ATLANTA • Several hours before first pitch Saturday, former Cardinals reliever Jason Motte gathered his wife, their daughter and infant son, and a made the 40-minute drive out of Atlanta to introduce a longtime friend and mentor to the 8 ½-month-old baby.
It was time for Sutter to meet his namesake, Bruce Sutter.
Whether they first bonded over beards or roles, Motte and Cardinals Hall of Fame closer became friends through the years, and when Motte signed a minor-league deal with Atlanta this spring he texted Sutter to say he would be within driving distance of Sutter’s Atlanta-area home.