Bunning Does Not Belong

Jim Was A Fine, Not An All-Time Great Pitcher

Sep 18, 2007

Jim Bunning was a good pitcher, but he does not rank among the greatest in the history of the game and was not a Hall of Fame player.

Jim Bunning was elected to the Hall of Fame by the veterans committee in 1996, after having been on the regular ballot for 15 years and never receiving enough votes for entrance. Jim pitched from 1955 until 1971, but his first full season as a regular starter was 1957, when he won 20 games for the Tigers -- his only twenty win season.

Jim Bunning's Solid Career

Bunning’s career record was 224-184 (.549) with a 3.27 ERA, compared to a league 3.74 ERA. A workhorse, he averaged over 220 innings a season and completed 151 of his 519 starts, including 40 shutouts. On Father’s Day, 1964, Bunning pitched a perfect game against the Mets. He was the first pitcher to win 100 games and strike out 1,000 batters in each league, but he never appeared in the World Series.

Mike Mussina's Career Is Similiar To Bunning's

Mike Mussina's career is strikingly similar to Jim Bunning’s. Mussina never threw quite as hard as Bunning, but he had a greater variety of pitches and averaged more strikeouts a game. Mussina has never won 20 games in a season, although he has won 19 twice. His career record is 248-144 (.633) with a 3.70 ERA, compared to a league 4.53 ERA. Mussina averages over 220 innings a season but in the era of the bullpen, he has completed only 57 of his 500 starts. Mussina has appeared in two World Series, starting 3 games with an 0-2 record and a 3.00 ERA.

A Player Is A Hall Of Famer Or He Is Not

Many individuals in the media and many fans consider Mike Mussina to be a “borderline” Hall of Famer. That is a ridiculous term. A player is Hall of Famer or he is not. Mike Mussina is not a Hall of Famer. His ability and his career record are those of a fine pitcher, but not of a Hall of Famer. Tom Seaver had the ability and career to be a Hall of Famer. Mike Mussina does not.

Bunning and Mussina

Jim Bunning is in the Hall of Fame, yet his record is similar to Mike Mussina’s. Once a mistake has been made in such a situation, the mistake cannot be rectified. Bunning cannot be expunged from the Hall of Fame, yet he averaged 13 wins and 11 losses a season while Mussina averaged 16 wins and 9 losses a season. It is recognized that a pitcher’s won-lost record is not the best method of evaluation, but WHIP (Walks and Hits compared to Innings Pitched) is a better method. Bunning’s WHIP was 1.179. Mussina’s WHIP is 1.189. No difference. Their other statistics are not very different.

Was Bunning Better Than...?

Jim Bunning pitched in the eras of Whitey Ford, Warren Spahn, Robin Roberts, Juan Marichal, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton. Few would rank Bunning or Mussina ahead of ANY of these pitchers.

John, Blyleven and Kaat

The question has been asked repeatedly and discussed over and over. Why aren’t Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat in the Hall of Fame? The answer is simple, but one that many individuals are unwilling to accept. They don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. A better question is, “What is Jim Bunning doing there?

PITCHER W L ERA WHIP

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