I remember his no hit game against the Metsies at Shea Stadium. Wow. It was like yesterday! A Phillie great. R.I.P.
Bunning pitched well for Detroit and Philly. I was on my 1st overseas tour when he threw that perfecto but it mad Far Est Network Sports News pretty fast for those times.
Bunning often reminded me of Robin Roberts.... an old school scrappy chin music pitcher, as good as it got when it came to owning the plate... pitched the first perfect game in modern NL history and became the first pitcher after 1900 to throw no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues. His ornery nature prompted Republican leaders to push Bunning to retire as a senator. As his party soured on him, Bunning pushed back. At one point, he threatened to sue the party's national campaign arm if it backed a primary challenger. But in July 2009 he dropped his reelection bid, accusing his GOP colleagues of doing “everything in their power to dry up my fundraising.” Bunning's competitive side also was evident during his political career. In February 2010, he single-handedly held up a $10-billion spending bill in Congress because it would add to the deficit. “The main qualities it takes for professional athletes and politicians is to have a very thick hide, a thick skin, and to be able to meet and greet people,” he said in July 2000. Bunning also used his political status to speak out about the game he loved. He declared that athletes who use steroids should be kept out of the Baseball Hall of Fame and have their records nullified. He co-authored legislation calling for stiff punishment for professional athletes caught using steroids. The proposal, which sought a lifetime ban for a third positive test, would have applied to baseball, football, basketball and hockey players. His career highlights included a no-hitter for the Tigers in 1958 and a perfect game for the Phillies in 1964. Bunning went 20-8 with Detroit in 1957, his only 20-win season, but won 19 games four times. Bunning, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, was a leading figure in the founding of the baseball players union. http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-jim-bunning-20170527-story.html
...Damn...you know you're getting older when you peruse the paper and you instinctively read the OBITs before you read the sports page.
and to add to your comment: you know you're old when you read the obits first, and most of the obits are not of strangers, but people you know .. our heroes are fading fast....
Bunning and Frank Lary were a formidable duo for the Tigers in the late 50's. Both were a thorn in the side but Lary in particular beating the Yankees 21 times in his career. At that time Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons were the lefty righty combination for the Phillies. Roberts had six consecutive 20 game win season with a club other than 1950 was pretty much a 4th place team. Simmons was somewhat of an unsung hereo after being traded to the Cardinals. Everyone mentions Bob Gibson but Simmons won 33 games in '63 & '64 seasons (Age 34,35) helping the Cards to a Championship. As Archie Bunker would have said about those days Girls were girls and men were men.
You know you are old if... this one happened to my Dad last week more than once: You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time. Today I was over at Dad's house, and was looking for my cell phone when it was in my damned hand....guess it's dad's fault, rubbing off, lol... When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio. The pharmacist has become your new best friend. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't even rememberbeing on the hilll. Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Pick one, I can't do both!" Your friends compliment you on your new lizard skin boots, and you're barefoot. A sexy babe catches your eye and your pacemaker opens the garage door. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either. You place the Prep-H in the toothpast container..... doh jes sayin'
