Yankeeography: Jim "Catfish" Hunter

as I say in the country the boy was cut from good stock there was Jim hunter the kid from Hertford North Carolina and then there was catfish who was all about winning and throwing strikes he's a master at manipulating his own this guy could locate his fastball slider changeup everybody believed in catfish hunter in New York and he came there and did exactly what everybody expected he would do be the best pitcher in baseball [Music] by the end of the 1974 season Jim catfish hunter had amassed quite a resume with the Oakland A's for straight 20-win seasons three World Series titles and oh yes assai Young Award hi I'm John sterling for the YES Network and this is Yankee ography you would have thought were those kind of numbers that Oakland would have locked in its franchise pitcher for life but suddenly there was an opening and the result was a high-stakes fishing trip with catfish as the prize catch you have the best pitcher in baseball who's just won the same award on the open market I don't think I really wanted to leave but I don't think he had a choice honesty that's the way with that in his contract there was a $50,000 deferred payment for an insurance annuity and mr. Finley had consistently refused to defer that $50,000 until the time that Jimmy said okay enough enough he's not gonna pay me this money so I'm gonna file a grievance that was how his contract was written that he was supposed to have that money deferred and when mr. friendly didn't do it and following a two-to-one vote by the arbitration board hunter was declared a free agent the breach of contract ruling has made hunter the envy of all players he can negotiate with any team he likes and demand anything he thinks they'll pay it suddenly GM's and owners everywhere developed a craving for catfish for three weeks in December of 1974 Ahoskie North Carolina was the center of the baseball universe they were there to dangle bait before catfish hunters lawyers for they all knew this was the kind of pitcher that could turn a team around 20 of the 24 major league teams have already talked to hunter or plan to talk to it he says there may be a week or more before he decides while the bidding was going on and we were reading newspaper accounts of what different teams were offering I did walk into Gabe Paul's office one day and said this actually reached a million dollars Gabe said damn right it could and it did when I was negotiating I couldn't believe some of the figures that was coming out you know and I kept looking at ass and these guys are crazy I said but long as they keep off with money I keep you know come on thank some more the contenders were soon whittled down to two teams with New York of course one of them now they come up with the money really really late I mean it is New Year's Eve December 1974 and the podrace essentially think they've got him I told my wife when I left home that morning to go to my lawyer's office I said I'm assigned with somebody today I'm getting tired of going over there talking every day and I called about 11 o'clock that morning I said I made up my mind I'm gonna sign with the team and he told me the two things you know it was it was between but he said I'm not sure well no one knew catfish better than Helen and she never doubted what'd he do she said when you left home this morning I knew it was gonna be the Yankees just the way you act I just had the feeling because I knew they were on the East Coast and he liked the Yankees and it was nearer home also the contract became official at a press conference in New York after the press conference was over and I asked which was the pen that he used to sign and Gav picked up like a 19 cent pin and I said can I give that to the Hall of Fame he said be my guest others contract sent shockwaves throughout the league for though Ken Harrison was technically the first free agent in 1967 catfish created a watershed moment with the most lucrative contract to date paving the way for future fortunes by getting that kind of salary it showed that baseball teams could afford to pay that kind of money from that point on it changed the face of baseball players you know earn free agency and they could start going to the teams who would pay the most for them the Yankees had won the catfish sweepstakes whether or not this small-town boy could make it in the big city remain to be seen [Music] next on Yankee ography when they offered him $75,000 I mean food scene $75,000 it was lucky to have $1 yeah [Music] the story of catfish the Yankees legend begins far far away james augustus hunter was born April 8 1946 in the quiet southern town of Hertford it's a small farming community about 2,200 people in the northeast corner of North Carolina its farming his dad was a farmer avid hunter an uncomplicated man who taught all the hundred boys what it meant to work my dad was the palm so we all worked every chance we got we played Boulder Jimmy as he was known built natural strength in his arms and legs working that farm well the chores were done baseball ruled the roost I got four older brothers and I threw batting practice was damn when I was younger got even throw strikes I didn't get the plane and so I had to throw strikes that's right he had to first strike all I'll take good control rainy days we go inside the barn and drew a saw ace up on the back of the barn and get corn cobs or one night baseball's and working on control Jimmy's development was impressive and he showed an obvious challenge of pitch as early as middle school when he helped his pay school win the state title in 63 Scouts began to turn up one was Clyde clucks Clyde showed up with this sort of uncomplicated country cool to him a former major league catcher who believed in Jimmy more so than any other Scout but while Jimmy was forging a baseball friendship with Clyde still another relationship was unfolding off the field we went on our first date with a Sadie Hawkins dance for the double date she asked him and I said I'll pick you up we're gonna get pickup Ellen to my date so off we went we had a big time and then there were sweethearts ins in off with his future wife and hand and the eyes of scouts upon him life for Jimmy seemed perfect but that would quickly change Jimmy had an accident in Thanksgiving Day 1963 he was out in the woods hunting with one of his brothers and a shotgun accidentally went off and my gun went off and shot him in his right little toe and I said man what happened he says you shot my damn toe off it was a little bit leery of what the sky it's not want to come see him you know after that happened the day he got shot we was scared that he'd never be able to play against the hall Jimmy did was start a 64 high school season with two no-hitters the second a perfect game they zona Charlie Finley took notice and paid a visit to Hertford he came in like the force of nature that and had a number in mind and he threw $75,000 on the table when they offered him $75,000 I mean who would sing $75,000 we're looking at my darling Jimmy's first reaction was well you know there's a couple other teams I I really do need to talk to and and mr. Finley said well if I leave today that that money goes with me you've either signed this for $75,000 or I leave town and and Jimmy looked at his dad Abbott and said I will take the 75 thousand after signing Jimmy's first stop was the Mayo Clinic to repair his damaged foot then came a conversation with Finley that gave Jimmy hunter the chance to make a name for himself mr. Finley said do you have a nickname I said no he says but what do you like to do I said hunting fish he said well when you were six years old he ran away from home when fishing by four o'clock afternoon your mom and dad been looking for you all day they found you he called to catfish was bringing in a certain it says 9:00 repeated to me that's what's your nickname is from that huh just like that the legend of catfish was born but by any name he was something I think we expected to see somebody that was really special and the catfish was really special catfish never played in the minors and went eight and eight in his first year with a struggling Kansas City team but was an eccentric owner like Finley things were never dull to play on Finley's teams in the 60s it was like being part of the Barnum & Bailey Circus it was a Ted show I can remember one year he had a zoo out in back of the outfield fence and mule that traveled with us on he stayed in the best hotels and travel better than the ball players then Missouri his famous for its mules it's called new country so the governor at that time was governor Hearns and he said to me if you will top the mule his team mascot I'll pay for it I said you got a deal I named him Charlie oh but Finley surprised everyone in 1968 when he moved Charlie OH and the A's to Oakland where the nucleus of talent Finley had acquired to complement Ken fish was just about to blossom [Music] in 1968 catfish and the A's headed west looking to find gold and green in California Kansas City at that point in time at essaouira my early legacy so I think come out to Oakland it was sort of a new beginning opening day drew both stars and fans for the curiosity soon wore off between 50,000 and opening day and only 5,000 in the second night you had the Giants in San Francisco who were the beloved you know brothers by the bay and then you had Oakland which was a mausoleum it was huge it was concrete it was cold but it was a great pitcher's Park just how great catfish discovered on May 8th 1968 when this country boy far from his roots met a name for himself in the big city and it all began when catfish was kicked out of pregame batting practice I was in occasion Bob Kennedy said that you know hitters get out of let the hitters do make kind of maybe man I just walked out of the cage due to bat in the dugout and walk going up in the clubhouse everyone should be so angry before they pitch for catfish took his fury out on Minnesota fishing the first regular season perfect game in the American League since 1922 and this was no ordinary chief Minnesota was was a force at that time they had a power laiden Club Harmon Killebrew Bobby Allison Rock Carew or were all players in that game and so the feat that night was a lot more special recognizing the quality of the team that's begun in the 6th 7th inning and keeps doing this perfect game things the big hush falls over the crowd every pitch that's me after the ballgame Bob Kennedy walked up to miss this nice pitchy I said no how about my hitting because I went three for four drove in three runs and scored the fourth run and he says well you pretty good hitter at the tender age of twenty two catfish had emerged as a leader on a team chock-full of budding stars and as these A's hit their West Coast stride they also developed a groundbreaking style one that set them apart from the rest young group of long-haired afro wearing hippie looking guys at that time Reggie came to spring training and he had a mustache and it's on the shave it off and he wouldn't do it till three of us pictures away hey you know if Reggie can grow one we will to muster family came in and he says hey that looks great when we get the whole team at him he offered the guys on the club three hundred dollars they were girl mustache almost everybody's team grew a mustache a lot of Samira shapeable that was the signature shot of that team when you saw the A's it was like something out of the Village People and no one was cooler than catfish with 21 wins in 72 he led the A's to their first of three consecutive pennants and it was off to Cincinnati the haze that surprised the favored Big Red Machine in the series first game now in Game two they sent their ace to the mound catfish certainly was the guy that walked out there and you felt like okay we're gonna win today can't reach the kitchen we're looking at one of the American league's premier pitchers today underrated nationally when it game-winner the last two years you really battled your catfish he was the surgeon he carved you up a little bit you know you ball out here strike one and you see way he's gonna go out there again and you'd start to leave me a little further out and you'd miss it and they'd say he's gonna stay out there don't be dumb in here Morgana's hunter gets his first strikeout I think a day they got a fastball and once the model I throw it time when that happens you've got a good chance to win and he did win Game two one out shy of a complete game he also won Game seven having come on in a relief to give Oakland its first World Series title after we beat him the newspapers who said that the long haired moustache gang was just lucky Cincinnati was better we didn't care what you said we want the A's drain kept on rolling and 73 as catfish won 21 games for the third straight year Oakland was back in the World Series this time against the mess and they knew their best chance to beat Tom Seaver was just summoned he was the heart and soul of the Oakland A's no questions about it I mean because of his willingness first of all to pitch the big game and his capacity to win those games little dribbler third-base side his reputation amid a control picture was such that I always set up on the outside corner of the plate and just gradually move out farther and farther and farther I would see how far I could go with the umpire but they knew that he was gonna be around the plate and I would set up out there and it was just taking a thing of beauty it was seven games but the a is once again prevailed for there a second straight channel then in 1974 catfish had his fourth straight season with more than 20 wins and was finally recognized with this song award he comes out of the 74 season 25 and 12 he's got 23 complete games he's got a two point four nine earned run average and he wins the siyoung he is clearly the best pitcher in baseball at that point in time so what would catfish do for an encore in the ACE quest for a world series three-peat it didn't take long to find out when Rolly figures struggled to shut the Dodgers down in Game one the A's called upon their big game [Applause] as teammates we were probably more shocked that he was but he said I'm ready let's go he's brought in to face Joe Ferguson Ferguson is a you know dead fastball hitter and Jimmy's out on the mound he's warmed up he goes I'd like to throw some curveballs but I don't have a curveball today so throw on the fastball [Music] [Music] his first save of the year catfish returned to the rotation for Game three in Oakland which he won spurring the A's to an incredible third straight title but no one knew at the time was that it would be his last victory as a member of the Oakland A's next on Yankee ography and catfish shutter comes to New York with this tremendous contract and he goes Owen free in his first four starts [Music] George Steinbrenner gave Yankees fans cause just celebrate New Year's Eve in 1974 that's what he reeled in a sigh Young award-winner and catfish those who are hoping that George was serious we're now convinced he spent the money but catfish hunter outbid twenty-some-odd of the teams who had bid millions of dollars to catfish Shana he knew the worm had turned a fish took the bait now he had to play a role what he did when he came in for that team is he was the building block that I needed at that time the foundation for the championships psychologically his presence showed the Yankees are serious about winning and hunters new teammates immediately embraced it then he came to the clubhouse in Yankee Stadium all I mean everybody took him in we knew we're gonna have a leader and we knew we're gonna have a great team I thought it was great I thought we were you know we needed pitching we you know we were playing in Shea Stadium which is a bigger ballpark than the Yankee Stadium was we were getting the best pitcher in the league at that time but campus brought more to the team than just challenge you came over or the winning posture which our club needed at the time he became a leader in our Clubhouse later on the pitching staff had a respected mentor before the pitching staff catfish knew how to win and he brought that with him to the club that in some much-needed fire there was no fear on the part of catfish to call somebody out the Yankees were a team in need of leadership not vocal leadership as much as on the field watch me this is what it takes to win games ah but once the season began the man counted on to lead was having troubles of his own and catfish hunter comes to New York with this tremendous contract with this aura about him as leading the age and he goes öand free in his first four starts right at first I think I lost three or four games in a row and they were wondering what was wrong with him Jimmy wasn't winning games right him again and so they were ready to throw him back in the pond I guess and we members of the press having no patience for anybody say the guy is a bum and why did the Yankees silent I was thinking that I had to win every game I pitched after I signed a contract but catfish knew a little something about pressure and it was just a matter of time before he'd write the show you're just human and you're not gonna always win every game and do well every time and so it was a little bit hard on him had to begin him but then he finally came through for him and did well and of course catfish hunter immediately settles down when's the fifth thought goes on with 20 games for the Yankees that year catfish recovered so fast he was selected to pitch in the all-star game where he threw two scoreless innings all told catfish 123 games the most by a Yankees pitcher since whitey Ford in 63 it's a 30 complete games the first year we had him it's unbelievable what catfish was accomplishing catfish led the league in victories complete games and innings pitched an astounding body of work I'd love to pitch everything that I could and when I came over to the Yankees the first year they did dead with an ace in hand at a new manager in Billy Martin the Yankees were on the cusp of greatness [Music] the Yankees returned to a renovated stadium in 1976 and the makeover had done wonders to restore its luster but there was no such quick fix or an arm weary pitcher you couldn't hide it he was getting hit hard and cat face never got hit hard you know his arm went dead from the years that he had in 1975 they can't 30-some complete games out here and that's what killed catfish his teammates couldn't help but notice this pain and when he actually missed a start they knew something was very wrong Billy told me that cat's arm didn't feel too good it would almost had to been broken for him to not to be able to throw so you know there was something there for him to say that you all have to miss my store still catfish persevered often pitching through the pain he disliked the pitch whenever they told him to go right at the pitch he went the bench and trying to do his best catfish somehow won 17 games in 76 and with league MVP Thurman Munson helped the Yankees win their division in the process catfish gained enormous respect during the 76 season hit his arm this was hurting me I mean he had pain you could tell but his attitude and his determination took us to that point where Chambliss and the Yankees that situation was the league championship series which Chambliss ended in dramatic fashion the Cincinnati's Big Red Machine swept the Yankees in the World Series and the boss set out to lift the team to the next level his solution was Reggie Jackson a gamble George Chuck in part because of hunter's success I don't think there's any question deciding of cash and how well he pitched and how he earned his money which I think George Steinbrenner more than anything is willing to pay it but he likes to see it earned when George saw that I think he saw the wisdom of signing people like Reggie Jackson although Reggie's bad inspired all there's mere presence drew controversy the tabloids now focused on Reggie not on hunt his pitching woes but the pain was getting worse catfish was getting bombed he went out to pitch a game I don't think he lasted an inning in Boston that day and they hit three or four home runs first five six guys hit three four home runs didn't say much about it I mean he wouldn't have said much about it he was really in the tremendous amount of pain he went from almost over handy to three-quarter angle and then it would drop a little bit because he didn't want to put the arm through that particular range of motion as he was pitching in his third year with the Yankees catfish won just nine games still the team once again reached the World Series where catfish pitched game to his first start in a month and though he never made it through the third inning his courage was an inspiration as the Yankees won it all it went on we won our first World Series after you know many years in the end Reggie provided the muscle with three home runs in the deciding game but catfish was the heart he was the foundation he taught us how to win he made better pitchers out of everybody that moment that you win it doesn't make a difference what happened to anybody before regardless of whether he pitched in and or not just having him around was instrumental in the success that we all shared next on Yankee ography I had a great year but he was probably the reason why we actually want not me [Music] [Applause] the joy of 1977 meant reality in the spring of 78 far after reporting to camp catfish learned he had diabetes he vowed not to let it disrupt his normal routine catfish always one of my his business never said a word about it and dealt with it you know he just knew his gonna be a way of life firm so he knew he had to educate himself and learn as much as he could about the disease and just continue to live he was wonderful with everything he said at the onset this is not gonna affect my career pitching because that's what the doctors are telling me that diabetic people can have normal lives but things would be different and catfish made it a point to put his teammates at ease see him giving himself his own injections that was something different you don't normally see and he was good-natured about it you know hey you want to give him a shot Messer on it they think yeah get away from me even that wasn't gonna deter him from doing what he had to do but once the season began catfish couldn't hide the fact that he was pitching in constant pain and for this there was no medication his shoulder was actually shrinking in its ability to manipulate like a ball bearing it wasn't smooth and he went his arm angle wasn't up where it needed to be and his range of motions were deteriorating my son at that time and I was throwing so bad my wife told me so let me pitch to him instead of you to do something and so at the end of June catfish sought some radical treatment he was really in a tremendous amount of pain and it wasn't until this this sort of bizarre manipulation that he had that's when they take your arm and sometimes over the course of injuries you have adhesions and by being asleep you can't feel the pain that they're gonna give you the crack is so loud you know it sounds like a gunshot he's gone off to break up what I guess was the scar tissue that had built up in his shoulder then just like that the pain was gone he woke after that how you doing okay all right he felt pretty good he drove right to the ballpark early in the afternoon and took off his shirt and as he was taking his shirt off he's hey this doesn't feel too bad it's shirt came off pretty good nobody called me over let's look at this I put my shirt off with my shirt off it's not too bad let's go check it out it was like a Eureka kind of moment he was like a young child out there look I can throw oh my god I have my arm back again [Applause] indeed New York was 11 games back when hunter rejoined the team but with a 10 and 3 mark down the stretch and six straight victories the up the Yankees engineer one of the game's greatest comebacks he got the team to do it with the only thing we got to put everything together we got to keep the ballplayers pulling for each other got to keep him fighting by yourself and try to just play for yourself that's when you come winners caphis was a little bit more of a father figure at that point Guidry had a tremendous year I think Ron would be one of the first guys to tell you how much a cat played in his development I had a great year I kept everything basically together but he was probably the reason why we actually warned not me it was because of him after beating Boston in a one-game playoff the Yankees faced the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS and hunter would start Game three [Applause] there was never a doubt as under one Game three and helped lead the Yankees to the pennant next step Los Angeles as New York looked to win its second straight championship catfish continued to inspire in Game six he came in and he said look score me some runs and we're gonna go home tonight Hunter had lost Game two and he began Game six a bit shaky [Music] davey lopes leads off bottom of the first homerun boom comes back in catfish ain't got nothin into the game we got one run as the Dodgers he didn't have anything but he pitched about seven or eight innings of catfish hunter baseball he wasn't overpowering we knew that he had great control he could throw all his pitches over the plate at any time look like you should have just knocked him all over the ballpark he never overpowering fastball you know that wicked slider he's got two huh he was a great competitor it was a great honor to face a guy like that the World Series catfish pitched seven solid innings for the win at his fifth World Series ring looking back it would have made a nice ending that should have been my last year always said instead of 79 because I won the last game of the World Series against the Dodgers and I could to last game I pitched I want welcome back to Yankee ography catfish hunters amazing recovery in 1978 help the Yankees to their second straight huddle but comes 79 the magic was gone you could see a slight decrease in sharpness in certain days it was very obvious where he was really having trouble getting the shoulder read each time we would start skipping starts he would be the swing man if there was a rainout or a day off we throw him around the rotation to protect him in spite of his diminishing skills catfish did his best to contribute even when he didn't pitch every fifth day he was there supporting his teammates catfish hunter showed that winning is more than the numbers you can bring a mental focus to a team that gets everybody thinking at a different level at a higher level but even maintaining focus was becoming difficult catfish made just 19 starts in 79 and had a dismal two and nine record even worse he lost his mentor Clyde klutz in June and by the end of July his father avid hunter passed away sadness was occupying every part of his life to help him cope with these painful losses catfish got support from his teammates but he would soon come face to face with still another tragic loss one that he never saw coming the world of baseball is in mourning tonight for one of its finest stars Thurman Munson the 32 year old captain of the New York Yankees is dead sobered by three major losses in his life and physically drained from the grind catfish now 33 chose to honor the promise he made to Helen when he first signed with the Yankees to hang up his uniform at the end of the country he was ready to retire he was ready to go hung and just be with his kids to me it's one of the extraordinary promises in baseball history that gets lived up to that he would return to his family returned to hurt for a return to the land after informing the Yankees of his decision the gears were set in motion to pay tribute to this future hall-of-famer but meant so much to the team [Music] I was there at the top stepping catfish had his day you know you just feel good you feel good about stuff like that because you know they deserves it you know that there's a time for the people to really show your love for him I think he felt a little bit modest in a way he went muster people making a whole lot of him he didn't mind it but he the brother then he said look at home I could not believe all the stuff that the Yankees were giving him they just kept willing things out there they gave him from a vehicle to shotguns to everything else you could imagine in between and then to cap it all off they walked an elephant in they had him lay down or something right at home plate and the only thing that I can remember is the rest of the game all I could smell was that elephant for nine innings so you know I just thought that was totally bizarre following an elephant is never easy but can fish summon the strength to win over the crowd I like to thank you I have my family up here thank you three people three people but I wish could have been here today stop it Simon [Music] and common money [Applause] in the zoo that was the Bronx that was a fitting close to a wondrous career as a rare athlete these days that can go out the way that Jim did on his own terms catfish became a loving but distant memory and Jimmy hunter came back to life in Hertford North Carolina thank God for giving me strength and let me be a bar I always wanted to be thank you very much now after 15 years in the major leagues and having played on both the east and west coasts catfish hunted knew when it was time to head south back to Hertford North Carolina back to where it all began after all these years being on the road to have him come home and coach you and be home every day and be around that was something special he was living a nice life it was hunting and fishing and you know being a full-time farmer you know that old saying about you can't take the country out of the boy well that's him that's a proverbial cat fish but kapha still had one more harvest to reap one more baseball journey to make to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to be honored as one of the very best to play the game [Music] please welcome into Baseball Hall of Fame [Applause] when you say really recognize that name when you say catfish mr. Finley gave me the opportunity to start playing today you might think enshrinement where the legends would have brought closure to hunters baseball career but then Along Came Moe's old-timers games [Music] and it's no surprise that catfish was as competitive as a you [Music] for that day or those two days he was catfish hunter you I mean he loved being in that atmosphere and he picked up on it you know like he had never missed it on the other coast the Oakland A's also bestowed and honor on the man who led them to three straight titles [Music] [Applause] [Music] his baseball Odyssey complete catfish returned to the farm to spend time with his daughter and sons then fate took another cruel twist I was rabbit hunting him I noticed I couldn't load my shotgun with my right hand this would have laughed it off feet it was old leads off right us it didn't got to be stiffer you know you couldn't really place his fingers like he thought he should we went to several doctors trying to find out exactly what the problem was eventually we went to John Hopkins and they told us there that it definitely was ALS the very same disease that struck down the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig in his prime has no known cure and even the strongest eventually loses the fight Alice is a disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord so when the disease progresses a patient loses the ability to move to speak to swallow and eventually to breathe the catfish refused to give in and vowed to do whatever it would take to help find a cure winning isn't everything but warning to is if you want to do something bad enough you're gonna work for it and that's what I'm gonna do thank you he knew that it was incumbent upon him to help people become aware and to find a cure he needed probably the cure would never be find in his lifetime but he didn't want other people and other people's children to go have to go through what he went through but then the man whose wound up once put fear and hid his eyes incredibly lost the use of both his arms when you can't use your hands and arms you can't come your hair you can't brush your teeth I mean you can't even get dressed I was sad to see the way the proud man as proud as he was suffered through something like that I tried to take one day at a time and you go from there and you know the good Lords with you on August 8th 1999 as he walked up the steps of his home Jimmy hunters world came crashing down we came up he was flat on cement he could not catch yourself we figured that he was whipped ALS if anybody could and when he failed we figured he would get up and go again and just wasn't in the cards just three weeks later catfish launched his final battle I remember how sad was a good friend like that I'm not ashamed to say I cried for not only did I lose a good friend I felt like I lost a part of me apparently so did many others as friends family and teammates from two coasts converged on tiny Hertford to pay their respects a cat in the hearse we went right through this talus if you live in everybody came out of their house they were waving cat goodbye who would have thought a simple farm boy from North Carolina could have touched the lives of so many now get us all my grandkids one day the listen man I played with the great catfish on him he had a passion for baseball and forgetting and just a shame that he left us so quick I just wish that everybody else but I had a friend like we had Jim Jimmy hunter the man was maybe 1% more special than catfish hunter the baseball player I don't think anybody would have been too sad to have had either one of those wives junior sports enough to him both pitcher teammate champion father friend husband catfish war so many hats and wore them well it's no wonder why he's still so revered today fittingly the hunter family remains very much involved in the fight against ALS they continue to raise money for the foundation in hopes of one day finding a cure they do so because they know catfish wouldn't have it any other way for the YES Network I'm John sterling thanks for watching Yankee ography [Music]

Channel: Classic College Football

Views: 14,251

Rating: 4.8198199 out of 5

Keywords: New York Yankees, Yankees, Catfish Hunter, Yes Network, Yankeeography

Id: GAI5WO8A6C4

Length: 44min 11sec (2651 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 23 2018