It's easy to forget that when Jim Bunning posted his 100th win in
the National League during the 1970 season, he became only the third
pitcher in Major League history, and first since Cy Young, to win 100
games in each league.
Pretty nifty if you ask me, even if seven other guys have joined the club since then.
So allow me to present my design for a 1971 Jim Bunning "highlight" card:
Bunning joined Cy Young and Al Orth, both turn of the century hurlers, with the 100/100 feat.
Since then, the trio have been joined by a pretty heavy set of
names: Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Dennis Martinez, Nolan Ryan, Kevin
Brown, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.
Bunning also had a couple of other accomplishments in both leagues:
striking out over 1000 in each league (only the second to do so at the
time), as well as throwing no-hitters in both leagues, accomplishing the
feat in 1958 while with the Detroit Tigers,
and a perfect game in 1964 against the Mets while with the Phillies.
Not a bad baseball resume!
And Cooperstown felt the same way, as he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
