Former Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning suffers stroke

By: Matt Alberston, Historical Columnist

Former Phillies great and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning suffered a stroke on Tuesday, October 18 at his home in Southgate, Kentucky. Bunning was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in northern Kentucky along with his wife. He is no longer in intensive care and was moved to transitional care on Thursday. Family friend Rick Robinson commented that Bunning was in good spirits and watched Game 5 of the NLCS between the Cubs and Dodgers on Thursday night. 

The Bunning family also released a statement:

“Thanks to the attention of the doctors and nurses at St. Elizabeth, he has been provided skilled care that is leading him on the road to recovery. Last night Dad was moved from the Intensive Care Unit to a transitional care unit. The Bunning Family wants to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have been treating Dad…We sincerely appreciate the thoughts and prayers of all who are concerned about our father’s health. However, so we can focus our efforts on Dad’s recovery, we ask the press to respect our family’s privacy at this time. We will let everyone know as his health continues to improve.”

Bunning was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, throwing two no-hitters, including his infamous perfect game against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964. In six seasons with the Phillies, Bunning won 89 games in two stints with the club (1964-1967, 1970-71) and sported a 2.93 ERA. He finished his 17-year career with 224 wins and a 3.27 ERA.

In 1984, Bunning was elected to the Phillies Wall of Fame. He was also the fourth Phillie to be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame between 1994 and 1996, being inducted in 1996. In 2001, the Phillies retired his No. 14. 

Bunning entered politics after his baseball career ended and was elected to both the House of Representatives (1987-1999) and the United States Senate (1999-2011), deciding to retire after his Senate term ended in 2011.