Catfish Hunter (1987)


Date of Birth: 4/8/1946
Date of Death: 9/9/1999
Birthplace: Hertford, North Carolina

Catfish Hunter played both football and baseball in high school. He was both a shortstop and a pitcher for the baseball team. He signed with the Kansas City Athletics in June, 1964. That year, he played in the Florida Instructional League.

Kansas City/Oakland Athletics

Hunter pitched for the Athletics from 1965 through 1974. In his first season with the Athletics, Hunter pitched in 32 games with an 8-8 record, 82 strikeouts to 46 walks, and a 4.26 ERA. The following season, he had a 4.02 ERA, 9 wins and 11 losses, and 103 strikeouts to 64 walks in 176.2 innings in 30 games.

Hunter had a strong season in 1967, finishing with a 2.81 ERA in 259.2 innings in 35 games. He had 13 wins and 17 losses and a career high 196 strikeouts to 84 walks.

On May 8, 1968, Hunter pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins. He finished the 1968 season with 13 wins and 13 losses, 172 strikeouts to 69 walks, and a 3.35 ERA in 234.0 innings in 36 games. He had similar numbers in 1969, with 12 wins and 15 losses, 150 strikeouts to 85 walks, and a 3.35 ERA in 247.0 innings in 38 games.

Hunter had 18 wins to 14 losses in 1970, but his ERA jumped up to 3.81. He pitched 262.1 innings in 40 games and he struck out 178 batters and walked 74.

Hunter had strong seasons in 1971 and 1972. He had 21 wins in both seasons and ERAs under 3.00. In 1971, he had 181 strikeouts to 80 walks and a 2.96 ERA in 273.2 innings in 37 games. His ERA dropped to a career low of 2.04 in 1972. He finished that season with 191 strikeouts to 70 walks in 295.1 innings in 38 games.

Hunter again had 21 wins in 1973 (to 5 losses), but his ERA went up to 3.34. He struck out 124 batters and walked 69 in 256.1 innings in 36 games.

In his last season with the Athletics, Hunter won the American League Cy Young award. He also led the league in wins and ERA that season, pitching in 41 games with a career high 25 wins to 12 losses, 143 strikeouts to 46 walks, and an ERA of 2.49. He won the AL Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1974.

New York Yankees

Hunter signed with the New York Yankees in 1975 after having a contract dispute with the owner of the Athletics, Charles Finley. At the time, the Yankees paid him the highest salary for any pitcher in the major leagues. In his first season with the Yankees, Hunter led the American League in wins, innings pitched, and complete games. He finished the 1975 season with 23 wins and 14 losses, 177 strikeouts to 83 walks, 30 complete games, and a 2.58 ERA in a career high 328.0 innings in 39 games.

Hunter pitched in 36 games in 1976, and he finished the season with 17 wins and 15 losses, 173 strikeouts to 68 walks, and a 3.53 ERA in 298.2 innings. The following year, he pitched in just 22 games and he had a 4.71 ERA. He ended his career with a 3.58 ERA in 21 games in 1978, and a 5.31 ERA in 19 games in 1979.

Awards and MLB Records

  • AL Cy Young award
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award
  • Led the AL in wins (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Hunter in 15 seasons (1965-1979) in the major leagues include:

  • 5 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 25 in 1974
  • 8 seasons with 150 or more strikeouts, with a high of 196 in 1967
  • 5 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.04 in 1972

Career pitching statistics for Hunter include:

  • 500 games played
  • 3,449.1 innings pitched
  • 224-166 win-loss record
  • 2,012 strikeouts to 954 walks
  • 3.26 ERA

Postseason statistics for Hunter include:

  • 7 postseasons
  • 22 games played
  • 129.0 innings pitched
  • 9-6 win-loss record
  • 1 save
  • 70 strikeouts to 35 walks
  • 3.35 ERA

Post Playing Years

Hunter was diagnosed with diabetes in 1978, and he retired as a major league pitcher after the 1979 season.

Hunter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987 on the third ballot with 76.3% of the vote.

In the winter of 1997-1998, Hunter was diagnosed with ALS. He died on September 9, 1999, at the age of 53.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Catfish Hunter
ESPN - Catfish Hunter
Baseball Reference - Catfish Hunter

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