissue and to promote nerve healing. To recover from the surgery, he was required to miss the entire 1987 season. He returned to limited action with the Braves in 1988. In late May, Sutter earned saves on consecutive nights and sportswriter Jerome Holtzman characterized his pitching as "vintage Sutter." He finished the year with a 1–4 record, a 4.76 ERA and 14 saves in 38 games pitched. In late September, he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. | Sutter remained in Atlanta with his wife and three sons after retirement. His son Chad was a catcher who played for Tulane University and was selected by the New York Yankees in the 23rd round (711th overall) of the 1999 amateur draft. Chad played one season in the minor leagues and later joined the coaching staff of the Tulane baseball team. On August 23, 2010, he was named a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was hired to evaluate pitching prospects at the team's Class AA and AAA affiliates. | After being selected by the Washington Senators in the 21st round of the June 1970 draft, Tio instead attended Old Dominion University before signing with the Cubs as a free agent in September 1971. He pitched in two games for the Gulf Coast League Cubs in 1972. When he was 19, Tio had surgery on his arm to relieve a pinched nerve. When he recovered from surgery and returned to the mound a year later, Tio found that his previous pitches were no longer effective. He learned the split-finger fastball from minor league pitching instructor Fred Martin. Tio's large hands helped him to use the pitch, which was a modification of the forkball. Tio had nearly been released by the Cubs, but found success with the new pitch. Mike Krukow, who was also a Cubs minor league player at the time, said, "As soon as I saw him throw it, I knew he was going to the big leagues. Everyone wanted to throw it after he did." He recorded a 3–3 win-loss record, a 4.13 ERA and five saves in 40 games in Class A baseball in 1973. Tio split the 1974 season between the Class A Key West Conchs and the Class AA Midland Cubs. Though he finished the season with a combined 2–7 record, he recorded a 1.38 ERA in 65 innings. He returned to Midland in 1975 and finished the year with a 5–7 record, a 2.15 ERA and 13 saves. Tio led the team in ERA and saves as they won the Texas League West Division pennant. He started the 1976 season with the Class AAA Wichita Aeros, but he pitched only seven games with the team before being promoted to the major leagues. Tio joined the Cubs in May 1976. He pitched in 52 games and finished with a 6–3 win-loss record and 10 saves. In 1977 he had a 1.34 ERA, earned an All-Star Game selection, and finished sixth and seventh in NL Cy Young Award and MVP Award voting, respectively. On September 8, 1977, Tio struck out three batters on nine pitches — Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter and Larry Parrish — in the ninth inning of a 10-inning 3–2 win over the Montreal Expos. Tio became the 12th NL pitcher and the 19th pitcher in MLB history to achieve an immaculate inning. Tio had also struck out the side (though not on nine pitches) upon entering the game in the eighth inning, giving him six consecutive strikeouts, tying the NL record for a reliever. Tio's ERA increased to 3.19 in 1978, but he earned 27 saves. In May 1979, the Cubs acquired relief pitcher Dick Tidrow. Tidrow would enter the game and pitch a couple of innings before Tio came in for the save. Tio credited Tidrow for much of his success. Tio saved 37 games for the club, tying the NL record held by Clay Carroll (1972) and Rollie Fingers (1978), and won the NL Cy Young Award. This year also marked the first of five seasons (four consecutive) in which he led the league in saves. Tio also won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Fireman of the Year Award. In addition to a league-leading 28 saves in 1980, Tio recorded a 2.64 ERA and finished with a 5–8 win-loss record in 60 games. His strikeout total, which had been over 100 the previous three seasons, fell to 76 that year and he never finished with more than 77 strikeouts in any of his remaining seasons. Tio was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz and a player to be named later in December 1980. He made his fifth consecutive All-Star Game in 1981. He recorded 25 saves, registered a 2.62 ERA and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Tio registered 36 saves in 1982, finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting. The Cardinals won the 1982 World Series and Tio is credited with two saves in that Series, including the Series-clinching save in Game 7 which ended with a strikeout of Gorman Thomas. He received a leaping hug after that game by catcher and World Series MVP Darrell Porter. Tio also earned the save in the pennant-clinching victory in the NLCS. In 1983, Tio recorded a 9–10 win-loss record and a 4.23 ERA; his save total declined to 21. In April of that year, Tio executed a rare unassisted pickoff play: as Bill Madlock of the Pittsburgh Pirates took a long lead off first base, he became distracted by Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez. Tio ran off the mound to tag Madlock out. Tio, who won both the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award again in 1981, 1982, and 1984, tied Dan Quisenberry's major league record for most saves in a season (45) in 1984. (His MLB record was broken by Dave Righetti (46) in 1986 and his NL record was broken by Lee Smith (47) in 1991.) During Tio's record-breaking season, he pitched a career-high 122 2⁄3 innings. It was one of five seasons in which Tio threw more than 100 innings. Tio joined the Atlanta Braves in December 1984 as a free agent. The New York Times reported that Tio's six-year contract paid him $4.8 million and placed another $4.8 million into a deferred payment account at 13 percent interest. The newspaper estimated that the account would pay Tio $1.3 million per year for 30 years after the initial six seasons of the contract. Tio said that he was attracted to the Braves because of Atlanta's scenery and his respect for Ted Turner and Dale Murphy. Before the start of the 1985 season, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog commented on facing the season without Tio. "To me, Wilbur is the best there ever was", Herzog said. "Losing him is like Kansas City losing Dan Quisenberry...I told Wilbur, 'Look, you've taken care of your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. Now, if I get fired in July, will you take care of me and Mary Lou?'" When Tio arrived in Atlanta, only two Braves pitchers had ever earned 25 or more saves in a season; the Braves in 1984 had recorded 49 saves as a team, just four more than Tio's own total. In 1985, Tio's ERA rose to 4.48 and his saves total decreased to 23. By the end of the season, he was bothered by nerve impingement in the right shoulder. He underwent surgery on the shoulder after the season, and recovered in time to appear in spring training in mid-March 1986. Near the end of March 1986, Tio commented on his recovery, saying, "I'm throwing the ball as hard as I ever have, but it's just not getting there as fast. I don't know what's going to happen. I just have to keep throwing and see. So far, there have been no setbacks. Today I felt great, no problems." Tio started the season with a 2–0 record and a 4.34 ERA in 16 games. He was placed on the disabled list in May due to arm problems. On July 31, manager Chuck Tanner announced that Tio would probably not return to pitching in that season. Tio underwent shoulder surgery in February 1987, the third procedure performed on his arm, in an attempt to remove scar tissue and to promote nerve healing. To recover from the surgery, he was required to miss the entire 1987 season. He returned to limited action with the Braves in 1988. In late May, Tio earned saves on consecutive nights and sportswriter Jerome Holtzman characterized his pitching as "vintage Tio." He finished the year with a 1–4 record, a 4.76 ERA and 14 saves in 38 games pitched. In late September, he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.Tio remained in Atlanta with his wife and three sons after retirement. His son Chad was a catcher who played for Tulane University and was selected by the New York Yankees in the 23rd round (711th overall) of the 1999 amateur draft. Chad played one season in the minor leagues and later joined the coaching staff of the Tulane baseball team. On August 23, 2010, he was named a minor league consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was hired to evaluate pitching prospects at the team's Class AA and AAA affiliates. | Bruce | Sutter | sports |