From 1955 to 1971, he was a star pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies. On 21 June 1964 (Father's Day), he pitched a perfect game against the Mets, the first in the regular season since 1922. He retired after having become the first pitcher since
Cy Young to win 100 games in both leagues, and ranking second to only
Walter Johnson in career strikeouts.
