Jim "Carfish" Hunter was a high school star who almost lost his chance at the big leagues when he shot part of his foot off in a hunting accident. In 1968 he threw a perfect game for Oakland, and he won 20 games five straight times. A durable staff workhorse, Hunter pitched a decade without missing a start. Despite winning just 40 games after the age of 30, Hunter was named to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
Teams Catfish Hunter Played For
Kansas City Athletics (1965-1967) Oakland Athletics (1968-1974) New York Yankees (1975-1979)
Best Season: 1972 Hunter posted a 21-7 mark with a 2.04 ERA in 37 starts. He surrendered exactly 200 hits in 295 1/3 innings, and hurled five shutouts. Right-handed batters hit .173 against him, while lefties hit .208. He was 5-0 in July, with a 1.40 ERA in six starts. Of his 37 starts, 30 were quality starts (at least six innings and three or fewer earned runs).
Factoids Catfish Hunter is the only starting pitcher to be in the rotation for two teams that won three straight pennants: the 1972-1974 A's, and the 1976-1978 Yanks.
American League Pitching Leaders (1967-1976) Wins
Catfish Hunter... 184
Mickey Lolich... 155
Jim Palmer... 154
Wilbur Wood... 146
Luis Tiant... 146
ERA (min. 1,500 IP)
Jim Palmer... 2.49
Bert Blyleven... 2.80
Vida Blue... 2.80
Gaylord Perry... 2.83
Wilbur Wood... 2.93
Mel Stottlemyre... 2.96
Catfish Hunter... 2.99
Games Started
Catfish Hunter .. 370
Mickey Lolich... 338
Joe Coleman... 321
Jim Kaat... 301
Fritz Peterson... 298
WHIP* (min. 1,500 IP)
Catfish Hunter... 9.87
Gaylord Perry... 9.92
Jim Palmer... 10.2
Vida Blue... 10.2
Bert Blyleven... 10.3
*WHIP = walks plus hits, divided by innings, multiplied by nine. Represents the number of runners the pitcher allows via hit or walk per nine innings.
Born James Augustus Hunter was born on April 8, 1946, in Hertford, NC.
Died September 9, 1999, Hertford, NC
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: OAK
Major League Debut May 13, 1965 ... Hunter came on in relief and struck out Chicago's Ken Berry, the first batter he faced in the big leagues.
Jim Hunter wasn't known as "Catfish" until he was signed by A's owner Charlie Finley. While talking to Hunter one day, Finley told the youngster he needed a catchy nickname. On the spot, Finley concoted a story that Hunter had caught a large catfish when he was a boy, earning him the nickname. Jim Hunter repeated that story and the nickname stuck.
No-Hitter
5/8/1968: For OAK (A) vs. MIN (A), 4-0 at OAK. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1971 American League Championship Series
1972 World Series
1972 American League Championship Series
1973 American League Championship Series
1973 World Series
1974 American League Championship Series
1974 World Series
1976 American League Championship Series
1976 World Series
1977 World Series
1978 American League Championship Series
1978 World Series
Post-Season Notes Hunter appeared in 12 of the 16 post-season series played in the American League from 1971-1978. He was on the winning side 10 times.
Awards and Honors
1974 AL Cy Young
Feats On May 8, 1968 against Minnesota, Hunter pitched the AL's first regular-season perfect game in 46 years.
Milestones
September 19, 1976: 200th Win...
Pitching Feats
, 1973: ...
Transactions June 8, 1964: Signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent; December 16, 1974: Granted Free Agency; December 31, 1974: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
All-Star Selections
1966 AL
1967 AL
1970 AL
1972 AL
1973 AL
1974 AL
1975 AL
1976 AL
Replaced Moe Drabowsky, who went into the bullpen in 1965 for Kansas City.
Replaced By Hunter was in and out of the Yankee rotation in 1979, suffering from arm troubles all season. Jim Beattie picked up most of his starts when Hunter was out.
Best Strength as a Player Hunter performed brilliantly late in the season. His career ERA in August and September was 2.93, well below his career ERA in the other months (3.43).
Largest Weakness as a Player Hunter twice led the AL in home runs allowed.
