The perception is that baseball's players' union is protecting players to use steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

Bunning pitched for the Detroit Tigers (1955–63). They had five daughters and four sons. In his first season with the Phillies Bunning entered play on June 21 with a 6–2 record on the season.

When Bunning retired he had the second-highest total of career strikeouts in Major League history; he is currently 17th. Bunning gave his farewell speech to the Senate on December 9 2010 and was succeeded by current Senator Rand Paul on January 3 2011. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.