Double threat Jim Bunning died late Friday. He gained election to the Hall of Fame for his pitching exploit, and became the only MLB player elected to Congress:
A strong right-hander with more than 100 wins and a no-hitter in each of the two major leagues, Bunning enjoyed national fame as an athlete before capturing Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District in 1986.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Bunning earned a Hall of Fame spot despite coming to the majors late. His first full season was at seasonal age 25, but he then pitched eleven straight seasons with at least 200 innings. In the last two seasons of that run, he topped 300 innings, leading the league in 1967. Even in that era, it was quite an accomplishment for someone in his mid 30s. Bunning’s 6.8 K per nine innings doesn’t seem that impressive in this day of high Ks, but in 1960 he led the AL with 7.2 K per nine. Bunning was not afraid to hit a batter, leading the NL in HBP four straight seasons from 1964 to 1967.
At 6 foot-3, Bunning was physically imposing, and on both the baseball diamond and Capitol Hill he was known for a toughness that could be intimidating.
“He was a hard man, but you’d want him on your side because you knew he would be ready to play and he would give you everything at his command,” a Detroit News sportswriter, Joe Falls, wrote years ago.
Those qualities led him to great success in two fields.
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2ru2FrS
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