View source for Jim Kaat

{{short description|American baseball player and analyst (born 1938)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jim Kaat
|image=Jim Kaat 1965.jpg
|image_size=220
|caption=Kaat with the Minnesota Twins in 1965
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1938|11|7}}
|birth_place=[[Zeeland, Michigan]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=August 2
|debutyear=1959
|debutteam=Washington Senators
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 1
|finalyear=1983
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=283–237
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.45
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=2,461
|teams=
* [[Minnesota Twins|Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins]] ({{MLB Year|1959}}–{{MLB Year|1973}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1975}})
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1976}}–{{mlby|1979}})
* [[New York Yankees]] ({{mlby|1979}}–{{mlby|1980}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1980}}–{{mlby|1983}})
|highlights=
* 3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All Star]] ([[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1962²]], [[1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1966]], [[1975 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1975]])
* [[World Series]] champion ({{World Series Year|1982}})
* 16× [[Gold Glove Award]] (1962–1977)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|AL wins leader]] (1966)
* [[Minnesota Twins#Retired numbers|Minnesota Twins No. 36]] retired
* [[Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate = [[2022 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2022]]
|hofvote = 75%
|hofmethod=Golden Days Era Committee
}}

'''James Lee Kaat''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɒ|t}}; born November 7, 1938) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player and television [[sports commentator]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) as a left-handed [[pitcher]] for the [[Minnesota Twins|Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins]] ({{by|1959}}–{{by|1973}}), [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{by|1973}}–{{by|1975}}), [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{by|1976}}–{{by|1979}}), [[New York Yankees]] ({{by|1979}}–{{by|1980}}), and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{by|1980}}–{{by|1983}}). His playing career spanned 25 years.

Kaat was an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] for three seasons and a [[Gold Glove]] winner for 16 seasons. He was the American League (AL) leader in [[shutouts in baseball|shutouts]] (5) in 1962, and the AL leader in [[win (baseball)|wins]] (25) and [[complete game]]s (19) in 1966. In addition to his 283 career wins, he has three 20-win seasons. Kaat won 190 games with the Senators/Twins (winning all but one with the latter), second most in club history and most since the team moved to Minnesota; he also has the most Gold Glove Awards of any [[Minnesota Twins award winners and league leaders|Twin]] with 12.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/leaders_pitch.shtml|title = Minnesota Twins Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders|website=Baseball-reference.com}}</ref>

After a brief stint as a pitching coach for the [[Cincinnati Reds]], Kaat became a sportscaster and for the next 22 years called games for the [[New York Yankees]] and the Minnesota Twins. Following a brief retirement in 2006, Jim Kaat was back in the broadcast booth calling Pool D for the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]] in Puerto Rico, called games for [[NESN]] in 2009, and worked for the [[MLB Network]] from its inception in 2009 until August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/network/personalities|title=MLB Network Personalities|website=Mlb.com|access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref>

Kaat was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] by the [[2022 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting#Golden Days Era Committee|Golden Days Era Committee]] as a part of the class of {{bhofy|2022}}.

==Early life==
Kaat was the youngest of four children born to John and Nancy (Bosma) Kaat.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 29, 1975 |title=Otto H. Bosma Dies at 68 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112624970/bosma/ |work=[[The Holland Sentinel]] |location=Holland, MI |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Reinstadler |first=Kym  |date=July 18, 2022 |title=Zeeland native Jim Kaat to be enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame — finally |url=https://www.secondwavemedia.com/lakeshore/features/zeeland_native_jim_kaat_enters_baseball_hall_of_fame.aspx |work=The Lakeshore West Michigan}}</ref> He attended the schools of [[Zeeland, Michigan]] and is a 1956 graduate of Zeeland High School.<ref name="Hear">{{cite news |date=November 16, 1965 |title=Zeeland High Students Hear Kaat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112625994/kaat/ |work=[[The Holland Sentinel]] |location=Holland, MI |page=4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> During his high school years, he excelled at basketball and baseball.<ref name="Hear"/><ref name=sabr-kaat>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-kaat/ |title=Biography, Jim Kaat |last=Lethert |first=Patrick |date=November 8, 2021 |website=SABR.org |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |location=Phoenix, AZ |access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> 

Kaat attended [[Hope College]] in [[Holland, Michigan]], and pitched for the school's Flying Dutchmen baseball team, before being signed by the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] as an amateur free agent in 1957.<ref name=sabr-kaat/>

==Baseball career==
Kaat spent all of 1957 and 1958 in the minor leagues before breaking into the majors in 1959. After pitching in 16 games spread out over the next two seasons, Kaat became a permanent member of the pitching staff when the team moved west in 1961 to become the [[Minnesota Twins]]. On July 24, 1963, Kaat threw a complete-game shutout and hit a home run for a 5–0 Twins win over the Indians.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE196307242.shtml July 24, 1963 Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians Box Score and Play by Play] Baseball-Reference.com</ref> Minnesota pitchers have only homered in the same game in which they threw a shutout three times, and Kaat did so twice; the second occurrence was on October 1, 1970.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN197010010.shtml October 1, 1970 Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins Play by Play and Box Score] Baseball-Reference.com</ref>

On July 23, 1964, he gave up two home runs to [[Bert Campaneris]], who was making his major league debut in the game.<ref>{{cite book|author=G. Michael Green|author2=Roger D. Launius|title=Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman|url=https://archive.org/details/charliefinleyout0000gree|url-access=registration|year=2010|publisher=Walker|isbn=978-0-8027-1745-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/charliefinleyout0000gree/page/79 79]}}</ref> Kaat was a member of the 1965 Twins team that won the [[American League]] pennant. He started three games in the [[1965 World Series]] against the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], matching up with [[Sandy Koufax]] on all three occasions, including a complete game victory in Game 2.

His best season was in 1966, when he led the league with 25 wins and 19 complete games. He finished fifth in the [[Most Valuable Player|MVP]] voting and was named the [[American League]] Pitcher of the Year by ''[[The Sporting News]]''. The [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s Sandy Koufax won the [[Cy Young Award]] by a unanimous vote; it was the last year in which only one award was given for all of Major League Baseball. Although his 1967 season was somewhat of a let down compared to 1966 (he finished 16–13 with a 3.04 ERA), he went on a tear in September and nearly pitched the Twins to another World Series appearance — cruising to a 7–0 record with a 1.51 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 65{{fraction|2|3}} innings pitched. However Kaat sustained a season-ending arm injury in the third inning of the second-to-last game of the season and the [[Boston Red Sox]] swept the final two games to win the American League pennant.

In 1974, he set a record for largest gap between 20-win seasons at eight, a mark not surpassed until [[David Cone]] broke the mark in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jaffe |first1=Jay |title=2022 Golden Days Era Committee Candidate: Jim Kaat |url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2022-golden-days-era-committee-candidate-jim-kaat/ |website=fangraphs.com |date=16 November 2021 |publisher=FanGraphs |access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref> Kaat recorded his third 20-win season in 1975, when he pitched to a 20–14 record with a 3.11 ERA. This was also the only year of his career in which he received votes for the [[Cy Young Award]], finishing fourth. Although Kaat would pitch a few games a year out of the bullpen over the course of his career, he was primarily a [[starting pitcher]] until 1979, when he became a [[relief pitcher]] in a season which he split between the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and [[New York Yankees]]. He had been traded with [[Mike Buskey]] from the [[Chicago White Sox]] to the Phillies for [[Dick Ruthven]], [[Alan Bannister]] and [[Roy Thomas (pitcher)|Roy Thomas]] on December 10, 1975.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/11/archives/phils-obtain-kaat-in-5player-trade.html Koppett, Leonard. "Phils Obtain Kaat In 5‐Player Trade," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, December 11, 1975.] Retrieved May 2, 2020</ref> With the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in 1982, Kaat earned his only [[World Series ring]], working in four games out of the [[bullpen]] in the [[1982 World Series]].

Kaat was an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] three times (1962, 1966, 1975), and won the [[Gold Glove Award]] for defensive skill a record 16 consecutive times (1962–1977). His record for career Gold Gloves by a pitcher is now second to [[Greg Maddux]]'s 18. Kaat used the same [[baseball glove]] for 15 seasons.<ref name="For The Love of a Glove">{{Cite magazine |last=Stone |first=Larry |date=August 2004 |title=For The Love of a Glove |magazine=Baseball Digest |volume=63 |issue=8 |issn=0005-609X}}</ref>

In 1983, he became the last major league player to have played in the 1950s and the last player for the original Washington Senators to retire. Kaat is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades. At the time of his retirement, Kaat's 25-year career was the longest of any pitcher in major league history. He is now third all-time, behind [[Nolan Ryan]]'s 27 seasons and [[Tommy John]]'s 26 campaigns. Kaat also set a 20th-century record by playing during the administrations of seven [[U.S. Presidents]] – [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], [[Richard M. Nixon]], [[Gerald R. Ford, Jr.]], [[Jimmy Carter]], and [[Ronald Reagan]]. This mark was equaled by Nolan Ryan when he retired after the 1993 season, the first year of the administration of [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name=sabr-kaat/>

===Career statistics===
{| class="wikitable"  style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
!Category
![[Win (baseball)|W]]
![[Loss (baseball)#Losing pitcher|L]]
![[Win–loss record (pitching)|PCT]]
![[Earned run average|ERA]]
![[Games played|G]]
![[Games started|GS]]
![[Complete game|CG]]
![[Shutouts in baseball|SHO]]
![[Save (baseball)|SV]]
![[Innings pitched|IP]]
![[Hit (baseball)|H]]
![[Run (baseball)|R]]
![[Earned run|ER]]
![[Home run|HR]]
![[Base on balls|BB]]
![[Strikeout|SO]]
![[Wild pitch|WP]]
![[Hit by pitch|HBP]]
!{{Abbreviation|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|Total
|283
|237
|.544
|3.45
|898
|625
|180
|31
|17
|4530.1
|4620
|2038
|1738
|395
|1083
|2461
|128
|122
|<ref name="bbref-kaat">{{cite web |title=Jim Kaat Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kaatji01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>
|}

== Post-baseball activities ==
=== Coaching ===
Upon retirement as a player, Kaat served a short stint with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] as the club's pitching coach. When [[Pete Rose]] took over in 1984 as the Reds' player/manager, he made good on a promise to Kaat, his former [[Philadelphia Phillies]] teammate, and hired the former hurler for his coaching staff. Kaat would coach part of the 1984 season and all of 1985, a year in which he guided Cincinnati rookie [[Tom Browning]] to a 20–9 record. "At least I can say I had a 20-game winner every year I coached," Kaat used to joke.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

{{MLBBioRet
| Image  = JimKaatTwins.png
| Name   = Jim Kaat
| Number = 36
| Team   = Minnesota Twins
| Year   = 2022
}}

===Other roles===
In January 2018, Jim Kaat was hired by the [[Minnesota Twins]] as a Special Assistant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jim-kaat-hired-by-twins-as-special-assistant/c-264880566|title=Jim Kaat hired by Twins as special assistant|website=MLB.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> Kaat's role is "to help assist Twins president [[Dave St. Peter]] in business, marketing and community initiatives".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2018/02/12/back-with-the-twins-ageless-jim-kaat-offers-wit-wisdom-and-an-alternative-viewpoint/|title=Back with the Twins, ageless Jim Kaat offers wit, wisdom and an alternative viewpoint|first=Mike|last=Berardino |date=2018-02-12|website=Twincities.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref>

Kaat had his number 36 retired by the Twins on July 16, 2022.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1481310164670193664 |user=Twins |title=Welcome to the number retirement club, Kitty! We will be retiring Jim Kaat's No. 36 this summer! |date=January 12, 2022}}</ref>

He has written a best-selling book, ''Still Pitching'', and has started a sports management company, Southpaw Enterprises, Inc., solely representing pitchers. Kaat was inducted into the [[Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/twins/history/twins-hall-of-famers |title=Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame |website=Mlb.com |access-date=18 May 2021 }}</ref>

In May 2022, Kaat released his third book, ''Good as Gold: My Eight Decades in Baseball''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Addona |first1=Dan |title=Jim Kaat memoir details Zeeland upbringing, changes baseball needs |url=https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/sports/2022/05/04/jim-kaat-memoir-details-zeeland-upbringing-changes-baseball-needs/9588580002/ |website=hollandsentinel.com |publisher=www.hollandsentinel.com |access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref>

===Baseball Hall of Fame===
In 2014, Kaat appeared for the second time as a candidate on the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]]'s [[Golden Era Committee]] election ballot<ref>{{cite web| url = http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame/2015-golden-era-committee-ballot| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141101201540/http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame/2015-golden-era-committee-ballot| archive-date = 2014-11-01| title = Newest Hall of Fame Candidates Announced {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame}}</ref> for possible Hall of Fame consideration for 2015, which required 12 votes. He missed getting inducted by two votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/golden-era-committee-announces-results|title=GOLDEN ERA COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES RESULTS|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref> He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2021,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/news/six-candidates-elected-to-hall-of-fame-as-part-of-class-of-2022|title=Fowler, Hodges, Kaat, Miñoso, Oliva, O'Neil Elected to Hall of Fame|website=baseballhall.org|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|date=December 5, 2021|access-date=December 5, 2021}}.</ref> and was formally enshrined on July 24, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Neal III |first1=La Velle |title=Twins' Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat bask in Hall of Fame moment |url=https://www.startribune.com/twins-greats-tony-oliva-jim-kaat-bask-in-their-moment-at-hall-of-fame/600192734/ |website=startribune.com |date=July 25, 2022 |publisher=StarTribune |access-date=25 July 2022}}</ref>

==Broadcasting career==
=== Early broadcasting career ===
As was stated during the television broadcast of the seventh game of the [[1965 World Series]], Kaat was a broadcaster on local radio in Minnesota. Following his stint as pitching coach, he went into sports broadcasting full-time starting out as the chief baseball correspondent for ''[[Good Morning America]]'' from 1984–85.<ref name="yesnetwork.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.yesnetwork.com/announcers/bio.jsp?id=jkaat|title=YES Network announcer bio|website=Yesnetwork.com|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=July 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719131918/http://www.yesnetwork.com/announcers/bio.jsp?id=jkaat|url-status=dead}}</ref>

His first full-time broadcasting job was with the Yankees was during the [[1986 Major League Baseball season|1986 season]], where he called around 100 games for WPIX.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-15-2002/0001648474&EDATE= Michael Kay and Jim Kaat to Provide Play-by-Play and Analysis, Respectively, For...] New York, Prnewswire.com</ref> He only lasted one season as the Yankees replaced him with [[Billy Martin]], who was between managing stints and who was purposely brought in to second-guess [[Lou Piniella]].<ref name="nydailynews.com">{{Cite web |last=Raissman |first=Bob |date=2006-09-10 |title=KAAT'S MEOW. Signing off after 25 memorable years behind mike |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2006/09/10/kaats-meow-signing-off-after-25-memorable-years-behind-mike/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> In between broadcasting stints for the Yankees, he spent six years ({{MLB Year|1988}}–{{MLB Year|1993}}) as an announcer for the Twins.<ref name="nydailynews.com"/>

In 1986, Kaat was the backup announcer for [[NBC Sports]]' coverage of [[Major League Baseball on NBC|baseball]] with Phil Stone (for the April 19 [[1986 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota]]–[[1986 California Angels season|California]] contest) and [[Jay Randolph]] (the July 14 [[1986 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati]]–[[1986 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta]] contest).<ref name="nydailynews.com"/> In 1988, he covered the [[1988 College World Series|College World Series]] and the MLB playoffs and World Series for [[ESPN]] and also served as an analyst for [[NBC Olympic broadcasts|NBC]]'s coverage of the [[1988 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="yesnetwork.com"/>

=== 1990s ===
From {{MLB Year|1990}}–{{MLB Year|1993}}, Kaat served as an analyst for [[Major League Baseball on CBS#1990–1993 version|CBS]] television, teaming with [[Dick Stockton]] and then, [[Greg Gumbel]] (for whom Kaat also called the [[College World Series]] with for [[College World Series on CBS|CBS]] from [[1990 College World Series|1990]]–[[1993 College World Series|1993]]) in {{MLB Year|1993}}. Besides calling four [[American League Championship Series]] for CBS (1990–1993), Kaat served as a field reporter with [[Lesley Visser]] (1990–1992) and [[Andrea Joyce]] (1991) during the World Series. Kaat also covered three [[World Series Trophy]] presentations for CBS ([[1990 World Series|1990]]–[[1992 World Series|1992]]). Over the course of Game 2 of the [[1992 American League Championship Series|1992 ALCS]], Kaat was stricken with a bad case of laryngitis.<ref>{{cite news|title=No Quarrel By La Russa With Ruling on Wild Pitch|date=October 9, 1992|first=Bob|last=Kravitz|newspaper=Rocky Mountain News}}</ref> As a result, [[Johnny Bench]] had to come over from the [[Major League Baseball on CBS Radio|CBS Radio]] booth and finish the game with Dick Stockton as a "relief analyst".<ref>{{cite news|title=Football analysts campaign for replay's return|date=October 12, 1992|first=Steve|last=Nidetz|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|page=13}}</ref> There was talk that if Kaat's laryngitis did not get better, [[Don Drysdale]] was going to replace Kaat on TV for Game 3 while Bench would continue to work on CBS Radio. In 1993, he filled in for [[Lesley Visser]] until late August as CBS' primary field reporter after she suffered injuries in a bizarre jogging accident in New York City's [[Central Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lesley Visser |url=http://www.leadingauthorities.com/Talent/V/Visser_Lesley/Visser_Lesley.doc |website=leadingauthorities.com}}{{dead link|date=November 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

In 1994, he was the lead analyst on ''[[Baseball Tonight]]'' for ESPN's coverage of [[ESPN Major League Baseball|Major League Baseball]]. In 1995, he was nominated for a New York [[Emmy Award]] for "On Camera Achievement". Also in {{Baseball year|1995}}, Kaat called the American League playoffs with [[Brent Musburger]] for [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]/[[The Baseball Network]] including the [[1995 New York Yankees season|Yankees]]–[[1995 Seattle Mariners season|Seattle Mariners]] [[1995 American League Division Series|Division Series]]<ref name="yesnetwork.com"/> and the [[1995 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]].

He served his second stint as an announcer for Yankees games on the [[MSG (TV network)|MSG Network]]/[[YES Network]] ({{Baseball year|1995}}–{{Baseball year|2006}}),<ref name="nydailynews.com"/> where his straight-shooting style was much in the mode of former Yankees broadcasters [[Tony Kubek]] and [[Bill White (first baseman)|Bill White]]. In addition, he was on the team which won the "Outstanding Live Sports Coverage – Single Program" New York Emmy for covering [[Dwight Gooden]]'s [[no-hitter]] on May 14, 1996 and [[David Wells]]'s [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] on May 17, 1998.

=== 21st century ===
Towards the end of his second stint with the Yankees, his workload decreased. In 2006, he only broadcast 65 games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060914&content_id=1663392&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|title=Kaat set to broadcast final game|website=Newyork.yankees.mlb.com|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320024531/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060914&content_id=1663392&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite his decreased workload, Kaat won another Emmy for on-air achievement in 2006.

In an on-air broadcast on September 10, {{MLB Year|2006}}, with booth partner [[Ken Singleton]], Kaat acknowledged his plan to end his broadcasting career. His final appearance in the booth was to be a [[2006 New York Yankees season|Yankee]]–[[2006 Boston Red Sox season|Red Sox]] game on September 15, 2006 (Kaat was also set to throw out the first pitch). However, the game was postponed due to rain. Kaat later announced that he was going to record a special farewell message to the fans, but would not return for any additional broadcasts. However, the following day, Kaat did announce one full inning of the first game of Saturday September 16's doubleheader on [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Fox]] along with [[Tim McCarver]] and [[Josh Lewin]]. During that Fox telecast he was able to say goodbye to the Yankee fans, an opportunity that the previous night's rainout had deprived him of doing on the YES Network.

After his retirement from calling Yankees games full-time, Kaat has made several single-game appearances on various networks. Kaat made a special one-inning appearance, during the third inning, on the YES Network on June 30, 2008 during a [[2008 New York Yankees season|Yankees]]–[[2008 Texas Rangers season|Rangers]] game. He also appeared live via telephone, during a Yankees–[[2008 Toronto Blue Jays season|Blue Jays]] game on July 13, 2008, to discuss the recent death of [[Bobby Murcer]]. He joined the ''[[Major League Baseball on TBS|TBS Sunday Baseball]]'' team, for a single game on May 4, {{Baseball year|2008}}.

In {{MLB Year|2009}}, Kaat joined the recently launched [[MLB Network]] as a color commentator for their ''[[MLB Network Showcase]]'' series. Kaat also writes a weekly on-line blog for the Yankees (YES) Network, Kaat's Korner, and contributes video blogs and interviews regularly with national and international media outlets. One of the reasons he got back into regular broadcasting was because after his wife died, [[Tim McCarver]] and Elizabeth Schumacher, his friend and business manager, urged him to get back into the game. He also called Pool D in Puerto Rico for the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]] games for an international feed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/after-time-away-kaat-returns-to-broadcasting/|work=The New York Times|title=After Time Away, Kaat Returns to Broadcasting|date=March 21, 2009|access-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Jim Kaat 2013.jpg|thumb|Kaat in 2013]]

Kaat broadcast the [[2021 American League Division Series]] between the [[2021 Chicago White Sox season|White Sox]] and [[2021 Houston Astros season|Astros]] for MLB Network. During Game 2, he attempted to make a joke, saying that the team should "get a 40-acre field full of them" in reference to White Sox third baseman [[Yoán Moncada]], who is Cuban.<ref name=roberson_10082021>{{Cite web|first=Matthew|last=Roberson|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ny-jim-kaat-slavery-mlb-network-20211008-drq2tostgzb2hhi7xgptr7ckt4-story.html|title = Jim Kaat somehow attempts slavery joke during White Sox-Astros broadcast|date=October 8, 2021|website=Chicagotribune.com}}</ref><ref name=walker_12062021>{{cite news|first=Ben|last=Walker|title=Zeeland's Jim Kaat among 6 to join baseball Hall of Fame|date=December 6, 2021|newspaper=The Detroit News|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/2021/12/06/zeeland-jim-kaat-among-6-join-baseball-hall-fame/8887873002/|access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> The comment evoked an unfulfilled promise during the [[Reconstruction era]] of [[40 acres and a mule]] to freed [[Slavery in the United States|slaves]].<ref name=walker_12062021/><ref>{{cite news|first=Doug|last=Glanville|title=As a Black broadcaster, how would I respond to a racially insensitive remark on air?|date=October 14, 2021|website=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32386911/as-black-broadcaster-how-respond-racially-insensitive-remark-air|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref> Kaat apologized later in the broadcast for his "insensitive, hurtful remark".<ref name=roberson_10082021/> On June 2, 2022, Kaat again made headlines when he referred to [[2022 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] pitcher [[Nestor Cortés Jr.]] as "Nestor the Molester" during a broadcast.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jim Kaat refers to Yankees' Nestor Cortes as 'Nestor the Molester' during broadcast |url=https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/jim-kaat-uses-offensive-nickname-for-yankees-nestor-cortes/amp/ |website=nypost.com |date=3 June 2022 |publisher=NYP Holdings, Inc. |access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref> The next day, Cortés tweeted about Kaat, "He reached out to me and apologized for his remark last night, but he didn't need to. We all make mistakes and feel 100% there was no malice intended."<ref name="si-2022-06">{{cite magazine |last1=Schad |first1=Chris |title=Nestor Cortes defends Jim Kaat after 'Nestor the Molester' comment |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/twins/nestor-cortes-defends-jim-kaat-after-nestor-the-molester-comment |access-date=June 11, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=June 3, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

After a four decade broadcasting career, Kaat announced his retirement on August 18, 2022 effective after that day's Yankees-[[2022 Toronto Blue Jays season|Blue Jays]] game.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graves |first1=Matt |title=Jim Kaat Is Retiring From Broadcasting |url=https://lastwordonsports.com/baseball/2022/08/18/jim-kaat-retiring-broadcasting-mlb/amp/ |website=lastwordonsports.com |date=18 August 2022 |access-date=19 August 2022}}</ref>

=== Broadcasting awards and accolades ===
From 1997–2005, Kaat won 7 Emmy Awards for excellence in sports broadcasting:<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ladson |first1=Bill |title=Jim Kaat's meteoric rise in broadcasting |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/how-jim-kaat-forged-his-award-winning-broadcast-career |website=mlb.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media, LP. |access-date=26 March 2022}}</ref>

* 1995–96 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, Single Program, [[Dwight Gooden]]'s No Hitter', Jim Kaat, Analyst, May 14, 1996, MSG Network
* 1996–97 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, The Battle of New York: Yankees vs. Mets', New York Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat, Announcer, June 16, 1997, MSG Network
* 1997–98 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, Single Program, Professional; David Wells Perfect Game, New York Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat Commentator, MSG Network
* 1997–98 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, Series, Professional', New York Yankees Baseball, Jim Kaat, Commentator, MSG Network
* 1999–00 New York Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Live Sports Coverage, Series', New York Yankees, Jim Kaat, Announcer, April 13, 1999, MSG Network
* 2004–05 New York Emmy Award for 'On-camera Achievement (Sports): Analysis/Commentary in a Sportscast, Jim Kaat, YES Network;
* 2004–05 New York Emmy Award for 'Live Sports Coverage: Single Program (Professional)', New York Yankees Baseball – 2005 Opening Night, Jim Kaat, Talent, YES Network

== Golf ==
According to Golf Digest, on December 7, 2013, Jim Kaat "shot his age" (a golf term referring to an 18 hole score less than or equal to the golfer's age) at McArthur Golf Club in Hobe Sound, FL while playing right-handed, a feat he had previously accomplished three other times while playing left-handed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Jim Kaat the first golfer to shoot his age as a switch-hitter? |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/is-jim-kaat-the-first-golfer-to-shoot-his-age-as-a-switch-hi |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=The Loop |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Kaat married his first wife, Julie Moore, in October 1959,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kaat |first1=Jim |last2=Lyons |first2=Douglas |title=Good As Gold: My Eight Decades in Baseball |date=2022 |publisher=Triumph Books |location=Chicago, IL |page=18}}</ref> and divorced in 1975. His marriage to his second wife, Linda, also ended in divorce. His third wife, MaryAnn, died in July 2008 after 22 years of marriage. Kaat created a memorial fund in her name to put lights on the baseball fields in his hometown of Zeeland, Michigan, in her honor.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kaatmemorialfund.com/ |title=Kaat Memorial Fund |date=22 April 2009 |website= |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422044535/http://www.kaatmemorialfund.com/ |archive-date=22 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Kaat and MaryAnn have four children and six grandchildren. Kaat married his fourth wife, Margie, in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McNulty |first1=Ray |title=Ray McNulty: Jim Kaat's life revitalized by love |url=https://archive.tcpalm.com/sports/ray-mcnulty-jim-kaats-life-revitalized-by-love-ep-398666979-347414511.html/ |website=tcpalm.com |publisher=Gannett |access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref>

Kaat's grandparents were born in the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaat a stubborn Dutchman, too |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/kaat-a-stubborn-dutchman-too |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US}}</ref> They hailed from [[Zeeland]], and Kaat grew up in [[Zeeland, Michigan]]. Kaat said he would have played for the [[Netherlands national baseball team]] if the [[World Baseball Classic]] existed during his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=2009-03-22 |title=After Time Away, Kaat Returns to Broadcasting |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/after-time-away-kaat-returns-to-broadcasting/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Bats |language=en}}</ref> Along with his former Twins teammate, the Dutch-born [[Bert Blyleven]], they were known for saying, "If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-10 |title=Jim Kaat, All-Time Twins Great & Hall Of Famer, Might Be An Even Better Golfer |url=https://twinsdaily.com/news-rumors/minnesota-twins-history/jim-kaat-all-time-twins-great-hall-of-famer-might-be-an-even-better-golfer-r16788/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Twins Daily |language=en-US}}</ref>

During the offseason, Kaat resides in [[Stuart, Florida]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dolch |first1=Craig |title=Seasonal Stuart resident Jim Kaat, 83, relishing life, golf, being a Hall of Famer |url=https://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/golf/2021/12/21/stuart-resident-jim-kaat-relishing-life-golf-being-hall-famer/8946894002/ |work=[[Treasure Coast Newspapers|TCPalm]] |date=December 21, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Gold Glove Award winners at pitcher]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Kaat |first1=Jim |last2=Pepe |first2=Phil |title=Still Pitching: Musings from the Mound and the Microphone |date=2003 |publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=978-1572435186 |url=https://archive.org/details/stillpitchingmus0000kaat}}
* {{cite book |last=Thielman |first=Jim |title=Cool of the Evening: The 1965 Minnesota Twins |publisher=Kirk House Publishers|isbn=1-886513-71-6 |year=2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gvy_CfLmcrsC}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=116803|espn=570|br=k/kaatji01|fangraphs=1006660|brm=kaat--001jam|retro=K/Pkaatj101}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|kaat-jim}}
*{{Sabrbio|db7b7601}}
*{{IMDb name|id=1652303|name=Jim Kaat}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{succession box | before=[[Tony Kubek]]| title=Secondary color commentator,<br />''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week]]''| years=[[1990 Major League Baseball season|1990]]–[[1993 Major League Baseball season|1993]]| after=[[Bob Brenly]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Joe Morgan]]| title=Secondary color commentator,<br />''[[Major League Baseball on ABC]]''| years=[[Major League Baseball season|1995]] | after=Last}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame}}
{{Minnesota Twins retired numbers}}
{{Minnesota Twins Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{1982 St. Louis Cardinals}}
{{Minnesota Twins HOF}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals HOF}}
{{New York Yankees HOF}}
{{Chicago White Sox HOF}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies HOF}}
{{AL P Gold Glove Award}}
{{NL P Gold Glove Award}}
{{AL wins champions}}
{{Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year Award}}
{{Major League Baseball on ABC}}
{{Major League Baseball on CBS}}
{{Major League Baseball on NBC}}
{{YES Network}}
{{MLB Network Showcase}}
{{The Baseball Network}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{2022 Baseball HOF}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball|Michigan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaat, Jim}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Nicaragua]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League wins champions]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Ottawa County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Charleston Senators players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds coaches]]
[[Category:Gold Glove Award winners]]
[[Category:Hope College alumni]]
[[Category:Hope Flying Dutchmen baseball players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitching coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins announcers]]
[[Category:Minnesota Twins players]]
[[Category:Missoula Timberjacks players]]
[[Category:MLB Network personalities]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:New York Yankees announcers]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players]]
[[Category:Olympic Games broadcasters]]
[[Category:People from Zeeland, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Stuart, Florida]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Superior Senators players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players]]