It was 45 years ago today that the Detroit Tigers sent righty starter Jim Bunning and catcher Gus Triandos to the Phillies for Don Demeter and Jack Hamilton.

Bunning was coming off of a down year with the Tigers, having gone 12-13 with a 3.88 ERA after winning as many as 20 games in a year over his 9 seasons with Detroit. The move to the Phillies in the National League was just what the doctor ordered for Bunning, who won 74 games over 4 years with the Phils, and posted ERAs of 2.63, 2.60, 2.41, and 2.29. For the sabermetrically inclined, his adjusted ERAs were outstanding: 132, 134, 148 and 179. His WHIPs in those years? Ridiculous – 1.034, 1.082, 1.003, 1.039. I guess that’s why his plaque in the Hall of Fame has a “P” on the hat instead of a “D”.

Oh, yeah. And there that little thing about him pitching a perfect game at Shea on Father’s Day in 1964. The only thing better than pitching a perfect game is pitching a perfect game against the Mets at Shea. Nice job, Senator.

Triandos platooned with Clay Dalrymple for 1 season, and started about a third of the games in 1964. He was gone by mid 1965. Triandos is remembered by those unfortunate enough to have lived through 1964 as the guy who coined the phrase “The Year of the Blue Snow”.