Bruce Sutter, Relief Pitcher, Chicago Cubs 1970's
 Super
Star Relief Pitcher, Sutter had the Cub fans on their feet,
cheering his every pitch in the 1970's. In
1977 he was the first pitcher to throw the split fingered
curve-fastball, a pitch that looked like it dropped a foot
right over home plate. Batters were swinging at
air trying to hit his famous pitch. In 1977, Bruce Sutter
pitching only in relief was 7-3, a low 1.34 ERA, struckout
129 would be hitters in 107 innings. The Cubs were finally
making a run at the pennant. But one man alone couldn't
bring them the pennant. Throughout this decade Sutter
was striking out over a batter an inning.
In 1979, Bruce Sutter won the Cy Young Award, only the second
relief pitcher to be voted for this top honor. Right-handed
Bruce Sutter Ace Reliever won the "Fireman of the Year
Award" in four different years. Sutter
was simply unhittable from 1977 to the end of this decade.
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006,
during his induction speech, Sutter spoke about learning the
split-fingered fastball, "It was in the Cubs minor league
system that I met a man who taught me how to throw a new pitch
that would take me from being a suspect all the way to the
Hall of Fame. His name was Fred Martin. He taught me to spread
my fingers apart and throw it just like a fast ball. Fortunately
for me, it clicked right away. There were players throwing
forkballs at the time and a few guys were using it for a change
up but nobody was throwing what he called the split finger.
It was a pitch that didn't change how the game was played
but developed a new way to get hitters out. Everybody
who has thrown the split-finger fast ball owes a great deal
of thanks to Fred Martin because he was the first one to teach
it. I would not be standing here today if it were not
for that pitch. Fred passed away in 1979, but I know he has
a crowd around him right now and he's showing someone how
to hold the split finger."
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