As soon as the season ended Hunter raced home to arrange for a second loan to cover the first, but gave up when a boundary-line dispute delayed the proceedings. (1968-74). He won 21 games in each of the previous three seasons while losing only 23, giving him a fouryear record of 88 victories and 35 defeats. That is exactly how Cherry wrote the addendum: $50,000 per year, to be paid at regular intervals through the season, and $50,000 disbursed to an entity of Hunters choosing. Copyright 2017 by Jason Turbow. There was no hiding it now. 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. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 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. Hunter was by that time among baseball's best. 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. But he told great stories. This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Finley was on the hook for the outstanding $50,000, plus interest, for Hunters services in 1974, and because he had not fulfilled the players contract, it was theretofore terminated. Read more. Ring out the old. 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. View Catfish Hunter's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). 555 N. Central Ave. #416 [39] His number 27 was retired by the Oakland Athletics in a pre-game ceremony on June 9, 1991, the first in the franchise's 90 year history.[38][40]. September 17, 1979 This placed more strain on the financial reserves of Charles O. Finley & Company than anticipated. By days end the Red Sox had upped it to $3 million over five. 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. The benefit to Finley was that he got to hold on to the money in the interim, earning interest on it all the while. (California Angels owner) Gene Autry came down here handing out records of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hunter said. You have breakfast with that boy tomorrow morning, she insisted. 1968 May 08. There is no way that New York would have caught Boston during that unforgettable summer, or go on to win its second World Series title in a row, without Hunter pitching the way he did down the stretch. 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. The difference with Hunters stipulation was that the Owner wouldnt have the money at allthe annuity would. inHertford,NC, Buried: It seemed for a moment that the midnight deadline might come and go. Born: The Yankees won three straight pennants with Hunter from 1976 to 1978. in Hertford, NC Find the amount of the annual salary payments. Hunter signed with the Yankees for $3.75 million over five years, proving that a market for veteran free . 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. After the designated hitter was adopted by the American League in 1973, Hunter had only two plate appearances in his final seven seasons, with one base hit in 1973. Steinbrenner? On September 5, 2018, Hunter was inducted into the Oakland Athletics first Hall of Fame class, with wife, Helen, there to receive the honor. Hunter, a major leaguer for 10 years, tied for the most victories, in the majors last season with 25. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Finley attempted to have the arbitration ruling overturned,[17] but was unsuccessful after several appeals. This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. [25][26], Arm injuries plagued Hunter beginning in 1978. In that moment, Hunter -- one of the great pitchers of his time -- became baseballs first free agent. By the end of the 1974 season, Jim "Catfish" Hunter was the ace on baseball's best team. Pen has two white stripes running down the length of the pen, one on each side. When Miller and MLB Players Association counsel Dick Moss read the contract, they agreed with Hunters interpretation and sent written notice to Finley about the violation. All rights reserved. I cant see how anyone can say hes a free agent. The trouble with that logic was that Hunter, like any employee in any profession, was entitled to the terms of his contract, and accepting a check for which hed have to pay taxes was not within those terms. I offer him the money and he wont take it.. The Red Sox, Angels, Pirates and Mets had outside chances. The New York Yankees signed Hunter to a five-year, $3,750,000 contract.) Union leader Marvin Miller, meanwhile, sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, seeking official recognition of Hunters free agency. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Hunters contract with the As was straightforward. What position did Catfish Hunter play? Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. In 1975, pitchers Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith played without contracts. 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 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. Without its ace, Finleys As would fall to last place by 1977. (12 x $4,166.67 = $50,000.04. Thats more money than we wanted to pay, he exuded, but well do it., There was only one catch. After a bidding war that included nearly every MLB team, the Yankees and Catfish Hunter ink a five-year/$3.75 million contract. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. He also won four times without losing in the World Series. That was the day that Jim "Catfish" Hunter left the Oakland A's after an arbitrator named Peter Seitz ruled that the A's had violated Hunter's contract by not paying him money he was owed. Supposedly, Finley was upset about having to pay an additional $25,000 in taxes, but that amount of money would soon become . Kluttz, who never earned more than $10,000 as a major league catcher, is a hunting companion of the pitcher in the offseason in North Carolina where both live. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. 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. He was a man of honor. 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. During his first season with the team, hewent home with 23wins. A trip to Cooperstown has something for baseball fans and everyone else. This time they're confident Finley won't beat them, but, Paul added, The courts take precedence over everything. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Hegrew up on a farm and excelled in a variety of sports at Perquimans County High School. Hadnt the Owner been the one to personally scout him in the backwoods of Hertford, N.C.? Can I live in New York City? Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. For this reason, he declined to choose a team; accordingly, his plaque depicts him with no logo on his cap. A contract to play for the As in 1975, he said, would be arriving shortly. 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. On its surface, this seemed like a boon for him. Bitter feelings from that exchange stayed with the pitcher for a long time, and informed his future actions. 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). All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. What about the five grand he gave him for pitching a perfect game, or the cost of a new Cadillac for winning 21 in 1971? when his unfortunate suspension was invoked, Paul said of Steinbrenner, he told men, any time you have an opportunity to buy the contract of a player for cash, I want you to go ahead whenever, in your judgment, it would be advantageous to the Yankees.. Before seeing Cherry, however, he stopped at the Tomahawk Motel to meet Kluttz for a cup of coffee. A souvenir Yankees cap was propped atop Hunters head, and out he went, smiling, to face the crowd. 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. Jim "Catfish" Hunter helped the Yankees to three American League pennants and two World Series titles after leaving the Athletics following the 1974 season. Early speculation said that it might take as much as $1 million to lock him up. [41] An annual softball event is held in Hertford in memory of Hunter. An arbitration hearing took place on Nov. 26 in New York. My favorite player of all time. I told him, I don't want it that way. Kluttz was no fan of the urban environment, but there were places on the outskirts with space to breathe. (Age 19-035d, Only an hour after the World Series ended, even as Oakland players celebrated in their clubhouse, the union filed two grievancesone against Finley for breach of contract, another against Kuhn and Major League Baseball for failure to declare Hunter a free agent. background-color:#ba3434; Jim "Catfish" Hunter holds Yankee emblem after signing multi-million dollar contract. Hunter admitted he was partially stunned when he learned of Seitzs ruling. Dec. 31, 1974: Catfish Hunter, five . Kluttz talked about the rabid fan base and increased opportunities in the countrys largest media market. You started our success, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told Hunter upon the pitchers induction to the Hall of Fame in 1987. . Hunter is mentioned in the 1976 film The Bad News Bears. The courts agreed, refusing Finleys plea at two levels of the judiciary. But on Dec. 31, 1974 the future Hall of Famer traded in his bright yellow As uniform for Yankee pinstripes, after a dispute over a technicality in his contract with As owner Charles O. Finley.