A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. @media (min-width:500px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{-webkit-flex-basis:60%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:60%;flex-basis:60%;}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(2),.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(3){top:8px;}/*!sc*/ The final installment of $9.1 million reportedly was paid to him in 2021. .hspSPq .buttonstyle__Label-sc-vlv7w5-0{font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline{margin-right:auto;display:none;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top__nav-items{display:none;}/*!sc*/ .blLcNM .content .share-btn button{font-weight:600;}/*!sc*/ We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Jamye, and his children.. As it turned out, it proved to be one of the difference-making moves that helped St. Louis win it all in '82. The grip causes the ball to tumble quickly down in the strike zone, tempting hitters to chase it in the dirt. .hspSPq:hover{cursor:pointer;background-color:#0462CC;}/*!sc*/ Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises. It's essentially a four-fingered change-up where the baseball is centered in your hand between your middle and ring fingers. .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ .fuMUTu rect{fill:#ffffff;stroke:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Bruce Sutter passed away today, aged 69, confirmed by the Cardinals' official Twitter account: We are saddened over the passing of Bruce Sutter. Gambling problem? A straight curve requires mastery of my beginners curveball, because many of the same principles that apply to both grips. He was 69. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-item[aria-expanded='true']{-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;}/*!sc*/ St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bruce Sutter delivers the ball to the plate en route to his record setting 38th save of the season against the New York Mets in this Sept. 4, 1984 file photo. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__content,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams{padding:8px;}/*!sc*/ Jul 28, 2006. How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball. Concerns over its effect on pitchers' arms have overhadowed its effectiveness. Bruce Sutter's Splitter down in the zone Chris Sales/Finest Haders Slider Roberto Osuna/D. Its a pitch we really try to shy off of.. 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. If they blow out that way, theyre going to blow out doing it with their best pitch. Sutter saved 27 games in 1978, then followed with a Cy Young Award and a National League record-tying 37 saves in 1979. Explore my pitching workouts and throwing programs for players who work hard and don't make excuses. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo a{-webkit-flex:1 0 auto;-ms-flex:1 0 auto;flex:1 0 auto;}/*!sc*/ It was the first of four straight seasons Sutter led MLB in saves. .mHQYb .p-search-item__image-thumbnail--team{margin:0 auto 0 0.25rem;height:40px;width:45px;}/*!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. fieldset{padding:0.35em 0.75em 0.625em;}/*!sc*/ .groqnz{margin-bottom:32px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__input--icon{position:absolute;top:0.75rem;right:1rem;}/*!sc*/ The pitch that looks like a fastball but falls off the table at the last second was revolutionizing the game, reviving careers and tormenting the unlucky guys standing in the batters box. Here are some of the most common baseball pitching grips and how I threw them in college and professional baseball. .evGxub{display:inline-block;width:48px;height:48px;border-radius:50%;-webkit-border-radius:50%;overflow:hidden;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ Still, it doesn't appear that pitchers who are throwing a splitter are at a higher risk of injury than pitchers who do not. template{display:none;}/*!sc*/ His split-finger pitch was almost unhittable for a while. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). It turned Mike Scott from merely another guy into a Cy Young Award winner and helped Bruce Sutter become one of the games great closers. Most hitters certainly would not be sorry to see the splitter go. Twelve years in the majors and 300 saves later, Sutter had become one of the most dominant relievers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, all because of a different grip on the ball. Bruce Sutter (center) with fellow Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith (left) and Johnny Bench at the 2006 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown. In 1982, Sutter pitched the final out in the seventh game of the World Series to help defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3. Instead of getting a nice long arc of deceleration and finishing throwing elbow outside of your opposite knee (as with your fastball), you'll want to bring your throwing-hand elbow to the opposite hip. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav{background-color:#081c3b;width:145px;-ms-overflow-style:none;}/*!sc*/ We lost a wonderful person, a very humble guy and a great teammate, said Herzog, who added that he didnt learn of Sutters illness until a week ago, and that he only got word on Thursday that the former standout closer was being rushed to a Georgia hospital. .dLQAwR .contributor__image{margin-right:8px;}/*!sc*/ Alternate fastballs and changeups at 90-or-more feet for about 20 throws a couple of times a week. The circle changeup and the four-seam fastball are what got me to professional baseball. The deeper the grip, the more friction that is created on the ball, which takes off velocity. Once your index finger is comfortable with the grip, you can progress into spinning a baseball to a partner without any trouble. Its one of the greatest stretches by an individual player and Cubs team in franchise history. He is a member of both teams Halls of Fame. Odds & lines subject to change. (Lou Sauritch/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). .mHQYb .p-search__form svg{width:16px !important;height:16px !important;}/*!sc*/ To throw a splitter, Sutter says you do the following: "Position your thumb on the back seam and throw a fastball. A split-finger fastball is thrown with the same arm-action of a regular fastball, but the pitchers index and middle finger are spread wide to cradle the ball. And I could bring him in with the bases loaded and hed go down 3-0 and hed still not walk a hitter. Ideally, you should rest your thumb in the center of the horseshoe seam on the bottom part of the baseball. 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. Do you know how to throw a split-finger fastball? .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo{-webkit-flex:0 1 auto;-ms-flex:0 1 auto;flex:0 1 auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;text-align:left;height:56px;padding:0 16px 0 0;}/*!sc*/ 4 views of Bruce Sutter's split-finger fastball grip lostwalletMP 1.9K views 11 years ago Dempsey's Dugout: Ubaldo Jimenez shows how he grips his pitches masn Orioles 3.6K views 6 years ago. Statistics courtesy of FanGraphs, Brooks Baseball and Baseball Heat Maps, Chris Moran is a former college baseball player and current law student at Washington University in St. Louis. Sutter, a National Baseball Hall of Famer and one of 14 people to have their number retired by the Cardinals, was most recently at Busch Stadium on April 7 for the teams annual Opening Day festivities. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .account--logged-in.active::after{background:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ When throwing this pitch, throw the palm-side wrist of the throwing-hand directly at the target while keeping your index and middle fingers extended upward. However, many pitchers who are learning this pitch for the first time, aren't comfortable with the "tucking" part. Again, a two seamer is gripped a little firmer than the four seamer. Henry Cotto, Dan Rohn and Thad Bosley singled to tie the game 1-1, and after Sutter walked Gary Woods to load the bases, Keith Moreland hit a ground ball to third. Big league pitchers spend far more time preparing to pitch than actually pitching. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top > *{-webkit-order:0;-ms-flex-order:0;order:0;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}/*!sc*/ He was so quick to credit those of us who might get one out in the seventh inning, and he would say that was as important as him pitching the ninth inning. It's easy to see why in 2014 among all pitchers who threw at least 300 splitters, Tanaka ranked 1st in whiffs/swing (46%), 1st ground balls per balls in play (69%), and 2nd in velocity (87.27 mph average). I never adjusted my grip after the first day.. Great Split Finger Pitchers Tim Hudson and Carlos Zambrano throw splitters. The movement on this pitch comes from the baseball spinning off of the index finger from the outside of the baseball NOT from twisting your hand underneath the ball. 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. Few pitchers in major league history have ever had better command of the bottom of the strike zone. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ This puts the ball out front just a bit more than a fork ball. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item__subnav-arrow{color:#ffffff;margin-left:auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-size:10px;opacity:0.5;}/*!sc*/ AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. I wanted to be with my boys.. Rest in peace. Sutter and the split-fingered fastball -- a pitch he learned from Cubs Minor League instructor Fred Martin following an arm surgery in 1973 -- became forever linked in the history of the game. In general though, the results for these pitchers are pretty close to that of the general population of major league starting pitchers. OK, now that you've got your grip, hold the baseball deep in the palm of your hand to maximize friction and to "de-centralize" the force of the baseball when the pitch is released. His dominance, and Hall of Fame career, can be directly traced back to learning the split-fingered fastball. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:normal;}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR a{color:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ Closer had a different connotation back then; Sutter would often pitch two or more innings at the end of games. .dLQAwR a:hover{color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ One thing I did not recall when looking up Sutters career is that he was originally drafted by the Washington Senators out of high school in Pennsylvania in 1970. "I knew Bruce deeper than just about any other teammate. During his career, he fought through devastating elbow and shoulder injuries and underwent three surgeries, yet retained his calm demeanor and ability to stay poised under pressure as he became the first pitcher to lead the National League in saves five times. It was his 13th time on the ballot, and the player who had once known for taking the mound with little emotion was suddenly overcome. A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item{border-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.15);background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.account--logged-in{height:56px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;}/*!sc*/ @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*/ summary{display:list-item;}/*!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 If we had a Sunday game and we were off on Monday and didnt play again until Tuesday night, hed knock on my clubhouse office door and say, 'Skipper, if you need me in the seventh, Ill come in and finish it off for you. Hed do that every Sunday and hed finish it out for me. .blUWSx .share-button__link--message{position:absolute;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;height:100%;left:-105px;bottom:2px;padding:0 5px;border-radius:5px;background:#041E42;color:#ffffff;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:12px;}/*!sc*/ He was a true pioneer in the game, changing the role of the late inning reliever.. .hHLkAw input{position:relative;font-size:15px;line-height:32px;color:#444444;font-weight:400;height:32px;padding:0 8px;width:100%;background-color:#ffffff;border-radius:5px;border:1px solid #444444;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container__primary.resizing{overflow-y:hidden;}/*!sc*/ About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo img{min-height:40px;max-height:40px;}}/*!sc*/ @media screen and (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner:hover a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner:hover span{color:#ffffff;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner:hover .p-icon *{fill:#ffffff;}}/*!sc*/ Splitters account for only a little more than one percent of all pitches, and several organizations have gone so far as to forbid young players from learning the splitter. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on through his family and through Cardinal Nation!. There's some selection bias in that I've picked pitchers whose arms have been able to handle the splitter to some extent. Kevin Gausman's splitter is one of the filthiest pitches in baseball. The call answered a question that had been ongoing for 13 years, a question quite frankly I would ask myself every year at election time: Do you belong? said Sutter. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Bruces family, his friends and his fans in Chicago, St. Louis and Atlanta and throughout our game.. You can just take your fingers and the more you put them apart, the more you put stress on the elbow, the Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson said. The modern splitter is often credited to baseball coach Fred Martin who threw the pitch in the minor leagues as a changeup of sorts. Watching Sutter use his 86-m.p.h. A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. Today's Posts; Member List; Calendar; Forum; General Baseball; History of the Game; If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. @media (min-width:1024px){article > header{padding:0;}}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR .contributor__text--name{color:#222222;font-size:1rem;font-weight:600;line-height:1;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ I think there is a correlation between some stresses put on the arms some guys have had elbow problems, forearm problems, shoulder problems and that pitch, Scioscia said. @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top{padding:0 16px;}}/*!sc*/ textarea{overflow:auto;}/*!sc*/ .eJdqRG p{margin-top:0;}/*!sc*/ 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." button,select{text-transform:none;}/*!sc*/ We all knew how important he was, but he never thought he was more important than anybody else.. .mHQYb .p-search__input{-webkit-appearance:none;position:relative;height:40px;font-family:'mlb-primary','Helvetica Neue','Helvetica','Arial', sans-serif;box-shadow:inset 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.075);color:#000;font-size:16px;width:100%;min-width:250px;background-color:#ffffff;border:0px;border-radius:6px;padding:0.25rem 1rem;line-height:1.42857143;margin-bottom:2px;}/*!sc*/