Catfish Hunter weighed 190 lbs (86 kg) when playing. Order online. Kapstein heard about it just in time to hightail over to Dodger Stadium for Fridays workout. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. I dont know much about this, Jerry. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Copyright 2017 by Jason Turbow. Catfish Hunter played for 3 teams; the Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. It seemed for a moment that the midnight deadline might come and go. [35] He was unconscious for several days after the fall, but he had returned home from that hospitalization when he died. If you have corrections or additional information about this object, please email research@baseballhall.org to help improve our records. There was only one caveat, Hunter said. When the 1974 season opened, Finley made the standard payments every two weeks as agreed. The Owner immediately sought a court order overturning Seitzs ruling. View Catfish Hunter's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). A contract to play for the As in 1975, he said, would be arriving shortly. Hunter signed with the Yankees on a five-year, $3.25 million contract. Video Film Room Hub Statcast MLB Network MLB Originals Podcasts. Although Cherry provided specific directions for the annuity depositto be paid to the Jefferson Insurance Company of North Carolina, starting midseasonthe Owner did not put a penny toward it. CONTRACT NO. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1987. Kluttz signed Hunter to his first professional contract with the Kansas City A's in 1964. The images, titles, and descriptions are products of their time. When Hunter asked, however, what would happen to the contract after he died, Kansas City GM Joe Burke told him that his demise would be the termination point. On Dec. 18, Kuhn, seeing no other option, lifted his moratorium. While at the Yankees he had . Born: 8-Apr-1946 Birthplace: Hertford, NC Died: 9-Sep-1999 Location of . Kluttz talked about the rabid fan base and increased opportunities in the countrys largest media market. The catfish fish (under the chicken) was fried to perfection and seasoned well. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. One thing Paul had working in his favor, however, was Yankees director of minor league scouting Clyde Kluttz. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. Catfish Hunter played 15 seasons. Jackson kept winning in New York the way he and Hunter -- whom Jackson once described as the boss of the old As -- had won those three World Series titles in Oakland. Rule Changes Probable Pitchers Starting Lineups Transactions Injury Report World Baseball Classic MLB Draft All-Star Game MLB Pipeline Postseason History. When Miller and MLB Players Association counsel Dick Moss read the contract, they agreed with Hunters interpretation and sent written notice to Finley about the violation. There was no questioning, however, that Catfish meant every word he said. . Anyone can read what you share. Catfish broke the news of his possible departure to Tenace, Bando and Rudi that night over dinner with their wives. Dec. 31, 1974: Catfish Hunter, five . Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. One of the ironic parts of this story -- still such a huge story and turning point in baseball history -- is that even though it was the beginning of the way George Steinbrenner would also change baseball forever, Steinbrenner was suspended from the game at the time because of illegal contributions to the Richard Nixon presidential campaign (a felony for which he was eventually pardoned). But that is exactly what he did. Kluttz, who never earned more than $10,000 as a major league catcher, is a hunting companion of the pitcher in the offseason in North Carolina where both live. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Bio/Historical NotePen used by Jim "Catfish" Hunter to sign a five-year contract estimated at $3.75 million with the New York Yankees on December 31, 1974. Seitz took 20 days to announce his decision, and when he did it was groundbreaking. Tenace spent the ensuing days humming If I Were a Rich Man around the clubhouse. By Oct. 11 it was national news. Ordinarily, Paul could go directly to owner George Steinbrenner for approval, but the Boss had been suspended by Bowie Kuhn for making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and was temporarily banned from contact. Seizing the opportunity, the Owner brought MacPhail into the clubhouse, where he found Hunter and offered him a check for the outstanding $50,000 on his contract. Without its ace, Finleys As would fall to last place by 1977. Finleys bombardment peaked in August. Regal. According to Paul, the Yankees signed Hunter last night rather than wait until 1975 on the advice of Greenwald, their tax lawyer. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Select from premium Catfish Hunter of the highest quality. If we win in the courts and the Yankees have played him prior to our winning, the Yankees certainly will be in for tremendous damages.. Posed action on the mound of James "Catfish" Hunter of the New York Yankees, 1976. 1968 May 08. He exemplified class and dignity and he taught us how to win. It was clear he was not buying Finley's story, when Charlie said he knew nothing about this and claimed he did not understand the deferred payments.. Hertford and Ahoskie had never seen anything like it and now the Yankees hope Hunter will help them see the things they always used to seepennants. The first team to make an offer, the Cleveland Indians, opened with $2.4 million over 10 years. (Hunter wished to have such an annuity in lieu of immediate salary for tax reasons. Hunter retired at age 33 following the 1979 season, after developing persistent arm problems, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987. At first the Owner didnt respond. [2], In 1990, Hunter was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. [24] He left the game with a bruised foot and was eventually placed on the 21-day disabled list with the injury, not pitching again until May5. After a dispute over a technicality in his contract with Oakland A's owner, Charles O. Finley, Hunter had become the first free agent in baseball's modern era. Ill give you the money, and we can go try to win the World Series. Catfish, heeding Cherrys advice, turned him down. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. The Yankees won three straight pennants with Hunter from 1976 to 1978. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. "[42] Former teammate Lou Piniella said, "Catfish was a very unique guy. (Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) This was standard language found in every uniform player contract, placed there 40 years earlier by the owners themselves to provide a reasonable buffer against default claims. In You, Me and Dupree, Catfish Hunter is mentioned by Owen Wilson's character, Dupree, convincing an Asian orchestra student that he can pitch: "First, call me Dupree 'cause I'm your teammate. "How a contract breach led Catfish Hunter to become baseball's first real free agent", "Catfish forever altered economics of sports", "Catfish selects Yankees, Pirates offer short $ $", "Hunter ruling stands but Finley to appeal", "Yearly League Leaders & Records for Complete Games", "Blue Jays Beat Yanks; Hunter on Disabled List", "Catfish Hunter still planning on retirement", "Hunter regains consciousness after fall", "Ace pitcher and baseball's first free-agent star", "Hunter Is Buried in the Town Where He Learned Baseball", "Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center & Jim "Catfish" Hunter Museum", The ALS Association Jim "Catfish" Hunter Chapter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catfish_Hunter&oldid=1136285306, May 13,1965,for theKansas City Athletics, September 17,1979,for theNew York Yankees, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 16:54. The following is excerpted fromDynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finleys Swingin As. [2][9][10] Hunter recalled being scared after he was declared a free agent. Asked if Hunter's high salary would affect the morale of the other players, Paul said, The morale of the club is helped when you add a man of Hunter's status. As soon as the season ended Hunter raced home to arrange for a second loan to cover the first, but gave up when a boundary-line dispute delayed the proceedings. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. [25][26], Arm injuries plagued Hunter beginning in 1978. Seitz was a perceptive, acute man. The following winter, Seitz declared them to be free agents, effectively ending the reserve clause and bringing about the first free agent player draft on Nov 4, 1976. Catfish Hunter Contract pen. The race was on. James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter played for championship teams in both Oakland and New York, finding success wherever he went. On Feb. 11, 1974, Hunter agreed with Finley on a two-year deal at $100,000 peronly the second multiyear contract the Owner ever awarded. Second, so what if you're in the orchestra? Notably absent from the proceedings was George Steinbrenner, the Yankee general partner who is forbidden from participating in Yankee affairs under terms of his twoyear suspension from baseball following his conviction for illegal political contributions. On the way I did a rough draft of the contract and he signed the draft three hours later. But after making such fine history in Oakland -- in the Fall Classics and with four straight 20-win seasons -- Hunter made a different kind of history off the field in New York on New Years Eve, where the big news on that night wasnt just a ball dropping in Times Square. I believe there was a higher offer, but no matter how much money offered, if you want to be a Yankee, you dont think about it.. When we started winning in Oakland, Cat was the father of those teams, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson said. The money Hunter made when he signed that night at the Yankees old offices in the Parks Administration Building (in Flushing, Queens, of all places) seems quaint in comparison to the money modern free agents now make. Clyde never lied to me then and he never lied to me now, said Hunter, who has won 88 games in the last four seasons while helping pitch the A's to three consecutive World Series championships. Such was the Owners myopia that he refused to acknowledge that his actions in recalling the loan undid any goodwill that may have previously been fostered. While Paul and Flythe made travel preparations for New York, Greenwald was already on his way to the airport in Cleveland to charter a plane to North Carolina. . Only a portion of NBHFM's collection is currently online and the information presented here is subject to updates and additions based on research and imaging activities. Please email us if you have further information on the rights status of an image contrary to or in addition to the information in our records. Jim (Catfish) Hunter signed a fiveyear contract estimated at $3.75million with the New York Yankees last night, ending the most celebrated bidding war in American sports history. You started our success, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told Hunter upon the pitchers induction to the Hall of Fame in 1987.