Jim Kaat pitched in the big leagues for 25 seasons, debuting in 1959 and hanging 'em up in 1983. He holds the distinction of the longest time in between World Series appearances first appearing in the Fall Classic in 1965 when his Twins took on the Dodgers with Kaat matching up 3 times against Sandy Koufax. 17 years later, as a member of the Cardinals, Jim was on the winning side of things as St. Louis defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982. The 24 years it took for Kaat to finally win a championship is a record for all professional team sports and a testament to his longevity and determination...
That longevity and determination along with 283 wins helped Jim get inducted into the Hall of Fame. That and one baseball glove that he used for most of his career. That's right, Jim played for 25 years in the Major Leagues and won 16 Gold Gloves all with the same piece of leather. If it works, it works. And for Kaat, it worked. And when his playing days were over... he found new work... as an Emmy-Award winning baseball analyst... a job he held for close to 40 years!
What was it like to go up against Koufax in his prime? Why are pitchers being injured at such an alarming rate? Why is his friend of 60+ years, Tommy John, not in Cooperstown and what was it like to finally become a World Series champion in his 24th season in the Big Leagues? Kaat played for 1/4 of a century and he has the stories to prove it. An interesting chat with an interesting man on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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