Perfect Game - Catfish Hunter

 The Oakland Athletics will be gone soon. The plan, like the NFLs Oakland Raiders before them, is to head to Vegas. The move isn't until several more years, but the move might as well happen now with the terrible levels of apathy the fans have for ownership. For now, let's try to remember the good times for the nomadic franchise that's now seeking out it's 4th new home. One such good time is the perfect game tossed by Catfish Hunter.

In 1968, the Athletics were new arrivals in Oakland, and looking to forge a better legacy than what they did in Kansas City. And while World Series glory lay in their future, the first great moment would come right away courtesy of Jim "Catfish" Hunter.

On May 8, 1968, the Minnesota Twins were in town at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (before Mount Davis ruined the view) Hunter was electric, striking out 11, including 3 against Harmon Killebrew, and going 3-4 with 3 RBI in the 4-0 win. The most nail biting part of the game was the final batter, pinch-hitter Rich Reese, who brought the count to 3-2, then fouling off 5 straight pitches before Hunter finally rung him up to finish the perfecto.

This perfect game was special in a few ways. Hunter became the youngest pitcher (just over 22 years old) in history to go 27 up-27 down. It was the first no-hitter since way back when the franchise was in Philadelphia. Oakland fans didn't turn out for this game. In what may be a unfortunate bookend to the teams tenure in Oakland, nobody really paid to see it. Just over 6,000 fans witness the game (capacity was 50,000) and the game wasn't even televised.

Something seems wrong about Hunter standing there without a mustache. The future Cy Young winner shows off that control that makes it believable how he stayed ahead of the Twins hitters. 

Pagliaroni and Hunter were on the same page for all but 2 pitches during the game. Hunter was so thankful that he bought his Catcher a gold watch.

Hunter himself was the offensive star of the day, going 3-4 with a 2B and 3 RBI. The rest of the team would go a combined 7-27 with just a 2B and 1 RBI.

Dave Boswell was the unfortunate opponent for Catfish on that day. He held his own, as his card indicates, but unless you're also perfect, there's little you can do on a perfect game.

Reese did everything he could off the bench, taking Hunter to a full count and fouling off pitch after pitch, looking for a mistake, but Hunter would not be denied in the end.