In 1966 and 1967, he was named to the American League All-Star team. Pen 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. You know Jim and he knows you. 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. - B-NY76-B (Doug McWilliams / National Baseball Hall of Fame Library), One thing worried me, Miller later reflected. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Finley was there, as was American League president Lee MacPhail. . Lets get this out of the way, he told the pitcher. James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). }, Cronkite School at ASU Miller had been following the dispute closely, and recognized that Finleys breach of contract represented a chance to take Hunters case to a neutral arbitrator. If he hadnt agreed to the arrangement, after all, it could hardly be valid. Pen has two white stripes running down the length of the pen, one on each side. I thought it might be too drastic for an arbitrator.. In 2019, MLB's revenues were $10.7 billion, the average player's salary $4.43 million. Ahoskie, N.C., population 5,500, was the big city close to Hunters home in Hertford, about an hours drive to the northwest. Hegrew up on a farm and excelled in a variety of sports at Perquimans County High School. He was owed $100,000 total in 1974, with $50,000 to be paid to him directly from Finley and the remaining half to be issued in monthly payments on an insurance annuity. 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?. 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. One last time, Hunter was freed up in a different way. Tasked to make sense of it was a three-person panel. 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. September 17, 1979 In spring training, he was diagnosed with diabetes[27][28] and combined with his chronic arm trouble the disease began to sap Hunter's energy. Catfish Hunter was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1987. The Jim "Catfish" Hunter Memorial is located in Hertford. Cherry spent the summers middle months peppering Finley with letters seeking fulfillment. To be a Yankee is a thought in everyones head and mine, Hunter said. "[42] Former teammate Lou Piniella said, "Catfish was a very unique guy. (Voted by BBWAA on 315/413 ballots) But that is exactly what he did. There was no hiding it now. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The land was important to Hunter, who as a local farmer possessed innate understanding of its value. Pen 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. Hunter tried to arrange alternative financing through multiple banks in North Carolina, but without showing up in person it couldnt be done. The catfish fish (under the chicken) was fried to perfection and seasoned well. Hunter was the last major league pitcher to throw 30 complete games in a season. While playing for the Yankees, Catfish Huntercontinued to perform well. Recouping his loan to Hunter was among the Owners quickest paths to solvency. [18][19][20] Further details of Finley's history with Hunter gave the A's owner added negative publicity. I didn't have a job. Find Catfish Hunter stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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. I did everything I could to live up to the contract, but he still has not paid the money, Hunter told him. Finley's default on his contractual obligation led to Hunter's historic free agency. 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. Furthermore, he was joining an organization that was hungry to regain its former glory. Hunter's statistics while he was with the Athletics were impressive: four consecutive years with at least 20 wins, and four World Series wins without a loss. Although his contemporaries were earning much moreTom Seaver made $173,000 in 1974, and Steve Carlton $165,000Catfish had no way of knowing that. 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. In 1976, Hunter won 17 games, led the Yankees in complete games and innings pitched, and was again named to the All-Star team. Hunter listened, and never spent a day in the minors. Finley agreed. 12,369th in major league history) Youll be dead. It was not a good joke, and it continued to sour Hunter even after the Royals added $30,000 per year for the rest of Helen Hunters life as well. And the map shows spots in Michigan, where fishermen caught Flathead catfish. Hunter played linebacker and offensive tackle in football as well as shortstop, cleanup batter, and pitcher in baseball. In 2004, the Oakland Athletics began the Catfish Hunter Award. Find Catfish Hunter stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. As the room began to fill, the two sides were still finalizing details. 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. vs. CHW 2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER, Last Game: They both knew it was folly. Before seeing Cherry, however, he stopped at the Tomahawk Motel to meet Kluttz for a cup of coffee. I hung up the phone, Hunter said at the time when he learned of the ruling, and turned to my wife and said, We dont belong to anybody.. By the time they reached New York it was 10 pages long and barely legible, owing to a bumpy trip. 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. I told him, I don't want it that way. Two weeks after he won his arbitration, Hunter became the highest-paid player in baseball and highest-paid pitcher in history when he signed a five-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $3.35 million. Catfish was leaning toward San Diego, although Cherry was still championing the Royals. 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. Peter Seitz, who declared Hunter free in a breach-of-contract . For the first time since the 1870s, a major league player was free to offer his services to the highest bidder. 071B6200168 between THE STATE OF MICHIGAN and NAME & ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR / VENDOR VENDOR TELEPHONE CLIENT NETWORK SERVICES, INC. (CNSI) (301) 634-4600 702 King Farm Boulevard, 2nd Floor Rockville, MD 20850 Mr. B. Chatterjee, President [chatterjee@cns-inc.com](or) BUYER/CA Dale Reif Mr. Jaytee Kanwal, Chief Financial Officer (or) . When Hunter approached him with a solution to both their problemsa long-term contract at $200,000 per season, with a $200,000 bonusFinley rejected him outright and did not counter. Continuing his explanation of why he picked the Yankees, Hunter said, To be a Yankee is a thought in everyone's head and mine. Seitz was a perceptive, acute man. 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. . Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 1:04PM. "We don't belong to anybody", he told his wife.[2]. (Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) In September, the pitcher turned to Washington attorney and agent Jerry Kapstein for help, and reported the pertinent details. I dont know much about this, Jerry. Just a few months later, however, the Owner purchased the Memphis Pros of the American Basketball Association, supplementing the hockey team he had already acquired, the NHLs California Golden Seals. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He exemplified class and dignity and he taught us how to win. The votes of the first two membersMiller, on behalf of the players, and John Gaherin, the owners chief negotiatorcanceled each other out. 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. inHertford,NC, Buried: [35] He was unconscious for several days after the fall, but he had returned home from that hospitalization when he died. James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter played for championship teams in both Oakland and New York, finding success wherever he went. This placed more strain on the financial reserves of Charles O. Finley & Company than anticipated. My confidence grew as the hearing developed, Miller said. He was tired of the hour-long drive into Ahoskie, not to mention that the baseball season ended two months earlier and he hadnt so much as dusted off his hunting rifle. (Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) 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. If you have corrections or additional information about this object, please email research@baseballhall.org to help improve our records. 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. If he wasnt the Hunter of old, he was close enough. [8] Twenty days later on December 16, arbitrator Peter Seitz decided in favor of Hunter, officially making him a free agent. Kapstein heard about it just in time to hightail over to Dodger Stadium for Fridays workout. Finley, unwilling to consider anybodys terms but his own, refused. Hunter went 0-4 in his seven starts that month. So Yankees team president Gabe Paul was the point man in the negotiations. 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. Catfish Hunter signs free agent contract with New York Yankees, https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. April 8, 1946 The signing, announced at a New Year's Eve news conference, took place at the Yankee offices in the Parks Administration Building in Flushing, Queens, where intricate negotiations wound up after Hunter and his lawyers flew here from North Carolina earlier in the day. The deal makes him the highest paid player in baseball . (1968-74). Select from premium Catfish Hunter of the highest quality. Hunter, Jim, 1946-1999. By Oct. 11 it was national news. Find out more. You have breakfast with that boy tomorrow morning, she insisted. Early speculation said that it might take as much as $1 million to lock him up. When the 1974 season opened, Finley made the standard payments every two weeks as agreed. Hunter probably didnt think he was changing the world because an arbitrator ruled in his favor. That was where the old scout shot the final arrow in his quiver. Phone: 602.496.1460 When we started winning in Oakland, Cat was the father of those teams, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson said. [31], He returned to his farm in Hertford where he grew soybeans, corn, peanuts, and cotton, and was a spokesman for diabetes awareness. Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season, View Player Bio Ring in the new. Hunter's five-year contract with the Yankees wasvalued at $3.35 million. The difference with Hunters stipulation was that the Owner wouldnt have the money at allthe annuity would. Matt Kelly was the communications specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Thats more money than we wanted to pay, he exuded, but well do it., There was only one catch. [21] Hunter became known as baseball's "first big-money free agent".[2]. The total value of the pact sets a record for baseball. Order online. A contract to play for the As in 1975, he said, would be arriving shortly. 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. 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). Hunter admitted he was partially stunned when he learned of Seitzs ruling. He also won four times without losing in the World Series. An arbitration hearing took place on Nov. 26 in New York. [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. It seemed for a moment that the midnight deadline might come and go. Bio/Historical Note Pen 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. It was 47 years ago, New Years Eve of 1974, that baseball changed forever. I hung up the phone, turned to my wife and said, We don't belong to anybody. I was scared. After a bidding war that included nearly every MLB team, the Yankees and Catfish Hunter ink a five-year/$3.75 million contract. Do you have a sports website? But baseball had changed forever, years after a brave man named Curt Flood had his career end when he challenged the reserve clause all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. 1968 May 08. In the movie Grumpier Old Men, an enormous and highly prized fish is named "Catfish Hunter" by the locals. Amid the fervor for the pitchers services, he was supplicating himselfor coming as close to it as he knew how. Hunter wanted to make a decision by the next day, Dec. 31. He was credited by Steinbrenner as the cornerstone of the Yankees in their return to championship form. As a fellow North Carolinian, hed endeared himself to the Hunter family, earning extra points shortly after Hunter first signed when Finley tried to backtrack and get the teenager to agree to a second contractdated 1965 instead of 1964that would have allowed him to be sent to the minors without penalty owing to the expiration of the bonus baby rule. Hunter is mentioned in the 1976 film The Bad News Bears. 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. Earlier reports said Hunter ing the deciding vote, took the action after Hunter charged that Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland A's, had breached his 1974 contract by not paying $50,000 of his $100,000 salary on a deferred payment basis to an insurance company by the stipulated time. . in Hertford, NC This is a 12-month CONTRACT position with a possible extension . Show your love of the game and play a part in preserving past and ensuring the future of the Baseball Hall of Fame. On Dec. 16, Seitz formally upheld Hunters grievance but failed to mention the crucial out clause that would grant the pitcher freedom. Finleys bombardment peaked in August. [2][29] Hunter won 63 games in his five seasons with the Yankees. We need to calculate the future value of this. For this reason, he declined to choose a team; accordingly, his plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap. Catfish Hunter had 2,012 strikeouts over his career. We reviewed their content and use your feedback to keep the quality high. 30 Facts About Catfish Hunter | FactSnippet. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. CONTRACT NO. Kluttz talked about the rabid fan base and increased opportunities in the countrys largest media market. 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. 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. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1987. Catfish Hunter Stats, Fantasy & News. After a contract violation on an annuity by Finley in 1974, Catfish Hunter won arbitration in December and he was allowed to leave the Athletics as a free agent. Finley attempted to have the arbitration ruling overturned,[17] but was unsuccessful after several appeals. 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.. The race was on. He tells the managers who to pitch and when. Video Film Room Hub Statcast MLB Network MLB Originals Podcasts. 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. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. It was Catfish who, after being declared a free agent by an arbitrator in December 1974, was made baseball's highest-paid player by the New York Yankees. Read more. Hunter and his team entertained between three and five clubs a day, 48 executives in all by the time things wrapped up. I was in my office for half a day and I was wearing a sweat shirt, related Greenwald, a leading tax attorney. There were two flaws to this argument. Once that buffer expired, however. He had a heck of a sense of humor.
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