On This Date in Sports May 8, 1968
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Jim “Catfish” Hunter tosses the first Perfect Game in the American League since 1922, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum. It was just the A’s 11th game in their new home in Oakland, with a small crowd of 6,298 on hand. Hunter struck out 11 and provided the offense for Oakland, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Jim Hunter was born on April 8, 1936, in Hertford, North Carolina. The youngest of eight children, Hunter drew scouts from everywhere to rural North Carolina but had his career put in peril when he was shot in the foot in a hunting accident. Knowing his potential value, Charles O. Finley, the Owner of the Kansas City Athletics arraigned for him to get an operation at the Mayo Clinic and allowed him to convalesce at his own home.
Wanting to give his prized prospect a flashy nickname, Finley created the name Catfish and created a backstory explaining how he got the name as a child. Catfish Hunter made his debut at the age of 19 on May 13, 1965, without having ever pitched in the minor leagues. Over the next three seasons, Hunter was one of the lone bright spots for Kansas City, making two All-Star appearances. Following the 1967 season, the Athletics moved from Kansas City to Oakland, giving Catfish Hunter the task to win over new fans.
Over the first month of the 1968 season, the Athletics managed by Bob Kennedy had played .500 ball at 12-12. After splitting the first two games of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, the A’s sent Catfish Hunter to the mound at 2-2. The Twins holding a 13-11 record under manager Cal Ermer had Dave Boswell entering with a 3-2 record. While Hunter was setting down the Twins in order, Bert Campaneris led off the game with a hit for Oakland. However, Boswell was able to escape the first inning without any damage. In fact, Boswell allowed runners in every inning, but the Athletics were unable to get a runner home. In the seventh inning, Rick Monday led off with a double for Oakland. Advancing on a Wild Pitch, while Joe Rudi struck out, Monday was on third when Catfish Hunter on his second hit of the game, drove in the game’s first run.
Finally given a run to work with, Catfish Hunter made quick work of Minnesota in the eighth, as Dave Boswell showed signs of fatigue allowing back to back singles to Sal Bando and Ramon Webster. After retiring John Donaldson and Jim Pagliaroni, Boswell walked Monday to load the bases. It was clear Dave Boswell’s tank was empty as pinch hitter Danny Carter was also walked forcing in a run, to make it 2-0. Ron Perranoski came on to face Catfish Hunter, who drove in two more runs with his third hit of the game, to bring the small crowd at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum to its feet. In the ninth, with history three batters away, Hunter got Johnny Roseboro to ground out to second. Bruce Look that went down looking as Rick Reese came up as a pinch hitter looking to end the bid for a perfect game. However, Catfish Hunter would not be denied as Reese was the 11th strikeout to complete the perfect game, the first in the regular season for an American League team since 1922 thrown by Charley Robertson of the Chicago White Sox.
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At 22 years and 30 days, Jim “Catfish” Hunter is the youngest pitcher to ever throw a Perfect Game. Of his 11 strikeouts, the future Hall of Famer got Harmon Killebrew three times and Tony Olivia once, while Rod Carew at least made contact on his three outs. As a thank you, Hunter later purchased his catcher Jim Pagliaroni a gold watch with a special inscription to commemorate the night he was perfect in Oakland.