No Hitters & Perfect Games

With one of only two "no hitters" in post season play and one of only twenty "perfect games" in major league history, Roy Halladay is having quite a season!

In 140 seasons, there have been 500,000 major league baseball games. Out of a half million games, there have only been twenty "perfect games" - super no hitters, if you will. In addition to being a no hitter, a perfect game is where a pitcher has allowed no one to reach base - not by a hit, walk, hit batter, or error. It's only happened eight times in the National League. Amazingly, two of those eight perfect games were thrown by Phillies' pitchers. The other Phillies' perfect game came almost a half century ago....

Even in 1964, it was unusual for a major league pitcher to have seven children. Yet, the Phils had an ace with a genuine family man reputation. On Father's Day, 32 year old Jim Bunning loaded his kids in the car for a trip to Shea Stadium, where he was scheduled to pitch that afternoon (In 1964 & 1965, the New York Mets' home was adjacent to the World's Fair grounds. Michelangelo's Pieta was there at that time.).
With post game media frenzy following his perfect game, the Bunning kids had to wait for another day to get to the World's Fair!

In 1996, Jim Bunning was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2004, Jim Bunning was elected to his second term in the United States senate. According to CatholicAdvocate.com, Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky is one of only six Catholics in the United States Senate to have a voting record which is perfectly consistent with the teachings of his Church.
One day, our Lord will be calling for Jim Bunning (like He will for each of us), out of the bullpen of this life. To Jim Bunning, it is easy to imagine that our Lord will say: "Well done, good and faithful servant." Come Judgment Day, Jim Bunning's other "perfect" record will be of far, far greater significance than the game he played in 1964.