The Golden Touch
Kaat ’ s significant contributions to the sport were recently recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame . He is slated to be inducted alongside his good friend and former Minnesota Twins teammate , Tony Oliva , at a ceremony in Cooperstown , NY in July 2022 . In the months leading up to the ceremony , Kaat sat down with Manchester Life to discuss his upcoming induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame , his new book , Jim Kaat : Good as Gold : My Eight Decades in Baseball , his thoughts on the game , and his connection to Southern Vermont . Kaat is a resident of Manchester , and his passionate sportsmanship and undying dedication to the betterment of baseball ’ s future is manifested in his participation in local events in Vermont . By applying the same golden touch that defined his athletic career towards his community outreach efforts in the Green Mountain State , Kaat has provided inspiration for the next generation of aspiring athletes . His days out on the field might be behind him , but Kaat is still stepping up to the plate where it matters most .
Q : Thank you so much for joining us for this interview , Jim ! Every successful story has an interesting start . We would love to know – what were the early defining moments that shaped the development of your athletic career ?
A : It all started with my father , Hans Kaat , who was an avid baseball fan . We played baseball trivia in the living room , and I was raised with baseball
Jim with his dad in 1965 .
history . I took to following the Philadelphia Athletics as much as he did . My dad ’ s favorite player was Lefty Grove , who was a great left-handed pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics . I also took to following Bobby Shantz , who was another great left-handed pitcher . My father was a very hard-working man , and seeing the way that he worked really motivated me to be the best that I could be when I was starting to play baseball .
Q : While you were attending Hope College , you were approached with several offers from Major League recruiters . You made the decision to forego a more lucrative offer to join the Major Leagues right away , and you chose instead to take a different offer
18 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine . com