Tom Sunkel

Tom Sunkel was born on a farm just a few miles west of Paris. With the help of his uncle Paul McFall and his wife to be Ivadean he embarked on a 20 year journey in professional baseball. He distinguished himself as a pitcher with an amazing fastball. After several years in the minors he was summoned to the St. Louis Cardinals for the final month of the 1937 season. In 1938 he was sent to the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association then a farm team of the Cardinals. He won the Southern Association Triple Crown going 21-5 with an ERA of 2.33 and 178 strikeouts. All of this was accomplished while adjusting to the effects of a developing cataract. Despite this he was called up again to the Cardinals in 1939 where he won with a 2 hitter against the Giants. He stayed with the Cardinals organization until 1941. By this time he had lost all sight in his left eye. He pitched for the New York Giants for portions of the 1941-43 seasons and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944. His final moment of glory came on September 12, 1946 when he pitched a no hit - no run playoff game for the St. Paul Saints of the American Association against the Louisville Colonels. On completion of his playing days in 1948 he returned to Paris and managed the Paris Lakers of the Class D Mississippi - Ohio Valley League from 1951-1954 in a park just a few hundred feet to the west of this site. Tom and Dean were devoted to baseball and each other for over 65 years., May they rest in peace.