For Drew Sutton and His Family, A Happy Return to the Red Sox

the 2011 season represented, in many ways, the most satisfying of Sutton’s big league career, his first opportunity to contribute to a contender.

“Baseball-wise, it was probably the funnest year I’ve ever had,” said Sutton, who had previously shuffled between the Astros, Reds and Indians organizations. “If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would have gotten two and a half months with the Red Sox, played as much as I did, I would have taken it. It was a lot of fun when I was there, because we were winning a lot. I really enjoyed being here. The atmosphere in the clubhouse, the atmosphere at Fenway, playing in that kind of arena of sports, it was awesome.”

The baseball experience, however, became overshadowed by tragedy. In July, Sutton’s wife, Staci, delivered the couple’s first child in Boston, a baby girl named Carsyn. But Carsyn was born with heart and lung defects, and died in the hospital the day after she was born.

That nomadic existence came at a time when Staci Sutton was once again pregnant. With doctors ordering her not to travel during the season, Drew Sutton barely saw his wife during the year…

It had a wonderful conclusion, however. On October 8, Staci Sutton gave birth to a son, Ryder. He is now a healthy four-month-old, a source of immense joy to his parents. Both Staci and Ryder are in Fort Myers with Drew Sutton this spring.