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1972 Jim Catfish Hunter Oakland Athletics Signed Game Worn Jersey (PSA)
Displayed is a game worn and signed 1972 Jim "Catfish" Hunter Oakland Athletics knit jersey that is from Hunter's great Cy Young season. Hunter was a Hall of Fame right-hander who went 224-166 in pitching for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1965-74) and the New York Yankees (1975-79). Hunter was a star pitcher in high school and the object of many scouts' scrutiny, but in November of his senior year Catfish was wounded by his brother in a hunting accident, and Catfish lost a toe. Hunter's professional prospects were in jeopardy, but the Kansas City Athletics signed him to a contract and sent him to the Mayo Clinic to receive treatment on his foot. The Athletics' owner, Charlie Finley gave Hunter the nickname of "Catfish" because Finley thought that the 19-year-old pitcher needed a quirky nickname to attract fan interest. Finley gave a story to the media that Hunter was lost as a child and was later found with a string of catfish. That story had no basis in reality, but the nickname stuck. Hunter made the majors and became a star, and he pitched a perfect game for the Oakland Athletics on May 8, 1968. He became the first pitcher since 1913 to win 200 games by age 31. He was an 8-time All-Star and won both the American League Cy Young Award and the AL ERA Crown in 1974 while he was still with the Athletics. Because of a contract dispute that Charles Finley did not address, Hunter was declared a free agent before the 1975 season, and he became known as baseball's first big money free agent when he signed with the New York Yankees for 3.5 million dollars. In his first season with the Yankees in 1975, Hunter went 23-14 with a 2.58 ERA. After that, arm injuries limited his effectiveness. He retired in 1979. In his early 50s, Hunter was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, known as both ALS and as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and Hunter died of the disease in September 1999. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner said of Hunter, "We were not winning before Catfish arrived. He exemplified class and dignity, and he taught us how to win." The green jersey has white and gold trim. Across the chest area of the shirt is "27" in white numerals with gold trim. Also across the chest is "A," standing for Athletics, in white with gold trim. On the inner part of the front tail are four tags: 1) "1972," 2) a McAuliffe Uniform manufacturer's tag, 3) a tag with washing instructions, and 4) "44" indicating size. On the back is "HUNTER" in sewn-on white block letters. Under the name is "27" in white numerals with gold trim. Catfish has neatly signed and inscribed the jersey, using a black marker, as "Jim Catfish Hunter/H.O.F. 87." The presented jersey is in excellent condition, and it is from one of Catfish Hunter's better seasons, when he went 21-7 with a 2.04 ERA. It comes with a PSA Letter of Authenticity for autograph.
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