Bruce Sutter

Howard Bruce Sutter (January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1988. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he briefly attended Old Dominion University before being signed by the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 1971. He reached the majors with the Cubs in 1976 and became one of the sport's dominant closers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, making effective use of the split-finger fastball.

Sutter played five years for the Chicago Cubs, four for the St. Louis Cardinals, and three for the Atlanta Braves, serving as each team's closer during his tenure. A six-time All-Star, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1979 and the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award four times. He became the only pitcher to lead the National League in saves five times, doing so from 1979 through 1982 and again in 1984. He was a member of the 1982 World Series champion Cardinals.

Over his career he recorded a 2.83 earned run average and 300 saves, the third-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement. His usage in the eighth and ninth innings of games was partly responsible for ushering in a more specialized era for the closer.