A
Republican US Senator, Jim Bunning is also a
Hall of Fame pitcher who played with four different teams from 1955 to 1971, most notably the
Detroit Tigers and
Philadelphia Phillies. On
Father's Day 1964, Bunning pitched the first
National League perfect game of the
modern era for the Phillies at
Shea Stadium. While with the Tigers, he had a fierce yet respectful rivalry with Boston's
Ted Williams, striking out Williams three times in a 1957 game, and pitching a
no-hitter against Williams'
Sox in 1958. Bunning was the second pitcher (
Cy Young was the first) to record 100
wins and 1,000
strikeouts in both leagues, and the first to pitch
All-Star games for both sides.
Bunning's toughness and intelligence helped him to stand out. He was an intimidating sidearm pitcher, who often threw the ball with sufficient force to knock himself over. He was also not one to back down from throwing at batters or yelling at team management. Before the age of scouting, Bunning kept extensive reports on batters he faced, and a close eye on his own statistics, which he regularly showed off to owners in order to obtain pay hikes. He would later become an agent, and was vital to establishing both the players' union and the players' pension plan.
After a 20-year career in politics, during which he served as a Kentucky State senator and U.S. Representative, he was elected to the United States Senate by the people of Kentucky in 1998. An earlier bid for governorship failed. During his time in political office, he's been a leading voice for Social Security reform.