YES Network.com

Jim Kaat's most enduring quality has been his enduring quality. He pitched for 25 major league seasons and broadcast for 22 more in two demanding and highly scrutinized careers, the sort of longevity that few have attained.

His playing career spanned three commissioners, four decades, five teams in six cities, and seven presidential administrations, from Eisenhower to Reagan. He played for 15 managers and with nine Hall of Famers, pitched to Ted Williams and Darryl Strawberry, Yogi Berra and his son, Dale, Maury Wills and his son, Bump, and gave up home runs to 395 players, from Aaron to Zisk.

In his first major league season, there were eight teams in each league — and some still traveled by train — day games predominated and there were scheduled doubleheaders on most Sundays. In his last major league season, there were 26 teams, none traveled by train, most games were played at night and doubleheaders were rare. He had witnessed 10 new teams enter through expansion and three franchise relocations.

When his playing career ended, he had played more seasons than any other player in the history of modern major league baseball, had appeared in 898 games, pitched 4,528 innings, won 283 games, struck out 2,461 batters, walked 1,083, pitched 180 complete games and 31 shutouts, and won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves.

Kaat was a rarity among major leaguers, one with a sense of the game's tradition and history, a fan who grew up in Zeeland, Mich., in the westernmost part of the state, strategically situated so that he could listen on the radio to baseball games played in Chicago and Detroit. He was weaned on the voices of Bob Elson doing White Sox games, Jack Brickhouse and Bert Wilson on Cubs' games, Harry Heilmann calling Tigers' games and, later, Earl Gillespie doing games of the Milwaukee Braves.

Jim's dad, John, was known as "Mr. Baseball" in Zeeland. He nurtured Jim's love of baseball and took him to his first major league game, a doubleheader between the Tigers and Red Sox in Briggs Stadium in 1946.

As a child, Jim bonded with his father by following John's favorite team, the Philadelphia Athletics. Because John Kaat's favorite player was Lefty Grove — he drove from Zeeland to Cooperstown for Grove's Hall of Fame induction, stopping off to visit Grove's bowling alley in Maryland — he also became young Jim's favorite player. Later, Jim switched to Bobby Shantz, who became his favorite player and a model.

"I developed my pitching motion by imitating Bobby," Jim said. "I saw pictures of him in Sport Magazine, cut them out, and taped them to my bedroom wall so I could study his motion."

Kaat believes it was his imitating of Shantz that helped him perfect the follow-through that enabled him to win 16 Gold Gloves. Shantz had been the Jim Kaat of his day, winning eight consecutive Gold Gloves when that award was first initiated in 1957.

As a baseball traditionalist, Kaat abhors speed guns, pitch counts and the failure of pitchers to finish what they start, and yet he has learned to adjust and adapt. He is not your typical "Old Timer" who believes "my way is the only way." He has managed to remain current and is quick to give the modern player his due.

I got to know Jim when the Yankees purchased him from the Phillies in May of 1979. I was a Yankees' beat writer at the time and I found Kaat to be articulate, accommodating and interesting, especially on the subject of pitching. I made a point to go to Jim for his observations as often as possible.

I frequently spent time with him in Fort Lauderdale the following spring training. Jim would often be on the exercise cycle and I would take advantage of him as a captive audience to discuss pitching with him. Most of what little I know about pitching, I learned from Kaat.

I found I could summarize his philosophy of pitching as "Work fast, throw often, change speeds and throw strikes."

Here are some other observations I have gleaned from Kaat over the years:

• "I believe the fastball is still the best pitch in baseball because it's the only pitch you can throw to all corners of the strike zone."

• "I believe low and away is better than high and tight."

• "I believe strike one is still the most important pitch."

• "I don't believe a pitcher benefits at great deal from running."

• "I believe in throwing every day. The arm is a muscle, and you strengthen a muscle by using it. I go by the adage that it will rust out before it wears out."

• "The best drill for finding your rhythm and your proper arm angle is to pile up 15 to 20 baseballs on the ground, then reach back and pick up one of the baseballs and do a 'crow hop' or quick step like you're an infielder throwing to first base."

Clearly, Jim Kaat was a thinking-man's pitcher and he has been a thinking-man's analyst. He will be missed for his intelligence, his good fellowship and his insight. Happily, we have had him around for half a century. Sadly, we may never see his like again.