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Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton dies at 75

National Baseball Hall of Fame member Don Sutton was a four-time All-Star selection, and his 324 career wins rank 14th in MLB history. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
National Baseball Hall of Fame member Don Sutton was a four-time All-Star selection, and his 324 career wins rank 14th in MLB history. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, who won over 300 games in his MLB career, died Monday night, it was announced. He was 75.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., said in a statement Tuesday that Sutton died of cancer at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Sutton's son, Daron, confirmed his father's death on social media.

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"Saddened to share that my dad passed away in his sleep [Monday] night," Daron Sutton wrote on Twitter. "He worked as hard as anyone I've ever known and he treated those he encountered with great respect... And he took me to work a lot. For all these things, I am very grateful. Rest in peace."

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Donald Howard Sutton, born April 2, 1945, in Clio, Ala., made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966. He later finished his career with the Dodgers, spending 16 of his 23 seasons in Los Angeles.

Sutton was a four-time All-Star selection, and his 324 career wins rank 14th in MLB history. He also pitched for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.

After his playing career, Sutton served as a television and radio analyst for the Braves for nearly three decades. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2015.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Don Sutton," the Braves said in a statement Tuesday. "A generation of Braves fans came to know his voice.

"... Don was as feared on the mound as he was beloved in the booth. A 300-game winner who was a four-time All-Star, Don brought an unmatched knowledge of the game and his sharp wit to his calls. But despite all the success, Don never lost his generous character or humble personality."

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Sutton posted a 324-256 record and 3.26 ERA in his career. He recorded 3,574 strikeouts and led the league in ERA in the 1980 season. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

His death comes on the heels of seven Hall of Famers dying in 2020, the most sitting members of the Hall of Fame to die in a calendar year. Those players were Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Phil Niekro, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline and Joe Morgan.

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Betty White attends the media preview for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's Beastly Ball fundraiser at the Los Angeles Zoo in Los Angeles on June 11, 2015. The actress died December 31. She was 99 years old. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

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