Catfish: The Three Million Dollar Pitcher

by Bill Libby

On New Year's Day, 1975, Catfish Hunter left the Oakland A's for a $3,000,000 contract with the New York Yankees, becoming, at the time, the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. This is the story of the beginning of the modern sports superstar, told by veteran journalist Bill Libby (Parnelli). Libby follows Catfish from his days with the 3-peat Oakland A's to the auction that made him a multi-millionaire. With cooperation from Hunter, Reggie Jackson and numerous players and management, the Three Million Dollar Pitcher is a thrilling insider account, an invaluable piece of sports history.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2014

About the author

Bill Libby was an American writer and biographer best known for his prolific work on sports figures, authoring more than 65 books that chronicled the lives of athletes and explored the world of professional and college sports. A Navy veteran and graduate of Indiana University, Libby began his journalism career as a sports editor before moving on to the New York Post. His writing captured the stories of legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Rocky Marciano, and Pete Rose, and he also co-wrote books on celebrities and public figures. His 1975 book Champions of College Football remains a notable effort to retrospectively designate national champions across decades.

Reviews

[Joyce Copeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I went to high school when Jimmy was a pitcher for our team. Interesting review of his journey to free agency. It would be nice to see a follow up of his career and life. He remains a hero to his hometown.