Jim Bunning

James Paul David "Jim" Bunning (born October 23, 1931 in Southgate, Kentucky) is an American politician who was a Hall of Fame pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1971. He subsequently entered elective politics and was eventually elected to the United States Senate from Kentucky; he has served there since 1999 as a Republican. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District from 1987 to 1999.

Athletic career

His first game as a major league pitcher was on July 20, 1955. He pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 1955 to 1963, moving to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1964 through 1967, to the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1968 through the middle of the 1969 season, finished the 1969 season on the Los Angeles Dodgers, and returned to the Phillies in 1970, retiring in 1971. He wore uniform number 15 on the 1955 Tigers, switched to 14 in 1956, which was the number he wore for the Tigers, Phillies, and Pirates until he was traded to the Dodgers in 1969. For the Dodgers, he wore number 17, but returned to number 14 on being returned to the Phillies. Bunning pitched his first no-hitter on July 20, 1958 for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox. His second was a perfect game, which came against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964. He is one of only five players to throw a no-hitter in different leagues. He played in the All-Star Games in 1957, 1959, every year from 1961 through 1964, and in 1966. In 1996 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
July 20 - 1955 - Detroit Tigers - 1963 - Philadelphia Phillies - 1964 - 1967 - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1968 - 1969 - Los Angeles Dodgers - 1970 - 1971 - No-hitter - 1958 - Boston Red Sox - Perfect game - New York Mets - June 21 - All-Star Games - 1957 - 1959 - 1961 - 1966 - 1996 - Baseball Hall of Fame

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