Catfish Hunter

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Lore & Background

On Wednesday, May 8, 1968, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Catfish Hunter pitched the ninth perfect game in baseball history against the Minnesota Twins. It was the first regular season perfect game in the American League in 46 years, since Charlie Robertson's in 1922, and the first no-hitter by an Athletics pitcher since Bill McCahan in 1947. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh; Hunter himself 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. He disagreed with only two of catcher Jim Pagliaroni's pitch-calling decisions, and rewarded Pagliaroni with a gold watch inscribed on back. Hunter's 1974 season was his finest: he went 25–12 with a league-leading 2.49 ERA, winning the Cy Young Award as the A's won their third consecutive World Series. Hunter never lost a World Series game while with the Athletics. He won 161 games for the A's — 131 in seven seasons in Oakland and 30 in his first three seasons in Kansas City.

In Their Own Story

The night air hung heavy over the Coliseum as Catfish stepped onto the mound against the Twins on May 8, 1968. The crowd was a sea of green, silent in anticipation. He adjusted his cap, the brim shielding his eyes from the glare of the stadium lights. With a deep breath, he wound up and delivered the pitch. It was just another strikeout in a night where nothing would get through him, a perfect memory etched into the history books before the final out. After the game, Hunter showed his appreciation for catcher Jim Pagliaroni, who called the game, by giving him a gold watch with an inscription on the back — a token of gratitude for disagreeing with only two of Pagliaroni's pitch selections all night.

Reader's Guide

Catfish Hunter stands as a pillar of the Oakland Athletics' greatest era during the early 1970s dynasty. Known for his remarkable control and consistency, Hunter dominated American League hitters throughout his tenure in the Bay Area. His crowning achievement came on May 8, 1968, when he threw the ninth perfect game in baseball history against the Minnesota Twins. It was the first regular season perfect game in the American League in 46 years. That same season, Hunter also contributed offensively, getting three hits and driving in three runs in his perfect game. In 1974, Hunter went 25–12 with a league-leading 2.49 earned run average, earning both the American League Cy Young Award and The Sporting News's "Pitcher of the Year" award. Hunter won 161 games for the Athletics — 131 in seven seasons in Oakland and 30 in his first three seasons in Kansas City. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and his Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap, as he declined to choose between the Athletics and Yankees.

Did You Know?

• Hunter pitched the ninth perfect game in baseball history on May 8, 1968, against the Minnesota Twins — the first regular season perfect game in the American League in 46 years.
• In his perfect game, Hunter got three hits and drove in three of Oakland's four runs, including a squeeze bunt in the seventh inning.
• Hunter rewarded catcher Jim Pagliaroni with a gold watch inscribed on back for disagreeing with only two of his pitch-calling decisions during the perfect game.
• Hunter won 161 games for the Athletics — 131 in seven seasons in Oakland and 30 in his first three seasons in Kansas City.
• Hunter's Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap because he declined to choose between the Athletics and Yankees, speaking highly of both organizations.