Jim Kaat

Jim “Kitty” Kaat first decided he wanted to be a Major League pitcher when he was eight years old. He was in the Majors only 12 years later… and his Major League career lasted 25 years.

A star at Zeeland High School in both baseball and basketball, Kaat attended Hope College for one season, drawing the attention of MLB scouts after shooting up via growth spurt. He signed with the Washington Senators in 1957, skyrocketed through the Minors to reach Washington in 1959, and made his first of three All-Star Game appearances in 1962. In 1965, Kaat dueled with fellow southpaw Sandy Koufax in the World Series – a duel he won with a nine-inning complete game, though the Dodgers ultimately bested Kaat’s Twins for the title.

17 years later, Kaat returned to the World Series with St. Louis, appearing in four games out of the bullpen to aid the Cardinals in capturing the championship. It was a poignant coda for a career that spanned the eras, from 1959-1983, and saw Kaat work 4,530 1/3 innings while notching 283 wins. His defense remained laudatory throughout, earning him 16 Gold Gloves, second most among any pitcher in MLB history.

After hanging up his spikes, Kaat went on to a decorated career as a national broadcaster for CBS, NBC, ESPN, ABC, MLB Network and TBS, earning seven Emmy Awards.

In 2022, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.