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Catfish Hunter, Fort Lauderdale Yankee Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Catfish Hunter, Fort Lauderdale Yankee Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Able to locate his pitches with pinpoint precision, "Catfish" Hunter (1946–1999) amassed an enviable record during his fifteen-year career in Major League Baseball. Born James Augustus Hunter in Hertford, North Carolina, he was nicknamed "Catfish" as a publicity ploy when he debuted with the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. In ten seasons with the team (three in Missouri and seven in Oakland, California), Hunter pitched the first regular-season perfect game in the American League since 1922; posted a 4-0 record in three consecutive World Series Championships (1972–74); and earned the Cy Young Award (1974).
When a contract dispute opened the door to free agency following the 1974 season, Hunter signed with the Yankees for $3.75 million -- a record-setting amount at the time. He helped lead the ballclub to two World Series Championships (1977; 1978) before retiring in 1979. An eight-time All-Star, Hunter was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.
Stephen Shore, 1978 |