Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956 in Independence, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and current television sportscaster. In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher, often abbreviated as starter, is the pitcher who pitches the first pitch to the first batter of a game. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 14 - Ted Turner completes the purchase of 100 percent of the Atlanta Braves. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. ... In baseball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by K or SO) occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium (1932-1993)* a. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 22, 33, 42 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the manager (the managers from the previous years... In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the top rookie baseball player in the American and National Leagues. ... In baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 13 - Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson become the 12th and 13th players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 14 - Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Independence is a city in Missouri, in the Kansas City metropolitan area. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... American Sportscasters A sportscaster, sports announcer, or sports commentator is a type of journalist on radio or television who specializes in reporting or commenting on sports events. ...

A righthander, Sutcliffe was a three-time All-Star. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1979 and the National League Cy Young Award in 1984. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the best first-year players in the American and National Leagues. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1979 throughout the world. ... In baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1984 throughout the world. ...

Career

Early Years - ROY

Sutcliffe broke into the majors in 1979. Considered a long shot to make the team in spring training,^{[citation needed]} he went on to win 17 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and was the first of four consecutive Rookies of the Year for the Dodgers from 1979-1982 (Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Sax were the others). Sutcliffe and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda got along poorly, and after Lasorda left Sutcliffe off the Dodgers' 1981 postseason roster, Sutcliffe burst into Lasorda's office, overturned his desk and smashed chairs.^{[citation needed]} The Dodgers promptly traded Sutcliffe to the Cleveland Indians for Jorge Orta, a journeyman outfielder. Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 13 - Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson become the 12th and 13th players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. ... Steven Roy Howe (March 10, 1958 – April 28, 2006) was an American left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Stephen Louis Sax (born January 29, 1960 in Sacramento, California) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. ... Tommy Lasorda, 2006 photo by Phil Konstantin Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League baseball pitcher and manager. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1981 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium (1932-1993)* a. ... Jorge Orta (b. ...

Chicago Cubs

Sutcliffe won 31 games over the course of the next two seasons for Cleveland and led the American League in earned run average in 1982. In mid-1984, Cleveland traded a struggling Sutcliffe to the Chicago Cubs for Mel Hall and Joe Carter. Sutcliffe rebounded and won 16 games for the Cubs while losing only one, helping them to the division championship. On October 2, 1984, he started the first game of the NLCS against the San Diego Padres, giving up two hits and no runs, gaining not only the victory, but also hit a home run in the third inning.^[1] Five days later, Sutcliffe pitched the final game of the series at Jack Murphy Stadium, but posted the loss after giving up four runs in the seventh inning.^[2] He also finished fourth in the league MVP voting. When he re-signed with the Cubs as a free agent the following year, his contract briefly made him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 13 - Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson become the 12th and 13th players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1984 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... Melvin Hall Jr. ... Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1998, most famous for hitting a home run to end the 1993 World Series, with the Toronto Blue Jays trailing 6-5 to the Philadelphia... October 2 is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... Qualcomm Stadium, formerly known as San Diego Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium, is a multiple-use stadium in San Diego, California. ...

Sutcliffe started the 1985 season strong, going 5-3 in his first eight starts, including two complete game shutouts. A hamstring pull on May 19 limited his starts for the year, followed by a series of arm injuries limited Sutcliffe's effectiveness over the next two seasons. In 1987, he bounced back to win 18 games and finished second in the league's Cy Young voting. This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 7 - Outfielder Lou Brock and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 14 - Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ...

In 1989, Sutcliffe won 16 games and made his final All-Star appearance--Lasorda was the manager. He also helped the Cubs to another division title, but the Cubs lost to the San Francisco Giants in the playoffs. 1989 in baseball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-1885) Ballpark AT&T Park (2000–present) a. ... The 1989 National League Championship Series was played between the National League West champion San Francisco Giants and the National League East champion Chicago Cubs. ...

Later Years

Recurring arm injuries caused Sutcliffe to miss most of the 1990 and 1991 seasons and the Cubs did not offer him a contract for the next season. Signing with the Baltimore Orioles, Sutcliffe went 16-15 and 10-10 in 1992 and 1993, starting the first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He wound up his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1994, going 6-4 in an injury-plagued season. He retired with a career record of 171-139, with an ERA of 4.08. // This year in baseball Events January 9 - Jim Palmer, a three-time American League Cy Young Award winner, and Joe Morgan, a two-time National League MVP, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first years of eligibility. ... See also: 1990 in sports, other events of 1991, 1992 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing Stock car racing: Ernie Irvan won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt CART Racing - Michael Andretti won the season championship Indianapolis 500 - Rick Mears Formula One Championship - Ayrton... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 22, 33, 42 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1992 throughout the world. ... // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland, which was constructed to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ...

Broadcasting

After his retirement from baseball, Sutcliffe became a color commentator for the San Diego Padres on Channel 4 San Diego (1997-2004) and ESPN (1998-present), as well as a minor-league pitching coach in the San Diego Padres system for a couple of seasons. He also broadcasts the World Series for MLB International, where he is teamed with Dave O'Brien, his usual ESPN partner. A color commentator (colour commentator in Canada and Britain), sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... Dave OBrien is an American sportscaster who currently broadcasts various events for ESPN television and Westwood One radio. ...

Controversy

On May 10, 2006 after a long day of drinking and golfing with comedian Bill Murray, Sutcliffe attended a night game between the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers in San Diego. He was invited to the booth with Channel 4 broadcasters Mark Grant and Matt Vasgersian where he began a rambling and incoherent interview by saying, "It's not that busy man, it's not that busy." He then rambled on about off-the-wall subjects such as George Clooney and his daughter's "mission." After he asked Matt Vasgersian what he was still doing in San Diego, his microphone was finally cut off. As a result, ESPN suspended Sutcliffe for one game.^[3] is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... William James Bill Murray (b. ... Major league affiliations National League (1998–present) Central Division (1998–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 19, 34, 42, 44 Name Milwaukee Brewers (1970–present) Seattle Pilots (1969) Ballpark Miller Park (2001–present) County Stadium (1970-2000) Sicks Stadium (Seattle) (1969) Major league titles World Series titles (0) None... Mark Grant is the Technical Director for Cambridge Convergence. ... Matt Vasgersian (born 1967) is an American sportscaster and television host, known for his versatility and humor. ... George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an Academy Award- and two-time Golden Globe-winning American actor, director, producer and screenwriter, known for his role in the first five seasons of the long-running television drama ER (1994–99), and his rise as an A-List movie star...

See also

• List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions

Major League Baseball recognizes earned run average champions in the American League and National League each season. ... Major League Baseball recognizes win champions among pitchers in the American League and National League each season. ...

External links

• Rick Sutcliffe's career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com