Jim Bunning Stats & Facts
Jim Bunning
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 190lb (190cm, 86kg)
Born: October 23, 1931 in Southgate, KY
Died: May 26, 2017 in Edgewood, KY
Buried: St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas, KY
High School: St. Xavier HS (Cincinnati, OH)
School: Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
Debut: July 20, 1955 (11,289th in major league history)
vs. BAL 7.2 IP, 8 H, 5 SO, 2 BB, 6 ER, L
Last Game: September 3, 1971
vs. NYM 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 1 ER
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1996. (Voted by Veteran’s Committee)
View Jim Bunning’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Full Name: James Paul David Bunning
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1955
Brooks Robinson
Roberto Clemente
Ken Boyer
Rocky Colavito
Clete Boyer
Elston Howard
Sandy Koufax
Jim Bunning
Bill Virdon
The Jim Bunning Teammate Team
C: Manny Sanguillen
1B: Norm Cash
2B: Tony Taylor
3B: Dick Allen
SS: Larry Bowa
LF: Bill Bruton
CF: Roberto Clemente
RF: Al Kaline
SP: Robin Roberts
SP: Chris Short
SP: Frank Lary
SP: Don Sutton
RP: Jack Baldschun
M: Gene Mauch
Notable Events and Chronology for Jim Bunning Career
A consistent but unspectacular performer, Jim Bunning won 100 games in both the American and National Leagues and retired second to Walter Johnson in strikeouts with 2,885. Though he never tasted the post-season, he did throw a perfect game in 1964 for the Phillies and a No Hitter in 1958 for the Detroit Tigers. He was one of the most prominent players in the development of the Players Association, and after his career he entered politics, ultimately earning a U.S. Senate seat.
The 6’3″ righthander’s unusual pitching style, a sweeping sidearm delivery that finished with his glove hand touching the ground well in front of the mound, made him especially difficult for righthanded batters.
Bunning was 20-8 for the Tigers in 1957 but never again won 20. He had 19 victories for Detroit in 1962; then, after being traded to the Phillies in 1964, he won 19 in each of his first three years in Philadelphia. In 1967, when he won 17, he set a ML record with five 1-0 losses.
Bunning had a 118-87 record with the Tigers in the AL, and was 106-97 in the National League with three teams. He led both circuits in innings pitched and strikeouts.
After retiring as a player, Bunning managed in the minors for five years, then entered Kentucky politics. He was elected to the state legislature and ran unsuccessfully for governor. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from a heavily Democratic district.
Education and family
Bunning was born in Southgate, Kentucky, the son of Gladys (née Best) and Louis Aloysius Bunning. He graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 1949 and later received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Xavier University.
In 1952, Bunning married Mary Catherine Theis. They had five daughters and four sons. One of Bunning’s sons, David L. Bunning, is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Major League Baseball career
Bunning’s first game as a major league pitcher was on July 20, 1955, with the Detroit Tigers, after having toiled in the minor leagues 1950–1954 and part of the 1955 season, when the Tigers club described him as having “an excellent curve ball, a confusing delivery and a sneaky fast ball”. Bunning pitched for the Detroit Tigers (1955–63). He then went to the Philadelphia Phillies (1964–67), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968 to mid-1969), and finished the 1969 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bunning then returned to the Phillies in 1970 and retired in 1971. He wore uniform number 15 on the 1955 Tigers, and then switched to 14 in 1956 for the rest of his time with Detroit. He stayed with number 14 on his jersey with the Phillies and Pirates. When he was traded to the Dodgers in 1969 he wore number 17. The Phillies retired his number 14 jersey in 2001 after his election to the Hall of Fame in 1996.
Bunning is remembered for his role in the pennant race of 1964, in which the Phillies held a commanding lead in the National League for most of the season, eventually losing the title to the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager Gene Mauch used Bunning and fellow hurler Chris Short heavily down the stretch, and the two became visibly fatigued as September wore on. The collapse of the 1964 Phillies remains one of the most infamous in baseball history. With a six and a half game lead as late as September 21, they lost 10 games in a row to finish tied for second place.
Bunning would routinely shake off catchers’ pitch signs that he knew to be signaled into the game from the dugout by Mauch. This would have the effect of irritating Mauch, who broadly applied the practice of signaling pitches from the dugout to his catchers at a time when this was not typically done.
Bunning pitched his first no-hitter on July 20, 1958, for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox. His second, for the Philadelphia Phillies, was a perfect game, which came against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964, Father’s Day. Bunning’s perfect game was the first in the National League in 84 years. He is one of only seven pitchers to throw both a perfect game and an additional no-hitter, the others being Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Addie Joss, Cy Young, Mark Buehrle, and Roy Halladay. He is also one of only five players to throw a no-hitter in both leagues, the others being Young, Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Hideo Nomo. He played in the All-Star Games in 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1966. He is also tenth on the list of pitchers who have hit batsmen during their career.
Jim Bunning’s number 14 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2001.
On August 2, 1959, Bunning struck out three batters on nine pitches in the ninth inning of a 5–4 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Bunning became the fifth American League pitcher and the 10th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-pitch/three-strikeout half-inning. Bunning’s 2,855 career strikeouts put him in second place on the all-time list at the time of his retirement, behind only Walter Johnson. His mark was later surpassed by a number of other pitchers, and he is currently 17th all-time.
Jim Bunning is the only pitcher to have struck out Ted Williams 3 times in a single game. Williams wrote in his autobiography, My Turn at Bat, that he was so mad that after the game that he ripped off his uniform, buttons and all, and looked for a schedule to see when he would face the Tigers again, saying “I’ll get you Bunning.” On May 23, 1957, the next time the two met, the Splendid Splinter got his revenge, hitting two solo home runs off Bunning, although Bunning still got the win, 5-3.
Best Season: 1964
In his first season with the Phillies, Bunning established himself as the team ace, winning 19 games against 8 defeats, throwing 5 shutouts. He completed 13 games, including a perfect game no-hitter over the Mets. He struck out 219 and walked just 43 batters.
Helping yourself to a 1-0 Victory
The pitchers listed below are the only pitchers to win a 1-0 game and also drive in the only run with a home run. 8/3/1906, Tom Hughes, Senators, off Fred Glade, Browns (10th inning) 8/13/1932, Red Ruffing, Yankees, off Tommy Thomas, Senators (10th inning) 5/21/1938, Spud Chandler, Yankees, off Thornton Lee, White Sox 5/1/1959, Early Wynn, White Sox, off Tom Brewer, Red Sox 4/18/1962, Milt Pappas, Orioles, off Bill Stafford, Yankees 8/6/1962, Johnny Klippstein, Reds, off Don McMahon, Colt-45s (13th inning) 5/5/1965, Jim Bunning , Phillies, off Warren Spahn, Mets 9/16/1971, Juan Pizarro, Cubs, off Tom Seaver, Mets 6/17/1983, Bob Welch, Dodgers, off Mario Soto, Reds 8/28/2002, Odalis Perez, Dodgers, off Rick Helling, Diamondbacks
In 1996 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee.
@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@
Vintage Baseball HOT ON EBAY
Card Collections ENDING SOON ON EBAY
MOST WANTED ROOKIE CARDS
VINTAGE SPORTS TICKETS
Baseball Hall of Famers
Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1955-1963)
Philadelphia Phillies (1964-1967)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-1969)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1969)
Philadelphia Phillies (1970-1971)
Similar: Jerry Koosman, Luis Tiant
Linked: Bunning was traded on December 4, 1963 to the Phillies with Gus Triandos for Don Demeter and Jack Hamilton… On May 10, 1967, Hank Aaron hit the only inside-the-park home run of his career, off Bunning… On December 15, 1967 Pittsburgh dealt for Bunning, sending Woody Fryman, Bill Laxton, Harold Clem and Don Money to the Phils… In his first win for Pittsburgh, Bunning recorded his 1,000th NL strikeout, making him the first man since Cy Young to reach 1,000 in each league.
Best Season, 1964
In his first season with the Phillies, Bunning established himself as the team ace, winning 19 games against 8 defeats, throwing 5 shutouts. He completed 13 games, including a perfect game no-hitter over the Mets. He struck out 219 and walked just 43 batters.
No-Hit Fame
7/20/1958: For DET (A) vs. BOS (A), 3-0 at BOS. 9 innings pitched.
6/21/1964: For PHI (N) vs. NYM (N), 6-0 at NYM. 9 innings pitched.
Where He Played: Starting pitcher
Feats: Won 100 games and threw a no-hitter in each league… On August 2, 1959, Bunning struck out three Red Sox on nine pitches, the first pitcher to do so in more than a decade.
Transactions
Signed as an amateur free agent by Detroit Tigers (1950); Traded by Detroit Tigers with Gus Triandos to Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Don Demeter and Jack Hamilton (December 4, 1963); Traded by Philadelphia Phillies to Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Don Money, Woodie Fryman, Bill Laxton and Harold Clem (December 15, 1967); Traded by Pittsburgh Pirates to Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Ron Mitchell, Chuck Goggin and cash (August 15, 1969); Released by Los Angeles Dodgers (October 22, 1969); Signed by Philadelphia Phillies (October 29, 1969).
Helping youself to a 1-0 Victory
The pitchers listed below are the only pitchers to win a 1-0 game and also drive in the only run with a home run. 8/3/1906, Tom Hughes, Senators, off Fred Glade, Browns (10th inning) 8/13/1932, Red Ruffing, Yankees, off Tommy Thomas, Senators (10th inning) 5/21/1938, Spud Chandler, Yankees, off Thornton Lee, White Sox 5/1/1959, Early Wynn, White Sox, off Tom Brewer, Red Sox 4/18/1962, Milt Pappas, Orioles, off Bill Stafford, Yankees 8/6/1962, Johnny Klippstein, Reds, off Don McMahon, Colt-45s (13th inning) 5/5/1965, Jim Bunning , Phillies, off Warren Spahn, Mets 9/16/1971, Juan Pizarro, Cubs, off Tom Seaver, Mets 6/17/1983, Bob Welch, Dodgers, off Mario Soto, Reds 8/28/2002, Odalis Perez, Dodgers, off Rick Helling, Diamondbacks
Two-League Stars
Bunning’s most famous claim to fame is his success in both leagues. He won 100 games in both, he tossed a no-hitter in both, and so on. These are the pitchers who have won 100 in each league, through 2001: Pitchers Who Won 100 Games in both the AL and NL Name AL NL Total Cy Young 225 286 511 Al Orth 104 100 204 Jim Bunning 118 106 224 Fergie Jenkins 115 169 284 Gaylord Perry 139 175 314 Nolan Ryan 189 135 324
Bunning’s Record, by Team
Here’s Bunnings’ mark with each of his four major league teams. Team W L Pct ERA K Tigers 118 87 .576 3.45 1406 Phillies 89 73 .549 2.93 1197 Pirates 14 23 .378 3.84 219 Dodgers 3 1 .750 3.36 33
For the Record
Bunning had a 118-87 record with the Tigers in the AL, and was 106-97 in the National League with three teams. He led both circuits in innings pitched and strikeouts.
All-Star Selections
1957 AL
1959 AL
1961 AL
1962 AL
1963 AL
1964 NL
1966 NL
Best Strength as a Player
Durability. Bunning pitched in relief an average of four times after he won 20 games for the first time. He was more than just a starter, he would come in a few times every year in tough spots and pitch between starts.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Bunning gave up the longball, at a record pace.
Other Resources & Links
If you would like to add a link or add information for player pages, please contact us here.