A perfect game is perhaps the most difficult feat in all of baseball. To put the accomplishment in proper perspective, one only has to note that in the entire history of the game only twenty-three pitchers have been officially credited with achieving "perfection" on the mound. With over 8,000 men having pitched in the Major Leagues, less than one half of one percent of them has ever thrown a perfect game.
One of the most memorable of those was "Catfish" Hunter, who at all of 22 years old, tossed just the seventh perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 8, 1968. Only 6,298 fans showed up to the Oakland Coliseum that night, but the people who were there will never forget what they saw: perfection and the portent of Hunter’s emergence as one of the premier pitchers of his era.
Presented here is most likely the finest Catfish Hunter signed photo in existence. This beautiful 8” by 10” first generation image captured by photographer Robert Stinnett (stamped on reverse) shows him in action during that historic day. It has been signed and inscribed (in the period),"Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter, Perfect Game, May 8 1968, Oakland A's 4, Minnesota Twins 0." The late HOFer’s black ink inscription is flawless (10/10). Furthermore, the inscription is ideally placed in an area of the image with a light background for optimal contrast. The photo itself is minimally EX/MT and meets the criteria as a Type 1 photo.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA. (Auto. Grade 10)