Tom Sunkel was born on a farm a few miles west of Paris and, with help from his uncle Paul McFall and his future wife Ivadean, began a 20-year journey in professional baseball. A pitcher known for an amazing fastball, he spent several years in the minors before joining 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 Cardinals farm team, and won the Southern Association Triple Crown with a 21-5 record, a 2.33 ERA, and 178 strikeouts, all while adjusting to the effects of a developing cataract. Despite this, he returned to the Cardinals in 1939 and won with a 2 hitter against the Giants. He remained with the Cardinals organization until 1941, by which time he had lost all sight in his left eye. He pitched for the New York Giants during portions of the 1941-43 seasons and for 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. After his playing days ended in 1948, he returned to Paris and managed the Paris Lakers of the Class D Mississippi-Ohio Valley League from 1951-1954. Tom and Dean were devoted to baseball and to each other for more than 65 years.