Jim Bunning, the former Pittsburgh Pirates and Hall of Fame pitcher who threw a perfect game and later forged a second career as a fervently conservative and often cantankerous Republican congressman and senator from Kentucky, died Friday in the Fort Thomas, Ky., area. He was 85.
His death was confirmed by the Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home in Fort Thomas. He had a stroke last October.
Pitching for 17 seasons, mostly with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, Mr. Bunning dominated batters with his sidearm right-handed deliveries.
He was the second pitcher, after Cy Young, to win at least 100 games, record at least 1,000 strikeouts and throw no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues.