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. He couldnt even throw it 60 feet, six inches, Cubs assistant minor-league director Pat Nugent told The Atlanta Journal in 1985. .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu{background:#ffffff;border-top:solid 4px #002867;box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2);box-shadow:6px 6px 15px -3px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);left:-99em;opacity:0;padding:10px;position:absolute;right:0;-webkit-transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;width:160px;z-index:99992;}/*!sc*/ sup{top:-0.5em;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search-item__image{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-right:0.5rem;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;width:55px;}/*!sc*/ I was so honored when he gave me a shout-out at his induction at the Hall of Fame. Bruce ascended from being a nondrafted free agent to the heights of baseball by pioneering the split-fingered fastball. He was a true pioneer in the game, changing the role of the late inning reliever.","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2022-10-14T17:35:07.146Z","description":"Alanna Rizzo and Chris Russo break the news of Bruce Sutter's passing and reflect on his historic career on this edition of High Heat","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:06:22","mp4AvcPlayback":"https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2022/2022-10/14/c0a35e9e-a62d0b71-27fd3826-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","slug":"remembering-the-late-bruce-sutter","tags":[{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-112","title":"Chicago Cubs"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-138","title":"St. Louis Cardinals"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-144","title":"Atlanta Braves"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"mlb-network","title":"MLB Network"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"mlbn-high-heat","title":"MLBN High Heat"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"tribute","title":"tribute"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"no-pre-roll","title":"no pre-roll"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"playerid-123004","title":"Bruce Sutter"}],"templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/ir7bfexera2vdoihtg6a","title":"Remembering the late Bruce Sutter","type":"video","url":"/video/remembering-the-late-bruce-sutter"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Kaat said he and Sutter talked often during their two-year stint together in St. Louis about the split-fingered fastball, and how it saved the latters career. And it helps to make fingernails a little tougher. There are a lot of good ones -- and Im not knocking [Rich] Gossage or anybody else -- but when I warmed him up, if I didnt use him that inning, hed still pitch the next inning.
Four Types of Fastballs and How to Throw Them - LiveAbout .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*/ .drUhS{pointer-events:none;width:100%;height:100%;display:inline-block;overflow:visible;fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter has died at age 69, the St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday. Right away, you'll notice the extra tension it puts on your elbow and forearm when compared to a fastball grip. .mHQYb .p-search-item__team-logo--container{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;margin-left:auto;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo img,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo a{height:56px;}/*!sc*/ The Baseball Hall of Fame said Bruce Sutter died in Cartersville, Georgia. To throw an effective three-finger changeup, center your ring, middle, and index fingers on top of the baseball (as shown in the third picture at right). 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. When Craig was teaching it to anyone who would listen in the 80s, the splitter was billed as a safe off-speed alternative for those who struggled to master the nuances of the changeup.
Forkball vs Splitter - Everything You Need To Know - The Bat Nerds 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. Another somewhat lesser-known bit of Cubs revenge against Sutter came in the final game of the 1984 season, after the Cubs had clinched the NL East title. A six-time All-Star, Sutter led the National League in saves for five years and won the 1979 Cy Young Award. But its not just about them getting hurt. To throw a circle changeup make - quite literally - a circle or an "OK" gesture with your throwing hand (using your thumb and index fingers). The index and ring fingers are placed on either side of the baseball for balance, and the thumb is placed directly below the baseball. b,strong{font-weight:bolder;}/*!sc*/ You can see the break on the splitter here: That great year sent Sutter and the Cubs to arbitration, the first arb hearing involving a Cubs player in the then-fairly new system. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner{opacity:1;}/*!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. This enables a pitcher to apply pressure to the outer-half of the ball with the index finger. .hspSPq svg path{fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:56px;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;-webkit-flex:99 1 45%;-ms-flex:99 1 45%;flex:99 1 45%;}/*!sc*/ pic.twitter.com/BjxKBnK0Lw. .groqnz .ad-body-container{border-color:#dddddd;border-style:solid;border-width:1px 0 1px 0;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;margin:0 2%;min-height:343px;width:96%;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){body.article .ad-top-container{min-height:106px;}}/*!sc*/ Sutter began closing games late in the 1976 season and posted 10 saves. For every pitcher listed here, there could be several others who gave up on the splitter early because it bothered their arm. data-styled.g29[id="linkstyle__AnchorElement-sc-1rt6me7-0"]{content:"kKeedG,"}/*!sc*/ It's important for pitchers, parents and coaches to learn a proper slider grip and to learn correct throwing technique of a slider to ensure and promote arm-health. (The No. The irony, of course, was that Sutter used a tailing fastball to strike out Thomas when it was the split-fingered fastball that helped him become one of the games most dynamic closers. .blLcNM .content >:nth-last-child(2){border:none;margin-right:auto;padding-right:48px;}/*!sc*/ .HQoYx{border:0;padding:0;text-align:center;}/*!sc*/ Reserve your tickets, map your route, and work out all the details for your arrival in Cooperstown. 2 is a two-seam fastball.) .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ 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. data-styled.g141[id="sharestyle__Wrapper-sc-9nfkvu-1"]{content:"blUWSx,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__input--sm{font-size:12px;height:30px;min-width:150px;}/*!sc*/ Theres not much video of Sutter that survives from that time, but here he is striking out Jim Rice in the 1979 All-Star Game. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon{display:inline-block;-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;line-height:20px;}/*!sc*/ A lot of pitchers that I work with like to "touch" their pinky and thumb when gripping this pitch (as shown in the middle picture). .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container__primary.resizing{overflow-y:hidden;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search{display:block;position:relative;color:#333333;width:inherit;}/*!sc*/ article ul{list-style:disc;}/*!sc*/ To the Cardinals, his teammates and, most importantly, the greatest fans in all of sports, we thank you for all of the love and support over the years. Bruce Sutter's Legendary Splitter and Grip. The arm action on this pitch is a little abbreviated at the end. .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu--open{display:block;left:auto;opacity:1;}/*!sc*/ Nico kicks ass AND chews bubble gum. .mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__text'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__nav-item__link'],.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class$='__button-text']{text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/
Rob Friedman on Twitter: "Bruce Sutter, Splitter (home plate view Splitters are often referred to as "split-finger fastballs," but because of their break and lower velocity, they don't hold much in common with a typical fastball. The pitch not only led him to the Major Leagues, but also made him a Cy Young Award winner with the Cubs and a World Series Champion with the 1982 Cardinals. During the prime of his career, Sutter led the NL in saves for four straight seasons and five times in six years before joining the Braves as a free agent after the 1984 season. Sutter had five outstanding seasons for the Cubs, but eventually his success led to an arbitration award deemed too expensive for the sclerotic Wrigley ownership regime, and he was traded to the Cardinals. .hHLkAw input::-ms-clear{display:none;}/*!sc*/ This is the curveball grip that I used. @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*/