Jim Bunning

Jim Bunning
United States Senator from Kentucky
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Wendell Ford
Succeeded by	Rand Paul
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Gene Snyder
Succeeded by	Ken Lucas
Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 11th district
In office January 1, 1980 – January 1, 1984
Preceded by	Donald Johnson
Succeeded by	Art Schmidt
Personal details
Born	James Paul David Bunning (1931-10-23)October 23, 1931 Southgate, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	May 26, 2017(2017-05-26) (aged 85) Edgewood, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Catherine Theis ​ ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	9
Education	Xavier University (BA)
Jim Bunning's voice Bunning speaks in support of the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as United States attorney general Recorded February 2, 2005
Baseball player Baseball career
Jim Bunning as a Detroit Tigers rookie in 1955
Pitcher
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 20, 1955, for the Detroit Tigers
Last MLB appearance
September 3, 1971, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	224–184
Earned run average	3.27
Strikeouts	2,855
Teams
Detroit Tigers (1955–1963) Philadelphia Phillies (1964–1967) Pittsburgh Pirates (1968–1969) Los Angeles Dodgers (1969) Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1971)
Career highlights and awards
9× All-Star (1957, 1959, 1961–1964, 1966) AL wins leader (1957) 3× Strikeout leader (1959, 1960, 1967) Pitched a perfect game on June 21, 1964 Pitched a no-hitter on July 20, 1958 Philadelphia Phillies No. 14 retired Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1996
Vote	Veterans Committee

James Paul David Bunning (October 23, 1931 – May 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher and politician from Kentucky who served in both chambers of the United States Congress, a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1999 and a member of the United States Senate from 1999 to 2011. He is the sole Major League Baseball athlete to have been elected to both the United States Senate and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bunning pitched from 1955 to 1971 for the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers. When Bunning retired, he had the second-highest total career strikeouts in Major League history; he currently ranks 22nd. As a member of the Phillies, Bunning pitched the seventh perfect game in Major League Baseball history on June 21, 1964, the first game of a Father's Day doubleheader at Shea Stadium, against the New York Mets. It was the first perfect game in the National League since 1880.^[1] Bunning was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1996 after election by the Hall's Veterans Committee.

After retiring from baseball, Bunning returned to his native northern Kentucky and was elected to the Fort Thomas city council, then the Kentucky Senate, in which he served as minority leader. In 1983, Bunning was the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky. In 1986, Bunning was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th congressional district, and served in the House from 1987 to 1999. He was elected to the United States Senate from Kentucky in 1998 and served two terms as the Republican junior U.S. senator. In July 2009, he announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010. Bunning gave his farewell speech to the Senate on December 9, 2010, and was succeeded by fellow Republican Rand Paul on January 3, 2011.