Jim "Catfish" Hunter was a native son and lifetime resident of Perquimans County who pitched in Major League Baseball for 15 years without ever playing Minor League Baseball. His career record was 224 wins, 166 losses, and a 3.26 ERA, and his World Series record was 5 wins and 3 losses. He played P.C.H.S. baseball from 1961 to 1964 and American Legion baseball from 1962 to 1963, then played for the Kansas City Athletics from 1965 to 1967, the Oakland Athletics from 1968 to 1974, and the New York Yankees from 1975 to 1979. On May 8, 1968, against the Minnesota Twins, he pitched a perfect game, becoming the first American League pitcher in 46 years to throw a regular season perfect game. In 1975 he became the first free agent to sign a contract. He won the Cy Young Award in 1974, was elected to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, won 20 or more games in five consecutive years, pitched in 6 World Series with Oakland and New York, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 in Cooperstown, New York.