On January 14, 1987, the baseball writers elect Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams to the Hall of Fame.
Hunter, a five-time 20-game winner, won 224 games during a 15-year career. He reached 200 victories before age 31 and he was the first to do so since 1915. Hunter also pitched on five World Championship teams with the New York Yankees and Oakland A’s. He became one of the first true free agents in baseball and netted over $3.75M in a deal with the New York Yankees. I figure never imaged before in baseball. “I was probably the first player who broke it open for other players to be paid what they’re worth,” Hunter said.
Williams spent most of his 18-year career with the Chicago Cubs, where he played in a record 1,117 consecutive games, he hit 426 home runs and won an NL batting title. Williams won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961.
