May 13, 1965 James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). He even suggested mediating the dispute himself, which Miller countered with a clause in the Basic Agreement mandating an impartial arbitrator for contract disputes between players and owners. 221 Catfish Hunter Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Day trip or a week-long adventure. Catfish Hunter Contract pen - Works - eMuseum PDF State of Michigan Department of Management and Budget Acquisition Every effort has been made to accurately determine the rights status of images. Hunter, Catfish | Baseball Hall of Fame [16] New York was closer to his home in North Carolina and the team played on natural grass. Hunter probably didnt think he was changing the world because an arbitrator ruled in his favor. The turning point in the negotiations came early yesterday afternoon when, after a conference call with the various parties involved, Edward Greenwald, one of nearly 20 owners of the Yankees, flew from his office in Cleveland to pick up Hunter and his lawyers. In the Dodger Stadium press box, the agent laid it all out for the assembled media, adding that Hunter was not talking because his focus was on the World Series. Put it into a life insurance annuity, he said, which could be cashed in for additional income once Hunters baseball career ended. The benefit to this arrangement was that instead of being in a high tax bracket in 1974, Hunter would be taxed later on, when he was effectively unemployed and on the hook for a smaller amount. Hadnt he showered him with a $75,000 signing bonus? The catfish fish (under the chicken) was fried to perfection and seasoned well. Seitz took 20 days to announce his decision, and when he did it was groundbreaking. Hunter was afraid his career might be over in the summer of 1978, because of shoulder problems. The A's also won their third consecutive World Series. And when it came time for the American League's 1974 Cy Young Award winner to make his choice, he was swayed not by the money but by Kluttz's involvement and the Yankee image. (California Angels owner) Gene Autry came down here handing out records of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hunter said. 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. Tasked to make sense of it was a three-person panel. Catfish Hunter - Society for American Baseball Research Experts are tested by Chegg as specialists in their subject area. After a bidding war that included nearly every MLB team, the Yankees and Catfish Hunter ink a five-year/$3.75 million contract. The votes of the first two membersMiller, on behalf of the players, and John Gaherin, the owners chief negotiatorcanceled each other out. In the midst of the mayhem, the phone rang. In obtaining Hunter, the Yankees immeasurably improved their chances for winning their first pennant since 1964. Anyone can read what you share. Later he offered a bevy of excuses, including that the paperwork was lost. Catfish Hunter's New Year's Eve signing changed baseball They drove up to a little landing strip in Suffolk, Va., and we landed in New York at 5:30. : It is my opinion that Hunter still belongs to the A's. Hunter was effectively pitching for half the money for which he signed. This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. [2][3][30] A month before his death, Hunter fell and hit his head on concrete steps at home. You talk to him once more. So Kluttz did exactly that. . His older brothers taught him to pitch,[2] and his pitching skill began to attract scouts from MLB teams to Hertford. Hollowell was best friends with the young Jim Hunter while they grew up together. [7] He made his major league debut in May, and earned his first win on July 27 in Fenway Park over the Boston Red Sox. Pittsburgh offered $3.75 million for five years, plus, among other perks, limited partnership in five new Wal-Mart stores. [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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Just walking into Yankee Stadium chills, run through you. Hunter has been the subject of multiple popular culture references. For this reason, he declined to choose a team; accordingly, his plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap. Hunter eventually pitched in three World Series for the Yankees, after winning three straight championships with the As from 1972-74, before coming to New York. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Im sure that he will be with us next season. Privately, he was less reticent. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. If you have corrections or additional information about this object, please email research@baseballhall.org to help improve our records. [2][30], While with the Yankees, Hunter was a resident of Norwood, New Jersey, preferring to live outside of New York City. Hunter continued to win games, and in 1974 received both The Sporting News's "Pitcher of the Year" award and the American League Cy Young Award after going 2512 with a league-leading 2.49 earned run average. Ill give you the money, and we can go try to win the World Series. Catfish, heeding Cherrys advice, turned him down. Catfish Hunter played 15 seasons. The first team to make an offer, the Cleveland Indians, opened with $2.4 million over 10 years. News. . Hunter went 0-4 in his seven starts that month. Project Manager - CONTRACT/HYBRID - LinkedIn Jim "Catfish" Hunter holds Yankee emblem after signing multi-million dollar contract. The following is excerpted fromDynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finleys Swingin As. On a personal level, Finley could not understand Hunters ingratitude. Furthermore, he was joining an organization that was hungry to regain its former glory. That was the biggest thing that ever came to Ahoskie (N.C.).. [36] Hunter is interred at Cedarwood Cemetery in Hertford, adjacent to the field where he played high school baseball. The youngest son of eight children, Hunter was born and raised in Hertford in northeast North Carolina. Finleys bombardment peaked in August. 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. I told him, I don't want it that way. Hunter, Kluttz, and a coterie of lawyers from Cherrys office met Greenwalds plane at the Suffolk Airport in Virginia, some 45 minutes away. 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. Read more. In the last World Series, he said, I had a card in my locker that said, Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is. I always want to win.. That kind of financial outlay required the Yankees to squeeze every penny they could from the contract, and for tax purposes it made sense to put the deal on their 1974 books. Before baseball adopted its freeagent draft, major league clubs competed for young prospects and frequently paid upwards of $100,000. He was a man of loyalty. Union leader Marvin Miller, meanwhile, sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, seeking official recognition of Hunters free agency. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store / Restaurant #221 of 1276 places to eat in Lansing. Join our linker program. CREATIVE. Catfish Hunter signs free agent contract with New York Yankees In 2019, MLB's revenues were $10.7 billion, the average player's salary $4.43 million. Please note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. Finley attempted to have the arbitration ruling overturned,[17] but was unsuccessful after several appeals. Hunter came back to the Yankees that July, when they were still 13 games behind the Red Sox in the American League East. I offer him the money and he wont take it.. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these, Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finleys Swingin As. Lets get this out of the way, he told the pitcher. The two men went to Cherrys office, where one of the attorneys partners, Joe Flythe, called Paul with details of the contractual benchmarks that could seal the deal. from the SABR BioProject, More Catfish Hunter Pages at Baseball Reference. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. That was the day that Jim "Catfish" Hunter left the Oakland A's after an arbitrator named Peter Seitz ruled that the A's had violated Hunter's contract by not paying him money he was owed. The benefit to Finley was that he got to hold on to the money in the interim, earning interest on it all the while. Catfish Hunter signs free agent contract with New York Yankees, https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. If you have corrections or additional information about this object, please email research@baseballhall.org to help improve our records. In that instance, Finley was successful in foiling the Yankee effort. Catfish Hunter left the Athletics via free agency following the 1974 season and signed with the Yankees. . BASEBALL NOTEBOOK; The Night Hunter Made History Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 1:04PM. Just walking into Yankee Stadium, chills run through you. All rights reserved. The deal makes him the highest paid player in baseball . Did your lawyer, Mr. Cherry, give Finley official notice of the contract breach?, Did the 10-day period [as stipulated in the contract] pass after Finley received the letter?. Amanda responds by asking, "Who's he?" There was no questioning, however, that Catfish meant every word he said. Find Catfish Hunter stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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. Hunter's contract with the A's was straightforward. I was in my office for half a day and I was wearing a sweat shirt, related Greenwald, a leading tax attorney. Kluttz was no fan of the urban environment, but there were places on the outskirts with space to breathe. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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.. Hunter tried to arrange alternative financing through multiple banks in North Carolina, but without showing up in person it couldnt be done. I believe there were higher offers, Hunter said after signing his contract, but no matter how much money was offered, if you want to be a Yankee, you dont think about it.. All because the quiet man from Hertford, N.C., didnt legally belong to anybody after it was ruled that he could leave Charlie Finleys As and make his own choices about where he wanted to pitch next. Steinbrenner? In 1976, Hunter was also the subject of the Bobby Hollowell song "The Catfish Kid (Ballad of Jim Hunter)", which was performed by Big Tom White and released on a 45 RPM single. How about my wife? asked Catfish. If it hadn't been for him, the Yankees would've had a little more trouble signing me.. when his unfortunate suspension was invoked, Paul said of Steinbrenner, he told men, any time you have an opportunity to buy the contract of a player for cash, I want you to go ahead whenever, in your judgment, it would be advantageous to the Yankees.. FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, Sports Illustrated, Jason Turbow/Sports Illustrated, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Joseph Flythe, one of the attorneys from Ahoskie, N.C., said six other teamsPittsburgh, Los Angeles, Montreal, San Diego, Kansas City and Clevelandremained in the serious bidding until Hunter decided he wanted to join the Yankees. 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. The Red Sox, Angels, Pirates and Mets had outside chances. 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. The total. That was their signing of Dick Williams to manage the club after he resigned as manager of the A's with one year to go on his contract. Born: After Finley refused to make payment on the annuity after discovering he had to pay $25,000 in taxes which was due immediately, the breach of contract dispute was brought before an arbitration hearing on November 26, 1974. Hunter was by that time among baseballs best pitchers, with three straight 20-win seasons, three All-Star appearances in four years, and back-to-back top-five finishes in the Cy Young voting. You know Jim and he knows you. If he hadnt agreed to the arrangement, after all, it could hardly be valid. Starting with Catfish Hunter's landmark contract for the 1975 season, let's go back and find the pitchers who set the marks for highest total value contract. He lost 12 games and had a 2,49 earnedrun average. To be a Yankee is a thought in everyones head and mine, Hunter said. Cedarwood Cemetery, Hertford, NC, High School: Perquimans HS (Perquimans, NC), Debut: Catfish Hunter and his wife, Helen, live in the same house in the tiny town of Hertford, N.C., that they lived in 20 years ago. Hunter signed with the Yankees on a five-year, $3.25 million contract. 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. When you play with guys like that, you feel blessed."[42]. 12,369th in major league history) You started our success, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told Hunter upon the pitchers induction to the Hall of Fame in 1987. Bowie Kuhn said it was like giving a life sentence to a pickpocket, and imposed a moratorium on other teams negotiating with Hunter. The Yankees won three straight pennants with Hunter from 1976 to 1978. [32][33][34] Hunter noticed arm weakness while hunting in the winter of 19971998. So was Catfish Hunter.". Hunter admitted he was partially stunned when he learned of Seitzs ruling. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 As for the New York Mets, Flythe said: I informed Mr. Grant [M. Donald, the Mets board chairman] yesterday that his proposal was pretty far down the line and I wouldn't be calling him again unless he wanted to increase the offer.. "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. How a contract breach led Catfish Hunter to become baseball's first Hunter listened, and never spent a day in the minors. On the morning of the last day of the year Hunter drove to Ahoskie prepared to finalize a deal. . Just a year ago, the Yankees went through a devastating experience with another former Finley employe. Can I live in New York City? AKA James Augustus Hunter. - B-NY76-B (Doug McWilliams / National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), One thing worried me, Miller later reflected. When the 1974 season opened, Finley made the standard payments every two weeks as agreed. When we started winning in Oakland, Cat was the father of those teams, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson said. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. 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. He had just completed a stellar season, capturing the Cy Young Award after leading the American League in wins (25) and earned run average (2.49) and powering the Oakland Athletics to their third consecutive World Series title. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Round your answers to the nearest cent.) Andruw Jones Hall of Fame Classic Home Run Derby Autographed bat, Bob Feller Signing Contract with Hank Greenberg photograph, Babe Ruth and Jacob Ruppert at Contract Signing photograph, Philadelphia Phillies versus San Diego Padres scorecard, Chicago Cubs versus New York Yankees scorecard. "[42] Former teammate Lou Piniella said, "Catfish was a very unique guy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Seek out and celebrate your heroes, and explore online and in-person exhibits commemorating the history and impact of the game. Pen has two white stripes running down the length of the pen, one on each side. Explore the map and charts for more successful Flathead catfish fishing. When Kluttz called his wife, Wayne, from the airport to tell her that he and Paul were homeward bound, she surprised him with instructions to stay put. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Hunter had arm troubles in New York and was diagnosed with diabetes, and he only occasionally looked like the pitcher who had gone 88-35 over his final four seasons with the As. He sided with Hunter completely. That winter he sold 80 percent of the farm to a family friend for his initial $150,000 investment and sent the money to the Owner. The Royals weighed in with $137,500 per year for six years, money for the farm, college tuition for Hunters kids, and a figure that nearly got the pitcher to sign on the spot$50,000 a year for life. Finley.[5]. Finley remained bewildered, at least publicly. That left them about 12 hours to finalize things. In his first season in New York, Hunter led the American League with 23 wins and 328 innings pitched. I didn't realize the implications.. [4] Hunter was sent to the Mayo Clinic that year so that surgeons could work on his foot. From Catfish Hunter to Gerrit Cole - The history of MLB's - ESPN Peter Seitz, who declared Hunter free in a breach-of-contract . I hung up the phone, turned to my wife and said, We don't belong to anybody. I was scared. At Hunters salary$21,500 in 1969, $33,200 in 70it was a stretch, but worth it. That was the day that Jim "Catfish" Hunter left the Oakland As after an arbitrator named Peter Seitz ruled that the As had violated Hunters contract by not paying him money he was owed. [2][29] Hunter won 63 games in his five seasons with the Yankees. That was where the old scout shot the final arrow in his quiver. The New York Yankees signed Hunter to a five-year, $3,750,000 contract.) Born: 8-Apr-1946 Birthplace: Hertford, NC Died: 9-Sep-1999 Location of . Hunter and his team entertained between three and five clubs a day, 48 executives in all by the time things wrapped up. September 17, 1979 For the first time since the 1870s, a major league player was free to offer his services to the highest bidder. Hunter was by that time among baseball's best. He had a heck of a sense of humor. however, I hereby offer, without qualification, to purchase and own the annuity on your life as you requested on or about August 1, 1974.. That was a bunch of bull, because Charlie knows everything thats going on in this club. Ring out the old. Catfish Hunter, Who Pitched in 6 World Series for A's and Yankees, Dies Hunter's 200th win puts him in rare company - Baseball Hall of Fame Buttermaker asks, "Who do you think you are, Catfish Hunter?" By the end of the 1974 season, Jim Catfish Hunter was the ace on baseballs best team. Ahoskie, N.C., population 5,500, was the big city close to Hunters home in Hertford, about an hours drive to the northwest. [23] Hunter was also a competent hitter, with a career batting average of .226; in 1971 he hit .350 with 36 hits in 38 games. He asked Finley for a leave of absence between starts to pull something together, but his request was denied. Collections; . It was Padres GM Buzzie Bavasi, who had just received approval from owner Ray Kroc to increase his already enormous offer, worth $4.5 million, including cash, stock, and a McDonalds franchise. Remembering Yankees great Catfish Hunter, the somewhat-forgotten ALS Catfish Hunter - NNDB Catfish Hunter was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. A contract to play for the As in 1975, he said, would be arriving shortly. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. After the designated hitter was adopted by the . Still, he made it to the end of a contract that were remembering today, because that contract ought to be remembered. vs. CHW 2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: He won 21 games in each of the previous three seasons while losing only 23, giving him a fouryear record of 88 victories and 35 defeats. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. On its surface, this seemed like a boon for him. Kluttz, who visited Hunter along with Paul, was the former As scout who had been vital in steering the pitcher toward the As in the first place. Catfish Hunter Contract pen - Works - eMuseum Select from premium Catfish Hunter of the highest quality. Catfish had won 106 games over the previous five years and had just been voted the American Leagues best pitcher and was still only 28 years old. The images, titles, and descriptions are products of their time. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It's 10 pages long in my handwriting and I'm the only one who can read my writing., As Hunter sat calmly behind a desk in a blue longsleeved sport shirt, blue and black checked slacks and a blue Yankee cap, Paul, his new boss, explained that as late as 8 o'clock there were some areas [in the agreement] that could've killed the whole thing.. The irony of Kluttz's presence is that if he had accepted an offer to join the newly created major league scouting bureau late last season, he wouldn't have been available to help the Yankees with Hunter. He retired with appearances in six World Series and with five World Series championships. I asked [Finley] once why he only called me on the days I was due to pitch, but he said he didnt know when I was going to pitch, Hunter recalled. When Hunter claimed to become a free agent after the season, he had little idea whether it would actually come to pass. We need to calculate the future value of this. Those three seasons, 1972-74, ended with the A's as World Champions each time. There is no way that New York would have caught Boston during that unforgettable summer, or go on to win its second World Series title in a row, without Hunter pitching the way he did down the stretch. CREATIVE. [31], He returned to his farm in Hertford where he grew soybeans, corn, peanuts, and cotton, and was a spokesman for diabetes awareness. There was no hiding it now. For the duration of the flight, Greenwald, yellow legal pad in hand, drafted an addendum to the standard players contract, conferring with Hunters team every step of the way. Yankees Sign Up Catfish Hunter In Estimated $3.75Million Deal, https://www.nytimes.com/1975/01/01/archives/yankees-sign-up-catfish-hunter-in-estimated-375million-deal-hunter.html. [37], Along with Billy Williams and Ray Dandridge, Hunter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1987. While football, basketball and hockey have been subjected to costly bidding wars in the last 15 years because of the birth of competing leagues, baseball has never had that problem. Never complained or made excuses - just an under-rated big time pitcher. That was moment that George Steinbrenner became relevant to baseballs landscape, and that Charles O. Finley became an afterthought. When Finley rebuffed, Marvin Miller, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, seized the opportunity. In the movie Grumpier Old Men, an enormous and highly prized fish is named "Catfish Hunter" by the locals. We suppose that the first eleven of these were to be for $4,166.67, and the final payment was to be for four cents less. Hunter's five-year contract with the Yankees wasvalued at $3.35 million. [8] Twenty days later on December 16, arbitrator Peter Seitz decided in favor of Hunter, officially making him a free agent. [41] An annual softball event is held in Hertford in memory of Hunter. Kluttz signed Hunter to his first professional contract with the Kansas City A's in 1964. In 1975, pitchers Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith played without contracts. background-color:#ba3434; Data Provided By Early speculation said that it might take as much as $1 million to lock him up. Before seeing Cherry, however, he stopped at the Tomahawk Motel to meet Kluttz for a cup of coffee. I didn't have a job. [2][11][12][13][14] He had been courted by 23 of the 24 teams, including the A's but not the San Francisco Giants,[15] and refused higher offers from the San Diego Padres and the Kansas City Royals. Catfish Hunter joined the Yankees in 1975 after a contract breach made him a free agent following 10 seasons with the Athletics, including three as a teammate with Dave Hamilton (right). inHertford,NC, Buried: 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. [3] The song was later released by Dylan, Joe Cocker and Kinky Friedman. For more information or access to a high resolution reproduction (some fees may apply), contact: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Giamatti Research Center, research@baseballhall.org, 607-547-0330. He led the league in wins (23) for the second year in a row, and also led the league in innings pitched (328) and complete games (30) to finish second to Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Cy Young balloting. Catfish Hunter's 1974 baseball contract with the Oakland Athletics called for half of his $100,000 salary to be paid to a life insurance company of his choice for the purchase of a deferred annuity. Only an hour after the World Series ended, even as Oakland players celebrated in their clubhouse, the union filed two grievancesone against Finley for breach of contract, another against Kuhn and Major League Baseball for failure to declare Hunter a free agent. Find Catfish Hunter stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images.
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