.kKeedG:hover{border-bottom:none;color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ .blLcNM .content .share-btn button{font-weight:600;}/*!sc*/ Six out of fifteen pitchers did time on the DL, missing a total of 400 days. Grip this pitch softly, like an egg, in your fingertips. You dont see that anymore.\n\nDuring 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. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-regular-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Afraid that the Cubs would deem him unable to pitch, Sutter pursued and underwent surgery on his own. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner{opacity:1;}/*!sc*/ This Do it while you're watching TV or in study hall at school. You got a bad delivery, youre going to get hurt. The Cubs offered Sutter $350,000, about a 50 percent increase from his $225,000 salary in 1979. How Bruce Sutter mastered the split-finger fastball 8,648 views Aug 5, 2015 42 Dislike Share Save Bally Sports Midwest 20.1K subscribers Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter talks about the pitch he. .ggWmAj{background:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2);max-height:64px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 16px;position:fixed;top:0;width:100%;z-index:2;}/*!sc*/ The split-finger fastball's grip is similar to the two-seam fastball, but the fingers are spread farther apart to change the rotation and add breaks. A splitter grip is like a 2-seam grip, only the fingers are wider apart, often along the outside of those closest-together seams, . @media only screen and (min-width:568px){.hYmwpY{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}}/*!sc*/ How To Grip And Throw A Three Finger Changeup. .kKeedG{color:#057AFF;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:none;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;}/*!sc*/ .hUHmCp > article > header,.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 12;}/*!sc*/ Because of its deceptively slower velocity and sharp drop, a splitter is designed to get the hitter's bat ahead of the pitch and induce weak contact. .iQELft{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;}/*!sc*/ Weekend edition! .dLQAwR .contributor__text--name{color:#222222;font-size:1rem;font-weight:600;line-height:1;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ That's because the pitch itself should be "choked" deep in the hand. And it helps to make fingernails a little tougher. When Bruce would get a little off kilter mechanically, hed bring in Mike to help him and hed get it back.. data-styled.g143[id="Styles__SocialContainer-sc-1h38xz1-0"]{content:"blLcNM,"}/*!sc*/ It bears mentioning that the time missed by de la Rosa and most of the time missed by Matsuzaka resulted from an injury suffered the prior year. .mHQYb .p-search-item a{bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%;}/*!sc*/ This enables a pitcher to apply pressure to the outer-half of the ball with the index finger. (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.). .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item{width:100%;-webkit-order:0;-ms-flex-order:0;order:0;background-color:#081c3b;border-bottom:1px solid #002867;}/*!sc*/ 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. I always felt like he was a brother. The middle finger and index finger will be spread out on the outside of the baseball seams that create the horseshoe shape. In 2021, Gausman had a .133 batting average against his splitter with a 46% whiff rate. Next, place your thumb directly on the bottom side of the baseball and on the smooth leather in between the narrow seams (as shown in the picture on the right). with the fingers spread farther apart to change the rotation and add break. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(4){top:16px;}/*!sc*/ .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*/ While his induction proved that he did indeed belong among baseballs greats, Sutter also found he belonged outside of baseball. It's an off-speed pitch. Learn about my workout programs for pitchers main{display:block;}/*!sc*/ A firm grip causes friction, which causes the baseball to change direction, usually "backing up" - or running in - to the throwing hand side of the plate. Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton threw home for a force at the plate, but then St. Louis catcher Glenn Brummers throw to first was wild and the winning run scored. img{border-style:none;}/*!sc*/ This doesn't mean that you have to throw a beginners curve (most pitchers actually start right out with this pitching grip). You dont see that anymore.. Nico kicks ass AND chews bubble gum. .mHQYb .p-search-item__container{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:50px;border-top:0;min-width:250px;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}/*!sc*/ 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. Bruce and I spent a lot of time together, and I was as close to him as any teammate I ever played with, said Kaat, who spent seven decades in and around Major League Baseball as a player, coach and broadcaster. He was just an amazing relief pitcher [who] was so good.. Here's a splitter from Ubaldo Jimenez that makes Torii Hunter chase out of the zone: One of the big misconceptions in baseball is that playing the game keeps you in shape to pitch. If your wrist is slightly cocked to the throwing hand's thumb side, your wrist-snap will enable you to have the pitch come off of the thumb-side of your index finger, which, in turn, promotes good spin on the ball. He. Sutter posted a 1.38 ERA and 1.031 WHIP with 65 strikeouts in 64 innings in 1974 split between Key West and Double-A Midland, had a similarly good year in Midland in 1975 and after seven dominant games in Triple-A in 1976, was promoted to the Cubs, where he made his MLB debut in garbage time in the ninth inning of a 14-2 loss to the Reds May 9, 1976. Though Reitz and Waller were duds as Cubs, Durham put together several good seasons for the Cubs, so it wasnt a terrible trade. @media (min-width:1024px){.hUHmCp > article{margin:auto;max-width:967px;}.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 8;}.hUHmCp > article > aside{display:block;grid-column:9 / 13;}}/*!sc*/ .fuMUTu rect{fill:#ffffff;stroke:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Howard Bruce Sutter was born in Lancaster, Pa. on Jan. 8, 1953. Back to Sutter: He signed a six-year deal with the Braves after the 1984 season, a contract said to be worth, per the New York Times: about $44 million. It includes the Cubs coming back on the field to celebrate with fans, something rarely done in that era. .hHLkAw{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ When Bruce would get a little off kilter mechanically, hed bring in Mike to help him and hed get it back.\n\nSutter failed to convert a save in his final outing of the 1984 season, leaving him tied with Royals closer Dan Quisenberry for the then-MLB record of 45 saves. Same everything. Note: Because hitters at the college and professional levels may be able to pick up on the "raised" finger during this pitch's delivery, a beginners curve shouldn't be used past high school ball. .mHQYb .p-search__input--sm{font-size:12px;height:30px;min-width:150px;}/*!sc*/ .hHLkAw input::-webkit-search-decoration,.hHLkAw input::-webkit-search-cancel-button,.hHLkAw input::-webkit-search-results-button,.hHLkAw input::-webkit-search-results-decoration{display:none;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo img{width:auto;min-height:31px;max-height:31px;height:100%;}/*!sc*/ Sutter began closing games late in the 1976 season and posted 10 saves. Mike Roarke, a Cubs coach from 1978-80 and a Cardinals coach from 1984-90, became something of a personal pitching coach for Sutter and his split-fingered fastball.\n\nHe 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. .mHQYb .p-search__input--icon--sm{top:0.5rem;right:0.5rem;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g161[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Submit-sc-d7sh2p-6"]{content:"huJzbO,"}/*!sc*/ .hYmwpY{display:block;}/*!sc*/ @media (max-width:1023px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side__nav-items{font-size:14px;}}/*!sc*/ He missed the entire 1987 season before posting a career-worst 1-4 record in 1988 while dealing with ongoing shoulder problems. Early on, when no one in the . window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} .fYCiRB{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;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;height:40px;width:40px;}/*!sc*/ But in a Roger Kahn / Bruce Sutter interview in Kahn's book,The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound, he points out that this is not the case. The arm action on this pitch is a little abbreviated at the end. How have splitter throwers fared in recent years? Bruce ascended from being a nondrafted free agent to the heights of baseball by pioneering the split-fingered fastball. Next, place your middle finger along the bottom seam of the baseball and place your thumb on the back seam (as shown in the middle picture above). .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb a{text-align:center;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon{background:none;padding:0px;width:24px;height:18px;position:relative;margin:0px auto;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:0.5s ease-in-out;transition:0.5s ease-in-out;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ forbid young players from learning the splitter, average starting pitcher has a 39 percent chance of going on the DL, The Royals are on the verge of returning to relevancy, Morning Mound Visit: Reds sign Tommy Pham to one-year deal, Morning Mound Visit: Ghost runner rule reinstated, Offensive woes will hold back elite pitching in Guardians maiden voyage, Morning Mound Visit: Rockies extend Ryan McMahon.