Hall of Famer Jim Bunning dies

He won 224 games, including a no-hitter in each league, then became a congressman and senator.

Former Sen. Jim Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher who parlayed his sports fame into a political career as an uncompromising advocate for conservative causes, has died. He was 85.

Bunning’s death Friday was confirmed by Jon Deuser, who served as chief of staff when the Kentucky Republican was in the Senate. Deuser said Saturday he was notified about the death by Bunning’s family.

Bunning, who won 224 games in a 17-year career in the majors, mostly with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched the first perfect game in modern National League history and became the first pitcher after 1900 to throw no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues. He also pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent one season with the Dodgers.

Known as a no-nonsense pitcher who threw hard and knocked batters down when necessary, the big righthander belonged to a rare group of major league pitchers to throw a perfect game in the modern era.

He retired from baseball in 1971 and then carried his success into politics.

Bunning served 12 years in the House of Representatives, followed by two terms in the Senate. He was a fierce protector of Kentucky interests such as tobacco and coal. Bunning decided not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2010.

His ornery nature prompted Republican leaders to push Bunning to retire as a senator. 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, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, was a leading figure in the founding of the baseball players union.

Deuser said Bunning was in hospice care when he died.