Fact check: What notable games or achievements did Jim 'Catfish' Hunter have as a pitcher?

1. A signature moment that changed the box score: the 1968 perfect game

Jim Hunter’s most singular, oft-cited accomplishment is his perfect game against the Minnesota Twins on May 8, 1968, a complete-game gem in which he retired all 27 batters and also contributed offensively by driving in runs to help secure the victory. Multiple game accounts and retrospectives document both the pitching performance and the unusual fact that Hunter provided run support himself, underscoring the rarity of a pitcher both throwing a perfect game and driving in multiple runs in the same contest ^{[1] [2]}. This game stands as the defining single-game achievement in his career and is consistently highlighted across player biographies and historical recaps ^[3].

2. Peak season recognition: the 1974 Cy Young and statistical dominance

Hunter’s 1974 season culminated in winning the American League Cy Young Award, recognizing him as the league’s best pitcher that year. Records and award lists confirm this honor and place it within a span of sustained excellence in the early-to-mid 1970s, during which Hunter posted low ERAs, high win totals, and was repeatedly named an All-Star. Statistical summaries and Cy Young historical lists corroborate his 1974 award and situate it among his best seasonal performances, reflecting both traditional metrics and contemporary recognition by voters ^{[4] [2]}.

3. Sustained excellence: consecutive 20-win seasons and All-Star nods

Across his career Hunter achieved 20 or more wins in five consecutive seasons, a streak emblematic of his durability and consistency as a frontline starter. Season-by-season statistics and player biographies enumerate those winning totals and pair them with eight All-Star selections, illustrating how peers, fans, and managers repeatedly acknowledged his status among the league’s elite. These overlapping indicators—high win totals and repeated All-Star recognition—appear repeatedly in team histories and player encyclopedias, which present a coherent narrative of a pitcher who combined volume with high performance over a sustained window ^[2].

4. Championships, teams, and the arc of his professional life

Hunter’s career path moved from the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics—where he rose to stardom and won World Series titles—to the New York Yankees after a high-profile contract dispute and free-agent signing. Sources chronicle his role in multiple World Series championships, describe the contract controversy with Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, and record his later contributions in New York, framing Hunter as both a team cornerstone in Oakland and a veteran addition in New York. These organizational narratives and biographical entries place his individual achievements within team success and the labor-story context of 1970s baseball ^{[5] [6]}.

5. Legacy confirmed: Hall of Fame induction and how modern sources place him

Historical and Hall of Fame sources record Jim Hunter’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, cementing his legacy as one of the era’s premier pitchers. Modern compilations—statistical databases, team histories, and memorial foundations—repeat his key achievements (perfect game, Cy Young, All-Star selections, championship rings) while preserving the timeline of his career and post-career honors. These contemporary sources converge on the same core facts and emphasize the dual nature of his legacy: elite single-game performances and long-term statistical excellence, both of which underpin his enshrinement in Cooperstown ^{[2] [6]}.

Sources cited: game accounts and retrospectives ^{[1] [2]}, team and biographical encyclopedias ^{[5] [2]}, award and statistical listings ^{[4] [3]}.