Sutter: Oh, What a Relief It Is!

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[i:97a6004681]by Gerry Fraley
originally printed: The Sporting News, February 17, 1986[/i:97a6004681]

[size=18:97a6004681]Braves, Bullpen Ace Breathing a Little Easier After Arm Surgery[/size:97a6004681]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/bruce_sutter_150x220.jpg" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> ATLANTA—Eight weeks had passed since the operation, and Bruce Sutter could freely and painlessly raise his right arm. The Atlanta Braves counted that as a victory in their most important winter contest.

Three weeks before spring training, Sutter took another step. After his daily regimen of weightlifting and other exercises designed to rehabilitate his right shoulder, Sutter began throwing lightly. It was the first time he had touched a baseball since two weeks after his most frustrating season ended.

The Braves' ruminations on Sutter’s rehabilitation from shoulder surgery fall somewhere between optimism and apprehension. Sutter's spirits have risen considerably since September 19, 1985, when his season ended after Cincinnati scored three runs against him in two-thirds of an inning. He talks of being excited, and there is a current of anticipation in his voice.

His physical progress dates from December 12, the day he underwent surgery, to relieve an entrapment in his right shoulder — a condition that cut off blood flow. “One day there was juice, and the next day it wasn't there," Sutter said.

Sutter has had minor setbacks, but things generally have gone smoothly. Sutter, however, has no point of reference after the first arm-related surgery of his career and no way of predicting what 1986 will bring. A year ago the Braves breathlessly awaited the beginning of the Sutter era after awarding him the richest contract ever given a pitcher. Now, they have only nervous concern.

"I sure hope I can be ready," Sutter said. "There's no way of saying for sure I'm going to pitch opening day. I don’t know. I’ll know better after I start throwing. I haven’t had any pain at all. I feel good about it.

“I'm excited about it. Obviously, I couldn't pitch again the way I pitched last year. Something had to be done. It wasn't going to get any better. It wasn’t something rest was going to heal, not in the time period in which it needed to heal.”

Sutter did rest for a while. Other than the brief throwing session two weeks after the season, he rested for two months. But an examination showed little improvement.

That continued a pattern that began in June when Sutter originally experienced pain. Each promised solution would last a few days before the condition returned. The ache kept Sutter from properly raising the shoulder to throw his best pitch, a split-fingered fastball. The result was a string of fat pitches which came so often that in a stretch of 27 appearances Sutter was scored upon 16 times and had a 5.49 earned-run average.

Sutter tried exercise, cortisone injections and visits to an array of physicians. Nothing brought relief, and his condition slipped. In his final five appearances of the season – which included a career-high 4.48 ERA and 13 homers allowed in 88 1/3 innings – Sutter gave up 14 hits and eight earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Through it all, he worried.

“When you’ve been pitching a long time and something hurts that’s never hurt before, a lot of things run through your mind,” he said. "You wonder if you’re going to be all right. The biggest relief is to go out and throw and not feel any pain.

“I want to prove to people that (Owner) Ted Turner did not sign another bum steer. I’ve got my pride. I haven’t shown how I can pitch. I can do much better.”

Because of the delay before surgery, Sutter has a narrow time frame for recovery. His pace, however, will not be accelerated to meet a goal of being fit by the April 8 operner against Montreal. Sutter’s throwing sessions are nothing more than rounds of catch. His immediate goal is to be able to throw off the mound and reach the catcher by the first Spring Traning workout on February 21.

"I'm not going to rush it,” Sutter said. “That’s the most important thing I have to watch. I have to hold myself back a little bit, not try to force it. There’s still a lot of time until April 8. If I can work up to where I can throw to the catcher off the mound when we start, I’ll be just the same as I always been in spring training.

"I want to make sure my arm’s in shape before I get out there. I’ve seen too many guys get out there not ready to pitch and it sets them back another two weeks. I want to make sure I’m ready.”

The Braves dearly need a fully fit Bruce Sutter. They wagered that he would fully recover by including Steve Bedrosian in the trade with Philadelphia for catcher Ozzie Virgil. The Braves could have weathered the loss of Sutter by returning Bedrosian to the bullpen. Behind Sutter they now have Gene Garber, who has 21 saves in the past three years, Terry Forster, who has 24 saves in the past seven years and is not certain to make this year’s team, Rick Camp, a pitcher without a role the past four years, and a collection of untested pitchers.

“It’s a gamble,” said General Manager Bobby Cox. “We think he’ll be ready, but we don't know for sure. We were trying to fill a position (catcher), and hopefully we’ll be a contender in 1986.”

History suggests Sutter will atone for 1985. After he struggled in 1983 with St Louis, he answered with a 45-save season in 1984.

"I was coming to a new team and I wanted to do well,” Sutter said of last season. “I wouldn’t want to go through last year again. I wanted to do well, but it didn’t happen. I tried hard last year. It just didn’t work out. I might do the same thing this year. I don’t know. I just want to get my right arm right and do the job.”

The Braves hold their breath and wait.