Finleys bombardment peaked in August. After the designated hitter was adopted by the . The images, titles, and descriptions are products of their time. (12 x $4,166.67 = $50,000.04. . If the arbitrator sided with Hunter, the star pitchers contract could be voided. American, Southern, Vegetarian options $$$$ When Finley rebuffed, Marvin Miller, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, seized the opportunity. Telling the pitcher to lay low until the end of the season, the agent said that hed visit Cherry in North Carolina over the winter to work out details. We need to calculate the future value of this. Then, he underwent a 10-minute, non-surgical shoulder manipulation at the hands of Yankees team doctor Maurice Cowen. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Catfish Hunter - Baseball-Reference There was no indication what it was about. This time they're confident Finley won't beat them, but, Paul added, The courts take precedence over everything. Ring out the old. . Even less palatable for Finley was the discovery that about $25,000 in taxes was due immediately, and he would be the one paying them. But he told great stories. Catfish was leaning toward San Diego, although Cherry was still championing the Royals. [36] Hunter is interred at Cedarwood Cemetery in Hertford, adjacent to the field where he played high school baseball. Matt Kelly was the communications specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2004, the Oakland Athletics began the Catfish Hunter Award. Hunter signed with the Yankees on a five-year, $3.25 million contract. Ahoskie, N.C., population 5,500, was the big city close to Hunters home in Hertford, about an hours drive to the northwest. Before long the Owner denied having agreed to anything, claiming he never saw the wording appended by Cherry. 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. 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. That was where the old scout shot the final arrow in his quiver. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. In January 1970 Oakland As owner Charlie Finley loaned 23-year-old pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter $150,000 to buy a 485-acre farm adjacent to his existing property in North Carolina. This was standard language found in every uniform player contract, placed there 40 years earlier by the owners themselves to provide a reasonable buffer against default claims. Couldnt be worse than Finley, Kluttz reasoned, plus hes just as serious about winning. Finley argued that he believed the deal to involve deferred money, paid after the pitchers career endednot a sum due right away. According to the union, Hunter could proclaim himself a free agent as of Sept. 26, but he did not want to distract from Oaklands playoff push. The land was important to Hunter, who as a local farmer possessed innate understanding of its value. The Yankees won three straight pennants with Hunter from 1976 to 1978. Catfish Hunter signs free agent contract with New York Yankees, https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballhall?lang=en. One of the ironic parts of this story -- still such a huge story and turning point in baseball history -- is that even though it was the beginning of the way George Steinbrenner would also change baseball forever, Steinbrenner was suspended from the game at the time because of illegal contributions to the Richard Nixon presidential campaign (a felony for which he was eventually pardoned). Dont sign nothing else, Kluttz advised. (b) Suppose that the contracted payments had been made to the insurance company from April 16, 1974 through September 30, 1974, and that they accumulated at an annual effective interest rate of 6%. Catfish 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. [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. 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. 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. An arbitration hearing took place on Nov. 26 in New York. Catfish Hunter | Found a Grave In September, the pitcher turned to Washington attorney and agent Jerry Kapstein for help, and reported the pertinent details. Select from premium Catfish Hunter of the highest quality. News. Catfish Hunter Stats, Fantasy & News. They were talking about nearly $3.5 million over five years, and Paul needed help. 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. Video Film Room Hub Statcast MLB Network MLB Originals Podcasts. In 1966 and 1967, he was named to the American League All-Star team. Supposedly, Finley was upset about having to pay an additional $25,000 in taxes, but that amount of money would soon become . I cannot believe that Catfish would do this to me, he said. From Catfish Hunter to Gerrit Cole - The history of MLB's - ESPN The conflict was leaking out to the press by the time Finley, under pressure from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, finally offered Hunter the insurance payments in a lump sum. Hunter is mentioned in the 1976 film The Bad News Bears. On Feb. 11, 1974, Hunter agreed with Finley on a two-year deal at $100,000 peronly the second multiyear contract the Owner ever awarded. But the document in question was the only contract Hunter had. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in his early 50s, and died of the disease about a year after his diagnosis. Blue plastic ballpoint pen and cap. That was the biggest thing that ever came to Ahoskie (N.C.).. 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. Anyone can read what you share. 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. Jackson wanted New York and the stage of Yankee Stadium, the same as Hunter did before him. The race was on. So was Catfish Hunter.". Phone: 602.496.1460 All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Hunter played linebacker and offensive tackle in football as well as shortstop, cleanup batter, and pitcher in baseball. Hunter tried to arrange alternative financing through multiple banks in North Carolina, but without showing up in person it couldnt be done. Finley, he said, you pay it the way the contract reads, and everything will be just fine. Finley launched into histrionics, crying to MacPhail, What can I do? Union leader Marvin Miller, meanwhile, sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, seeking official recognition of Hunters free agency. 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. Catfish Hunter weighed 190 lbs (86 kg) when playing. In 1974, baseball was still operating under the reserve clause, which stipulated that a team retained complete control of a player unless he was given his unconditional release. From 1965 to 1979, he was a pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Cherry spent the summers middle months peppering Finley with letters seeking fulfillment. It would have priced the pitchers services at below half his current value, never mind inflation. Is Catfish Hunter in the Hall of Fame? 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. His attorney back home in North Carolina, J. Carlton Cherry, had advised him to defer some of it. BASEBALL NOTEBOOK; The Night Hunter Made History 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. Catfish Hunter, the Hall of Fame right-hander who helped pitch the Oakland A's and the Yankees to six pennants in the 1970's, hurled a perfect game and was part of an economic revolution in. 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. Not only had the period passed, Hunter said, but Finley never even bothered to respond. 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. Second, so what if you're in the orchestra? 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. Furthermore, he was joining an organization that was hungry to regain its former glory. It started with Catfish making $640,000 a year for five years. This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. If he hadnt agreed to the arrangement, after all, it could hardly be valid. Answer to Solved Given: $160.00 .qi = $1000 find 5221 More pre- PDF State of Michigan Department of Management and Budget Acquisition Project Manager - CONTRACT/HYBRID - LinkedIn Phoenix, AZ 85004 The ramifications of Hunters landmark contract, meanwhile, were felt outside the Bronx. Or write about sports? [41] An annual softball event is held in Hertford in memory of Hunter. Based on those facts, it would appear to me you will be a free agent, Kapstein said. Below you can see the analytics for Flathead catfish fishing in Michigan. [37], Along with Billy Williams and Ray Dandridge, Hunter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1987. [22] He also became only the fourth (and last) American League pitcher to win 20 games in a season for five consecutive seasons (19711975). A trip to Cooperstown has something for baseball fans and everyone else. Collections; . Steinbrenner? There was no questioning, however, that Catfish meant every word he said. well, they were breaking new ground. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Finley attempted to have the arbitration ruling overturned,[17] but was unsuccessful after several appeals. from the SABR BioProject, More Catfish Hunter Pages at Baseball Reference. For this reason, he declined to choose a team; accordingly, his plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap. That left them about 12 hours to finalize things. [32][33][34] Hunter noticed arm weakness while hunting in the winter of 19971998. background-color:#ba3434; Following the 1979 season and the end of his five-year contract, Hunter retired from baseball at age 33. 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. "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. He was credited by Steinbrenner as the cornerstone of the Yankees in their return to championship form. In 1976, Hunter won 17 games, led the Yankees in complete games and innings pitched, and was again named to the All-Star team. Discover one-of-a-kind artifacts and get lost in sweeping exhibitions that explore pivotal moments in the game and its impact far beyond the field. Hunter told hima five-year deal with 15 years of deferred money at $100,000 per season, plus college funds for his kids and a variety of perks to be determined. Seitz was a perceptive, acute man. Still, he made it to the end of a contract that were remembering today, because that contract ought to be remembered. On its surface, this seemed like a boon for him. By the time they reached New York it was 10 pages long and barely legible, owing to a bumpy trip. Catfish Hunter - Society for American Baseball Research Hunters case was brought before arbitrator Peter Seitz in December, and Finley claimed to be confused by the terms of Hunters contract. Dec. 31, 1974: Catfish. They both knew it was folly. Hunter's 200th win puts him in rare company - Baseball Hall of Fame All rights reserved. Joked Burke, Well, we wont have to worry about that, will we? [3] The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning; at the plate, Hunter got three hits and drove in three of Oakland's four runs with a squeeze bunt in the seventh and a bases-loaded single in the eighth.[6]. Catfish Hunter Contract pen. Hunter was the first pitcher since 1915 to win 200 games by age31. 12,369th in major league history) 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'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.. Read more. Contact SABR, LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==, LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==, 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, http://sabr.org/sites/default/files/CatfishHunter.JPG, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, lost Game Four in ten innings by the same score. 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. For reasons that remain nebulous to this day, Finley failed to make a $50,000 life insurance annuity payment on behalf of Jim "Catfish" Hunter, even though it was clearly stipulated in the ace pitcher's contract. Hunter became a free agent after Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley was found to be in breach of contract after he refused to pay $50,000 for an insurance annuity that was part of the pitcher's. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. It seemed for a moment that the midnight deadline might come and go. : It is my opinion that Hunter still belongs to the A's. The following is excerpted fromDynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finleys Swingin As. How many seasons did Catfish Hunter play? The Yankees' free agent pitcher trail: Catfish to Cole 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. You were the first to teach us how to win.. This was the highest ever at the time which also earned him immense fame. Hunters team claimed that Finley knew everything about the annuity arrangement from the beginning and willingly defaulted. Without its ace, Finleys As would fall to last place by 1977. The Yankees, trying to regain the glory that was theirs until the last decade, landed the 28yearold righthander, considered by many experts to be baseball's premier pitcher, with an assist from Clyde Kluttz, a club scout. Hunters contract with the As was straightforward. 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.. Put it into a life insurance annuity, he said, which could be cashed in for additional income once Hunters baseball career ended. Finley gave Hunter the nickname "Catfish" in 1965 because he thought his 19-year-old pitcher needed a flashy nickname. On September 5, 2018, Hunter was inducted into the Oakland Athletics first Hall of Fame class, with wife, Helen, there to receive the honor. Works - Hunter, Jim, 1946-1999 - People & Institutions - eMuseum Join our linker program. Before and after his induction, Hunter spoke highly of his experiences with both the Athletics and Yankees and his appreciation for both team owners, Charlie Finley and George Steinbrenner. Watch. Seitz took 20 days to announce his decision, and when he did it was groundbreaking. Hunter was by that time among baseball's best. [2][3][30] A month before his death, Hunter fell and hit his head on concrete steps at home. 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 Coach Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) is trying to get Amanda Wurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal) to pitch for his Little League team, Amanda makes a number of outlandish demands (such as imported jeans, modeling school and ballet lessons) as conditions for joining the team.