Former All-MIAA baseball player Jim Kaat was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Days and Early Baseball Era Committee on Sunday, December 5. The Class of 2022's induction ceremony will be held in Cooperstown, New York, on July 24, 2022.
Kaat, a Zeeland native, was an All-MIAA pitcher at Hope College during his freshman year in 1957. Following his first year with the Flying Dutchmen, Kaat was signed as a free agent by the Washington Senators and broke into the major leagues two years later.
Throughout Kaat's 25 seasons of pitching for the Senators, Twins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees, and Cardinals, he won 283 games. Kaat’s 625 career games started currently ranks 17th all-time, while his 4,530.1 innings pitched ranks 25th.
"I really didn’t think this day would ever come," Kaat said. "It comes as more of a gift to me, and I’m so appreciative of the guys that I played with and against that I think rewarded durability and dependability along with dominance, which the Hall of Fame usually rewards -- rightly so."
During his 25-year stint in the majors, Kaat accumulated 16 Golden Glove Awards and was a three-time All-Star. He assisted the Twins to the 1965 American League crown and the Phillies to three-straight National League East titles (1976-78). Additionally, Kaat was a key member of the Cardinals bullpen when they won the 1982 World Series.
Kaat commented, "I never wanted to do anything but play baseball. I owe the game a lot."
At the time of his retirement in 1983, Kaat's 25-year career was the longest of any pitcher in major league history.
Kaat continues to work with the Twins as a TV analyst with Bally Sports North. He has earned seven Emmy Awards for his time in the broadcast booth.
The Golden Days Era Committee and the Early Baseball Era Committee held meetings Sunday, Dec. 5, in Orlando, Fla. The Golden Days Era Committee considered a ballot of 10 candidates whose primary contributions came from 1950-69. The Early Baseball Era Committee considered a 10-person ballot whose primary contributions came prior to 1950.
Information from the following releases contributed to this story: National Baseball Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball, MLB/Minnesota Twins, Fox 9, Hope College Athletics.
