Bryan Clutterbuck, who pitched for the Brewers in 1986 and 1989, died of colon cancer on
August 23, 2016. He was 56.
Bryan was drafted out of Eastern Michigan by the Brewers in the 7th round in 1981. He got the call in July 1986 and pitched the rest of the season out of the Milwaukee pen. But then his arm troubles began. It took major surgery and three years for Bryan to get back to the major leagues, but he made it. This time, he was used mostly as a starter. It looked like it was all worth it when, on April 25, Bryan notched his first major league win against the Twins. It was said that he was throwing harder than ever. In his next start, he blanked the Royals for 8 innings, though he didn't get the win as the Brewers hadn't scored either. He got a loss against the Angels, though he'd given up only 2 runs, then picked up his second win against the A's on May 25. He faced the Angels again on May 30 and, again, took the loss after allowing just 2 runs. And then....
It all started to unravel. He was suddenly ineffective. By the end of June, he hit the DL and stayed there. He did not pitch again for the Brewers that season. They signed him again in the off-season, but it was a minor league deal with a spring invite. It didn't matter. He didn't pitch in the majors or minors in 1990. He did not resurface again until 1994, when he pitched for the Brainerd Bears in the independent North Central League. Obviously the level of competition played into it, but he acquitted himself nicely, going 7-3 with a 2.09 ERA. If only there were a way to make it
all the way back.
Late that year, the major league players went on strike. Come the spring of 1995, Bryan was in camp with the Detroit Tigers, hopeful of being a replacement player.
“Damn right I am here to try and make the Tigers’ roster,” he said.
The strike ended and, with it, Bryan's comeback dreams. He pitched some more independent ball that year but didn't fare as well and that was all she wrote.
For the rest of his life, Bryan spent a great deal of time coaching Little League and even more time coaching the kids too old for Little League who thought they might like to shoot for a baseball scholarship or try for a career in the game. By all accounts he was a wonderful husband and father, was always encouraging to those he coached, and was always ready, willing, and able to work for any charitable cause that asked him.