Editing Jim Bunning (section)

==Professional baseball career==
After pitching for the [[Xavier Musketeers]] as a freshman, Bunning signed a professional contract with the [[Detroit Tigers]], though he continued to attend classes at Xavier.<ref name=sabr/><ref>{{cite news |last=Xavier Athletic Communications |date=May 27, 2017 |title=Former U.S. Senator, MLB Hall of Famer Jim Bunning (Xavier '53) Passes Away at 85 |url=http://www.goxavier.com/news/2017/5/27/baseball-former-us-senator-mlb-hall-of-famer-jim-bunning-xavier-53-passes-away-at-85.aspx?path=baseball |work=GoXavier.com |publisher=Xavier University |location=Cincinnati, OH}}</ref> Bunning played in [[Minor League Baseball]] from 1950 through 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".<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Profile, Photo and Data Book |publisher=Detroit Tigers |year=1957 |page=13}}</ref> His first game in the major leagues was on July 20, 1955, with the [[Detroit Tigers]]. He had his breakout season in 1957, when he led the American League in wins (20) and innings pitched ({{frac|267|1|3}}), and was the starting pitcher for the AL in the [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]. Bunning pitched his first [[no-hitter]] on July 20, 1958, for the Tigers against the [[Boston Red Sox]].<ref name="perfect games" /> 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 an [[List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning|immaculate inning]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Holmes |first=Dan |url=https://www.detroitathletic.com/blog/2013/09/15/when-the-tigers-struck-out-four-times-in-one-inning-and-other-odd-facts/ |title=When the Tigers struck out four times in one inning, and other odd feats |publisher=Detroitathletic.com |access-date=May 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809025323/https://www.detroitathletic.com/blog/2013/09/15/when-the-tigers-struck-out-four-times-in-one-inning-and-other-odd-facts/ |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Bunning pitched for the Detroit Tigers through 1963. During the 1963 [[Winter Meetings]], the Tigers traded Bunning and [[Gus Triandos]] to the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] for [[Don Demeter]] and [[Jack Hamilton (baseball)|Jack Hamilton]].<ref name=sabr /> In his first season with the Phillies, Bunning entered play on June 21 with a 6–2 record on the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/TPHI01964.htm |title=The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies |publisher=Retrosheet, Inc |access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref> He was opposed on the mound by [[Tracy Stallard]] in the first game of a doubleheader. Through the first four innings, Bunning totaled four [[strikeout]]s through 12 batters.<ref name="bunningpg">{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/B06211NYN1964.htm |title=Philadelphia Phillies 6, New York Mets 0 (1) |date=June 21, 1964 |publisher=Retrosheet, Inc |access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref> In the fifth inning, Phillies second baseman [[Tony Taylor (baseball)|Tony Taylor]] preserved the perfect game with his strong defensive play. A diving catch and a throw from the knees kept Mets catcher [[Jesse Gonder]] off the bases.<ref name="pittpost">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uioNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5480,3622205&dq=jim+bunning+perfect+game&hl=en |title=Phils' Bunning Hurls Perfect Game |date=June 22, 1964 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |pages=22, 24 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref> Bunning also had a good day at the plate, hitting a double and driving in two runs in the sixth inning.<ref name="bunningpg" /> By the end of the game, even the Mets fans were cheering Bunning's effort;<ref>{{cite news |quote=The Phils won the contest ... before 32,904 fans who were screaming for Bunning during the last two innings ... Yesterday's perfect pitching turned the usually loyal Met fans into Bunning fans in the late innings. From the seventh inning on ... Bunning had the crowd ... behind him. |title=Bunning Pitches a Perfect Game; Mets Are Perfect Victims, 6 to 0 |date=June 22, 1964 |first=Gordon S. Jr. |last=White |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1}}</ref> he had reached a three-ball count on only two batters, and retired shortstop [[Charley Smith]] on a pop-out, and pinch-hitters [[George Altman]] and [[John Stephenson (baseball)|John Stephenson]] on strikeouts, to complete the perfect game.<ref name="bunningpg" />

Bunning, who at the time had seven children, said that his game, pitched on Father's Day (although Father's Day did not officially become a holiday until 1972<ref>{{cite news|last1=Geranios|first1=Nicolas K.|title=The un-Spokane history of Father's Day|url=http://hamptonroads.com/node/283021|access-date=May 28, 2017|work=The Virginian Pilot|publisher=Pilot Media|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208175650/http://hamptonroads.com/node/283021|url-status=dead}}</ref>), could not have come at a more appropriate time. He remarked that his slider was his best pitch, {{"'}}just like the no-hitter I pitched for Detroit six years ago{{'"}}.<ref name="pittpost" /> Bunning posted the first regular-season perfect game since [[Charlie Robertson]] in 1922 ([[Don Larsen]]'s [[Don Larsen's perfect game|perfect game]] was in the [[1956 World Series]]).<ref name="NoHitters">{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm |title=No Hitters Chronologically |publisher=Retrosheet, Inc |access-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref> The Phillies also won the second game of the doubleheader, 8–2, behind [[Rick Wise]], who earned his first major league victory in his first start.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/B06212NYN1964.htm |title=Philadelphia Phillies 8, New York Mets 2 (2) |date=June 21, 1964 |publisher=Retrosheet Inc |access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref>

[[Jim Bunning's perfect game|Bunning's perfect game]] was the first thrown by a National League pitcher since 1880. It was also the first no-hitter by a Phillies pitcher since [[Johnny Lush]] no-hit the [[Brooklyn Superbas]] on May 1, 1906. He is one of only seven pitchers to have thrown both a perfect game and an additional no-hitter, the others being [[Randy Johnson]], [[Sandy Koufax]], [[Addie Joss]], [[Cy Young]], [[Mark Buehrle]], and fellow Phillie [[Roy Halladay]], whose additional no-hitter came in Game 1 of the [[2010 National League Division Series]].<ref name="perfect games" /> He is one of five players to have thrown a no-hitter in both leagues, the others being Young, Johnson, [[Nolan Ryan]], and [[Hideo Nomo]]. Bunning was the first pitcher to pitch a no-hitter, win 100 games, and record 1,000 strikeouts in both leagues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/19/sports/baseball-age-is-no-deterrent-to-perfection.html|title=Age Is No Deterrent to Perfection|date=May 19, 2004|website=The New York Times|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

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. With a {{frac|6|1|2}}-game lead as late as September 21, they lost 10 straight games to finish tied for second place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/research/beyond-bunning-and-short-rest-analysis-managerial-decisions-led-phillies-epic-collapse-1964|title=Beyond Bunning and Short Rest: An Analysis of Managerial Decisions That Led to the Phillies' Epic Collapse of 1964 – Society for American Baseball Research|website=sabr.org|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

{{MLBBioRet
| Align  = left
| Image  = PhilsBunning.PNG
| Name   = Jim Bunning
| Number = 14
| Team   = Philadelphia Phillies
| Year   = 2001
}}
Bunning pitched for Philadelphia through 1967, when the Phillies began to rebuild. The Phillies traded him to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] before the 1968 season for four players, including [[Woodie Fryman]] and [[Don Money]].<ref name=sabr /> He pitched for Pittsburgh into the 1969 season, and finished the 1969 season with the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. Bunning then returned to the Phillies in 1970 and retired in 1971.<ref name=sabr/>

Bunning's 2,855 career strikeouts put him in second place on the [[Top 100 Major League Baseball strikeout pitchers|all-time list]] at the time of his retirement, behind only [[Walter Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_progress.shtml |title=Progressive Leaders & Records for Strikeouts |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref> His mark was later surpassed by other pitchers, and he is currently 21st all-time. Despite year in and year out putting up excellent numbers, Bunning rarely led the league in any pitching categories. He never led the league in ERA; the only year he led the league in wins (20, in 1957, with the Detroit Tigers) was the only year he ever won 20 or more games; he did, however, lead the league in strikeouts three times (with 201 in 1959 and 1960, and 253 in 1967). He never won a [[Cy Young Award]]; the closest he would come was in 1967, his best year, when at age 35, he came in second behind [[Mike McCormick (pitcher)|Mike McCormick]]. He finished with a middling 17–15 record, but posted a career-best ERA (2.29), and led the league in shutouts (6), games started and innings pitched (40/302.1), and strikeouts (253). It was the only year in his career he earned any Cy Young Award votes. He did, however, win the [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award|NL Player of the Month Award]] in June 1964, the month of his perfect game (3–0, 2.20 ERA, 42 SO).

In 1984, Bunning was elected to the [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Salisbury |first=Jim |url=http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-hall-fame-pitcher-jim-bunning-recovering-stroke |title=Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning recovering from stroke |publisher=Csnphilly.com |date=October 23, 2016 |access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref> In 1996 he was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] via the [[Veterans Committee]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Ed |last=Hornick |work=[[CNN]] |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/02/jim.bunning.profile/ |title=Bunning's abrasive behavior spans careers |access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref> In 2001, his [[uniform number]], #14, was retired by the Phillies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/04/07/loc_bunnings_number.html |title=Bunning's number retired in Philly |publisher=Enquirer.com |date=April 7, 2001 |access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>

After retiring as a player, Bunning began [[manager (baseball)|managing]] in the minor leagues for the Phillies organization. He managed the [[Reading Phillies]], [[Eugene Emeralds]], [[Toledo Mud Hens]], and [[Oklahoma City 89ers]] from 1972 through 1976.<ref name=sabr/>