Anyone Remember Catfish Hunter's Perfect Game?

by arnec on Oct 23, 2009 2:31 PM PDT Comment 12 comments

A few months ago I went through the microfilm archives and dug up some coverage by the Chronicle and others of Catfish Hunter's perfect game vs. the Twins on May 8, 1968. I thought I'd contribute an offseason diversion by asking if anyone here went to the game, but since the attendance was reported at barely over 6,000, I doubt anyone did. And even if you were, maybe you're like Lowell Cohn, who wrote a column around the time of Catfish's death, saying he went to the game, had no idea perfection was happening, and hardly remembers the game. Still, maybe a few of you guys at least listened to some of it or read the news of it.

Isn't Catfish's perfect game the first landmark in Oakland A's history? Apparently it was their 12th game in Oakland, so I assume it is.

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I remember it.

It was late and I was sitting in my dad’s truck waiting for him to exit a bar. It was late, I was tired, but he gave me the keys so I could listen to the radio. I heard the last few innings. I remember little of the game call and certainly didn’t comprehend the significance of the accomplishment. What most impressed me was Hunter’s hitting ability. I knew enough to know that most pitchers hit poorly and yet here was Hunter going 3 for 4. Eventually, my dad came out to the truck, I slid to the passenger seat, and we drove home.

Not a very exciting story. I was just happy to have a local team to cheer for. An 8 year old needs a focus for his athletic affection.

JJ Martin
The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up. ~Bob Uecker

by JJ Martin on Oct 23, 2009 4:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm aging for sure, but I'm not quite that old.

I was three at the time and lived in another state. Didn’t move to NoCal until 1969 and didn’t go to my first A’s game until 1972. Being the history dork that I am, I “remember” through reading about it, but that’s it.

In 2008 I was watching a team that was rebuilding. In 2009 I feel like I'm watching a team that just sucks.

by UncleLeo on Oct 23, 2009 10:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Same category...

aging but not that old.

However, I remember watching Dave Stewart’s no-hitter against the Blue Jays. Does that count for something?

by sarchasmic on Oct 24, 2009 1:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I seem to remember Hendu faking that he lost the last pop-up in the dome.

Is my mind making that up?

by SirDan on Oct 24, 2009 11:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I listened to it on my transistor radio

As I did for so many games when I was a boy.

I can’t say I remember details, except that I remember the last out was a pinch hitter named Rich Reese, who I believe struck out on three pitches.

(I refuse to go to B-Ref, which would probably tell me the last at-bat was a full-count groundout and that no player by the name of “Rich Reese” ever existed. Like I need to get more bad news about my memory.)

by Faust on Oct 26, 2009 4:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm not that old.

They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick

by mikev on Oct 26, 2009 9:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Touching Story JJ-

When I read your bit about recalling the game while waiting for your dad- it really touched me in a lot of ways. I was thinking- this is something that could be turned into a really cool short story. As for me, I was a year younger at the time and my dad never came out of the bar. Oh well.

Thanks for sharing the memories.

The greenmachine

by greenmachine on Oct 26, 2009 12:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My older brother...

took me to the second game of the year (I was five, he was fifteen). He was unable to get cheap seats for opening day 1968. He was going nuts listening to Catfish pitch that game. He was shouting a perfect game, a perfect game!
I had no clue what that meant. Years later I came to understand I had missed a little bit of history. He still throws that up at me when we discuss the current version of the A’s. In 1973 Catfish, Gene Tenace and Rollie Fingers (Ishare the same birthday as Rollie) were at the Mall in Alameda singning pictures. I still have all 3 with the very, very faded autographs. At least I didn’t miss that one!

by RoperinFortuna on Oct 26, 2009 2:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You should post them.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 26, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

for 67MARQUEZ

I am not sure how to do that?

by RoperinFortuna on Oct 27, 2009 12:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

responses

I’m surprised so many guys here were around then and have something to say about the game. Jim Pagliaroni, Catfish’s catcher (and a Northern California resident), talked about the game when the 40th anniversary rolled around last year.

The last out was a strikeout: “Rich Reese was the last hitter up and he must have fouled off about seven or eight pitches and finally went to a 3-2 count before Catfish struck him out. So it was kind of a tense situation. I don’t think Catfish knew it was a perfect game until the last pitch when Sal Bando came running into the mound saying it was a perfect game.”

by arnec on Oct 27, 2009 12:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, I remembered Rich Reese right

But apparently I botched the number of pitches needed to get him.

I don’t believe Pags about Hunter not knowing he had a perfect game going. You’re going for the 27th out, and it’s a pinch-hitter for the pitcher – that has to at least prompt the mind in the right direction. Catfish wasn’t an idiot.

by Faust on Oct 27, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs