Today on the blog, we add Hall of Fame pitcher and future United States Senator Jim Bunning to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, which I hope to have released later this year as part of an ambitious 100+ card set:
As a baseball player Bunning put in 17-years of all-star play, winning 20
games once, but putting together four 19-win seasons along with three
17-win seasons, while leading his league in strikeouts three times and
shutouts twice.
The seven-time all-star threw a no-hitter in each league, with his National League no-no a perfect game against the New York Mets in 1964.
He also won 100-games in each league, becoming the first to do so since the great Cy Young at the beginning of the 20th Century.
The seven-time all-star threw a no-hitter in each league, with his National League no-no a perfect game against the New York Mets in 1964.
He also won 100-games in each league, becoming the first to do so since the great Cy Young at the beginning of the 20th Century.
But I would love to mention one more time how this guy's career
record is deceptive (224-184), as he posted multiple no-hitters, the aforementioned 100
wins as well as 1000 strikeouts in BOTH leagues before it became somewhat more
frequent with the growth player movement from team
to team, league to league.
Also, at the time of his retirement after the '71 season he was
second all-time in Major League history with his 2855 strikeouts.
In 1996, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining contemporaries such as Juan Marichal, Sandy Koufax and Whitey Ford.By then he was already a Representative of Kentucky’s 4th District for nine years before becoming a State Senator in 1999, a position he would hold until January 2011.
A great life to say the least. Though I like to think of it as incredible actually. To do any ONE of these things he accomplished is a life’s great achievement, and Bunning did them all.
Amazing man.
