Phil Niekro, Don Sutton - a photo on Flickriver

Phil Niekro, Don Sutton

            Two more pitching greats have "gone to their reward". Phil Niekro and Don Sutton each occupied the major league baseball stage for a long time, Niekro for 24 years, Sutton just one fewer, 23. They compiled similar career statistics too: Niekro with 318 major league victories, Sutton a few more, 324. Their career ERAs—earned run averages—were also similar: Sutton's 3.26 just a little better than Niekro's 3.35. Neither could point to a Cy Young award on his trophy shelf as his league's best pitcher but each finished in the Cy Young running five times. 

Niekro had something in his pitching arsenal that Sutton lacked: a world-class knuckleball, the fluttery, erratic slow pitch that drove batters nuts. They were both old-fashioned workhorse pitchers, reliably starting every four or five days, typically finishing what they started. Four times Phil Niekro led the league in complete games; four times he was league leader in innings pitched. Pitchers relying on the knuckleball could go longer than those depending on a blazing fastball: in 1979 Niekro led the National League in games started, 44; complete games, 23; innings pitched, 342—and two other categories. He led the NL in victories, 21, and losses too, 20.

Sutton was cut from a similar mold: in 20 different seasons he pitched at least 200 innings.

But not even the greatest human durability lasts forever: Phil Niekro died Boxing Day, December 26, at age 81. Don Sutton expired January 19. He was 75. They had one last thing in common: in both cases it was cancer that was their undoing.

Both images are from the Topps/O'Pee Chee baseball card series of 1968.

Taken on: January 21, 2021

Tags:

Phil Niekro

Don Sutton

1968 Topps

Sets appears in: • Full Count

Stats: 738 views

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