Jim Kaat Biography

James Lee Kaat, born November 7, 1938, is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. A left-handed pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball for 25 years across teams from 1959 to 1983. Kaat earned All-Star honors in three seasons and won a Gold Glove Award for 16 consecutive years. He recorded 190 wins with the Senators/Twins, second most in club history, and holds 12 Gold Glove Awards as a Twin. After a brief role as pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds, he spent 22 years as a sportscaster for the Yankees and Twins. Kaat attended Hope College and was signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent in 1957. On July 24, 1963, he pitched a complete-game shutout and hit a home run in a 5–0 Twins victory over the Indians.