Don Sutton: All-star pitcher hopes fifth time is the charm for election to Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sutton not expecting Hall vote

Web posted January 5, 1998

By Ben Walker
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Long after his 324th and last victory, Don Sutton is looking for one more win.

Sutton hopes it comes today when the Hall of Fame election results are announced, but the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher is not planning a party for the early evening.

``I don't have any champagne ready,'' he said. ``I am disappointed not to already be there, and I'm not expecting it this year.''

Tony Perez, Jim Rice and Ron Santo, along with first-year candidates Gary Carter, Bert Blyleven and Jack Clark, lead the list of former players on the ballot.

Sutton is hoping to duplicate the feat of Phil Niekro, who was elected last January on his fifth try.

The longtime Atlanta knuckleballer was 318-274 lifetime with a 3.35 ERA and 3,342 strikeouts. Sutton was 324-256 with a 3.26 ERA and 3,574 strikeouts.

``I do believe I've earned it,'' Sutton said recently.

This is Sutton's fifth time on the ballot -- he came within nine votes of making it last year -- and it might be his best chance for a while.

Next year, a dazzling crop of candidates will be eligible for the first time. Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount appear shoo-ins, and Carlton Fisk and Dale Murphy also figure to get consideration.

Sutton's supporters say he was an excellent pitcher for a prolonged period. His critics claim his 23 seasons just make him a testament to longevity.

Sutton never won a Cy Young Award and had only one 20-win season in a career that ended in 1988. A four-time All-Star, he made it to the postseason with the Dodgers, California Angels, Milwaukee and Houston.

There are 26 players on the ballot, nine of them for the first time. Ten-year members of the Baseball Writers Association of America do the voting.

Perez, Rice and Santo all have come up short despite posting impressive power numbers.

Perez, a member of the Big Red Machine, ranks 16th on the career list with 1,652 RBI. He hit 379 home runs and batted .279.

Rice, the former Boston slugger, hit 382 homers with 1,451 RBI. The 1978 AL MVP was a three-time home run champion and an eight-time All-Star.

Santo, a star for the Chicago Cubs, hit 342 homers with 1,331 RBI. A nine-time AllStar and a five-time Gold Glove third baseman, he is on the ballot for the 15th and final time.

Bruce Sutter (300 saves), Dwight Evans (385 homers, eight Gold Gloves), Tommy John (288 wins), Dave Parker (1,493 RBI) and Steve Garvey (a 10-time All-Star) are among the other carryover candidates.

The newcomers are led by Carter. An All-Star catcher 11 times, he hit 324 home runs with 1,225 RBI in 19 seasons.

Carter won three Gold Gloves and holds the major league record for putouts and chances by a catcher. He also had a good relationship with the media, and that could help him.

Blyleven went 287-250 with a 3.31 ERA in 22 seasons. He featured a nifty curveball and ranks third lifetime in strikeouts (3,701) and ninth in shutouts (60).

Clark hit 340 homers with 1,180 RBI in 18 seasons, and Pedro Guerrero batted .300 with 215 home runs and 898 RBI in a 15-year career.

The Veterans Committee, which often is not as strict as the writers in awarding tickets to Cooperstown, is scheduled to meet March 3. Bill Mazeroski, Gil Hodges and Larry Doby will be among the top candidates.

AP-CS-01-04-98 1235EST