Here’s a contender for the Least Unexepected News Item of 2007; Don Sutton III, who we have at various times nicknamed The Angry Guy (2004) and Sugarplum (2006), was cut by the A’s yesterday.

Sutton’s baseball foray was not one that will leave a pleasant taste in his mouth, by all accounts. Drafted in 2002 in the 41st round, just out of high school, the A’s told him they’d give him all the time he needed to move up, and every chance to do so, so the catcher/1st baseman phenom decided to forego college and the chance of a later, larger payday, and instead got right into the pro game.

Sadly, Sutton never got a firm grip on the minor league ladder, spinning his wheels like Scooby Doo trying to get away from a guy in a ghost costume.

After much consideration, he signed in the spring of 2003 and went to rookie ball in Arizona, where he was awarded an all-star nod as 1st baseman, having hit 7 home runs and a .340 average. He would later move up to short season ball with the Vancouver Canadians, where his sole game action was as a late game defensive replacement as catcher, where he notched 8 put-outs and a double play without getting a swing of the bat.

2004 saw Sutton start the season in High-A ball with Modesto, but he failed to find his rhythm there, hitting for .175 with no power to speak of. His 1005 OPS of a year previous was all but halved, and so when short season ball began, Sutton was shifted back to Vancouver – where his patience clearly began to wear thin.

Stuck behind the 1-2 high-draft pick catching duo that was Landon Powell and Kurt Suzuki, Sutton was relegated to bullpen catching and the occasional start when one of the other guys was tired. Thankfully for him, Landon Powell was often tired. Unfortunately for him, Kurt Suzuki never was.

Sutton caught four games for the C’s that year, DHed on occasion, and bitched loudly at every opportunity that he wasn’t getting what he needed to excel. A strike out would bring slammed equipment on the way back to the dugout. A deep fly-out would bring yells of abuse at the pitcher-friendly dimensions of the ballpark.

Before long, Sutton was headed back to Arizona, where his form began to return (.813 OPS), but only about 19 paying customers were ever there to cheer his .241 average and four dingers.

Injuries shortened his 2005 campaign, giving him time for just 25 at bats in Arizona, although he swung the bat hard for a .320 average, and when he returned to Vancouver in 2006, folks in the know were dreading the though of how The Angry Guy might be just about ready to turn nuclear, given his halting minor league progression.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Sutton realized he was on borrowed time and had one last shot to make his climb, and he also seemed to realize that if he wasn’t going to make it to the bigs, perhaps he should enjoy the time he had left in the professional game.

Sutton began to sign autographs. Then he began to hang back after the game to sign more. Then he started befriending staff at the ballpark, and other players, and coaches – and one special girl who he decided should stay special forever.

Thus, midway through the 2006 season, Don Sutton walked out to the mound during a game and asked his girlfriend to marry him. The crowd, who once watched in silence as Sutton imploded at the plate, now went nuts in appreciation – of the man’s character, above all else.

We all knew Sutton was on his last legs with the organization in 2006, but we all rooted for him – so much so that when Sutton injured his leg midway through the season, everyone kept it quiet, the player included. "He’s just taking a few days off," the coaches said, hoping he could shake it off and get back to swinging. everyone knew a trip to the DL would end it all, so the MRIs and X-rays weren’t called for. Instead, we showed up to the ballpark each day and asked the same question, over and over; "Sutton playing today?"

And every day came the same response; "Officially, he’s resting. He has a cold. He’ll be back soon."

Sutton did get back into the lineup a few times, and he had some nice deep ‘all or nothing’ swings that beat the outfield wall, and even showed significant plate patience (13 walks to 14 K’s), but his timing was off and his contact numbers were bad, and ultimately his body just wasn’t having any more of this baseball caper; a subsequent shoulder injury ended his season early. Again.

To Oakland’s credit, they didn’t cut Sutton in 2007. They made him a promise, and they kept their end inasmuch as they saw to his injury, and his rehab, and ensured that he was fit and healthy if he wanted to continue playing ball in 2008. They just couldn’t offer him the chance to do so in the Oakland system, so he was released with a pat on the back.

Don Sutton III isn’t old. At 24 years of age, he’s still got plenty of ball in him if he chooses to take another shot at it. Maybe a healthy Sutton could find another team, or play some indie ball and get that first year rookie form back, and from there, who knows?

But whatever path he chooses, Notes From The Nat would like to take the opportunity to thank DSIII for at least giving his all with every pitch faced, every swing taken, and every baserunner gunned down. In him, we saw the best and worst of the game we love, but we also saw the maturity of a man, and a passion for ball that, frankly, a lot of more successful players will never know.

And thanks for doing it in red and blue, Don.