Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Former U.S. 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 family said the ex-senator and baseball great died late Friday of complications from a stroke suffered last October.
Bunning won 224 games in a 17-year major-league career and pitched the first perfect game in modern National League history.
He became the first pitcher after 1900 to throw no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues.
Bunning served 12 years in the U.S. House, followed by two terms in the Senate. A staunch conservative, he was a fierce protector of state interests such as tobacco, coal and its military bases.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.