it feels a bit too much like 1993 in here

damn. i just read a couple hours ago that don sutton passed away.

i had planned to show off the latest installment of my hall of famer collection tonight, but i'm going to pause on that for a week and instead link you to the post i wrote which inducted sutton into that collection of mine. i'll also link to a couple of other posts from the recent past that dealt with sutton from my perspective. they say a lot about what sutton had to do with my collecting and general fandom.

sutton was the ace on the team of my youth - the only hall of fame player from that team - and his death comes so soon after the manager of that team, tom lasorda, also passed away.  back in 1993, the dodgers lost both don drysdale and roy campanella within a week or so during the summer, and this reminds me of the reflection that took place back then. of course, for me in 1993, the reflection was more about dodger legends that i had some connection to, but not as active players. i knew them as former players, and so therefore older and in some way more likely to pass. that is not the case with lasorda or sutton. sadly, after lasorda passed away less than two weeks ago, my first thought was of the health of vin scully and sandy koufax, who are 93 and 85, respectively. i didn't think about the 75-year old sutton.

thinking about don sutton makes me think of being at dodger stadium with my dad watching number 20 pitch in his prime. it makes me think of being at dodger stadium with some of my lifelong friends watching number 20 pitch when he was on his last legs in 1988. and, it makes me think about the temporary state we all exist in. 

rest in peace, don.