What Happened Between Steve Garvey and Don Sutton? MLB Feud

Between 1969 and 1980, Sutton and Garvey shared the Dodger clubhouse and even had lockers close to one another; however, they were not close. Finally, in 1978, their conflict reached its peak.

On August 20, 1978, Steve Garvey confronted teammate Don Sutton about a Washington Post article criticizing the pitcher, turning Dodger contused and blue in the visitors’ clubhouse at Shea Stadium.

When a crude remark about the first baseman’s wife is made after the right-hander admits to making the remarks, the fight turns physical. Even so, the Dodgers defeated the Mets 5-4. 

Garvey left the game with multiple scrapes, scratches, and a bloodshot eye. Likewise, Sutton had a noticeable bruise on his cheek. 

Describing the infamous MLB feud between Steve Garvey and Don Sutton inside the dodger locker room, Sutton stated in a Washington Post- “All you hear about on our team is Steve Garvey, the All-American boy. But Reggie Smith was the real MVP. We all know it … (Smith) has carried us the last two years. He is not a facade. He does not have the Madison Avenue image.”

The infuriated Garvey confronted Sutton and questioned the integrity of the comments. Sutton suddenly jumped at him and threw him against the other wall’s lockers.

The two players fell heavily and began to paw at one another while making futile blows. Garvey, who had been slashed and scratched on the face, was confused when the two were finally split up. On the other hand, Sutton’s cheek was bruised.

Many Dodgers did not like Garvey, and it appears that Sutton also had some rivals in the clubhouse. During the altercation, Tommy John, the MLB pitcher, said someone shouted, “Stop the fight; they’ll murder each other!” during the altercation.

The net worth of Steve Garvey is reported to be 5 million USD. Likewise, Don Sutton is estimated to have garnered a net worth of 20 million USD, four times more than that of Steve Garvey.

Steve Garvey’s playing first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969 to 1982 and the San Diego Padres from 1983 to 1987 is perhaps what made him most well-known. 

Garvey is the National League player with the most consecutive games played. He earned the NL MVP in 1974 and was also a 10-time-all-star. Moreover, he was given the moniker “Mr. Clean” due to his spotless reputation and was born on December 22, 1948, in Tampa, Florida.

Steve started as a bat boy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers from 1956 to 1961. In 1988, Garvey founded Garvey Communications, a company that primarily produces television content, notably infomercials. In addition to hosting Baseball’s Greatest Games, he has been hired to give motivational speeches, primarily to business audiences. 

Don Sutton is another celebrated name in the field of baseball. When Sutton graduated from high school in 1963, his classmates named him “Most Likely to Succeed.” 

Sutton eventually transferred to Whitter College in California after a year at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, against his coach Dave Fuller’s advice to attend Florida State University. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him after success in a summer league while still in college.

After graduating from Chamberlain High School, Steve Garvey attended Michigan State University, where he played baseball and football. He is a part of the Michigan State University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Irish American Hall of Fame. In addition, the Steve Garvey Junior High School in Lindsay, California, bears his name.

From the name of his father, Garvey is an Irish American. His father has Irish ancestry, specifically from County Cork. Garvey wed Cynthia Truhan in 1971 when he was 22. Krisha and Whitney were their two children.

According to John, most of Garvey’s Dodger colleagues and their wives disliked Cynthia very much. Garvey was already dating his secretary when Cynthia left him for the composer Marvin Hamlisch. In 1983, Garvey and Cynthia got divorced.

Garvey learned Cheryl Moulton was expecting his child, Ashleigh, in July 1988. Despite this, in November 1988, Garvey popped the question to Rebecka Mendenhall, letting her know about Moulton. Mendenhall discovered she was pregnant in January of that year.

On January 1, 1989, Garvey broke their engagement over the phone. Since 1986, Garvey and Mendenhall have been dating. In October 1989, Slade, their lone child, was born.

Garvey got engaged to Candace Thomas in January 1989 after meeting at a Special Olympics fundraiser. Garvey and Thomas started dating during the following few weeks, which included visits to the Super Bowl and President George H.W. Bush’s inauguration. Then, during what he called a “midlife disaster,” Garvey filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Cyndy to gain custody of their two children. 

In court, his daughters testified that they did not want to see their father. Garvey lost his career and paid half his monthly television earnings in child support while dealing with numerous lawsuits.

On February 18, 1989, Garvey and Candace were united in marriage. Together they have three children- Sean Olivia and Ryan Garvey. Furthermore, they have four kids from previous relationships- Taylor Abess, Shaunna Thomas Butler, Whitney Garvey, and Krisha Neither.

An interesting fact: After having several affairs and fathering numerous children, Garvey lost his squeaky “Mr. Clean” reputation in the late 1980s.

Don Sutton was born Donald Howard Sutton in Clio, Alabama, on April 14, 1945. He was born to 18-year-old Howard Sutton and 15-year-old Lilian Sutton.

His parents were Christian Fundamentalists, and it was a small community where they were sharecroppers. He was born the year after World War II. Later, Sutton’s family shifted to Molino, Florida.

While studying at J.M. Tate High School, Don played basketball, football, and baseball. His school’s team contested the state finals, which won in his junior year but lost in his senior year. However, for each season he captained his team, he was named all-country, all-conference, and all-state.

Sutton, 21 years old when he joined the Dodgers, played for the Sioux Falls Packets in South Dakota before making his major-level debut. He served as the Dodgers’ fourth starting pitcher, along with well-known pitchers like Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Claude Osteen.

Don Sutton was chosen four times to play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game throughout the 1970s. After winning 102 games overall during the regular season, his 1974 Dodgers club qualified for the postseason. However, they ultimately fell short in the 1974 World Series.

In 1976, when the Dodgers concluded the season with a 21-10 win-loss record, Sutton played his most excellent major league game. He won a game in the 1977 postseason, then had a 1-0 record in two World Series appearances that year.

Upon the conclusion of the 1980 season, Don Sutton was a free agent. His flawless record of victories during his stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers made him a highly sought-after player in the market. In 1981, Sutton joined the Houston Astros.

The season was interrupted by a minor baseball strike, which led him to return with an impressive seven wins and one defeat. Then, on October 2, Sutton fractured his patella while playing. This disappointed him because the Astros were about to clinch a spot in the NFL postseason as it secured the playoff birth, which means to happen occasionally before the end of the regular season.