Kaat defies time in 1982 World Series for Cardinals

Written by: Arielle Gordon

Just weeks shy of his 44th birthday, and 24 years into his major league career, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jim Kaat took the mound in the top of the seventh inning in Game 1 of the 1982 World Series.

Kaat became the second-oldest player to appear in a World Series game – trailing only Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn, who was 47 years, three months, and three days old when he pitched two innings in Game 3 of the 1930 World Series.

By this point in his career, Kaat was a 16-time Gold Glove Award winner, a three-time All-Star, and a three-time 20-game winner. He was making his second World Series appearance – his first World Series game coming in 1965 with the Minnesota Twins when he pitched a complete game in Game 2, besting Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, but he was still in search of his first ring.

Kaat’s career spanned four decades. He started his career with the Washington Senators in 1959 and played for the Minnesota Twins until 1973. He pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1973 to 1975, then he went to Philadelphia from 1976 to 1979. Next, he went to the New York Yankees in 1979-1980, and finally signed with St. Louis 1980, where he’d stay until retirement in 1983.

“Age doesn’t apply to Kaat,” Cardinals pitching coach Claude Osteen said in 1980. “He’s probably as quick around the mound as anybody in baseball and he always has been. What’s more, he has the body of a younger man – certainly not someone in his 40s.”

After two decades as a starter, Kaat transitioned to the bullpen. In 1979, he made 41 relief appearances. Upon joining the Cardinals in 1980, the durable Kaat made 14 starts and 35 relief appearances. He was back in the bullpen full time in 1981 – making 40 of his 41 appearances as a reliever.

During the 1982 season, Kaat made 60 appearances out of the St. Louis bullpen as manager Whitey Herzog pioneered situational relief pitching. In 75 innings, he allowed 79 hits, 34 earned runs, and struck out 35 batters. He made two starts and also recorded two saves.

Kaat appeared in Games 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the 1982 World Series. He allowed one earned run, four hits, two walks and struck out five batters in relief. When the series started on Oct. 12, 1982, Kaat was 43 years, 11 months, and five days old.

The series went a full seven games and after the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3, Kaat was a World Series champion.

“It fulfills everything I’ve ever strived for,” Kaat told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the Cardinals won.

He retired in July 1983. In his 25 years in the majors, Kaat recorded a 3.45 ERA and he earned 283 wins. He pitched 4,530.1 innings, including 31 complete game shutouts.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Arielle Gordon is the Digital Content Specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum