Robert Gibson
Primary team: St. Louis Cardinals
Primary position: Pitcher
"Gibby is one of baseball's greatest competitors." – Stan Musial
Bob Gibson may well have been the most intimidating pitcher in history. He was certainly one of the most successful. The Omaha, Neb., native excelled at baseball and basketball in high school, and played college hoops for Creighton University before a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1957, he signed with the Cardinals and made his big league debut in 1959.
A 15-game winner by 1962, Gibson began to take flight soon after. He won 18 games in 1963, and 19 in the Cardinals' pennant winning season of 1964, when he went 9-2 in his final 11 starts down the stretch to lead the Redbirds. In the World Series against the Yankees, he went 2-1, winning Game 5 at Yankee Stadium and then Game 7 at home on two days rest. He was named World Series MVP.
He was a 20-game winner in 1965 and '66, winning the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves Awards in '65. A broken ankle in July of 1967 slowed him down to a 13-7 record, including three wins late in the season to help the Cards clinch another pennant. He went 3-0 with an ERA of 1.00 in the Cardinals' victory over the Red Sox, winning Games 1, 4, and 7 and picking up his second World Series MVP Award.
The 1968 season has come to be known as "The Year of the Pitcher," and Bob Gibson was certainly the pitcher of the year. He went 22-9 with a sparkling ERA of 1.12 to go along with 268 strikeouts, 13 shutouts, 15 consecutive wins and a stretch of 95 innings in which he gave up just two runs. He was again 2-1 in the World Series, beating the Tigers in Games 1 and 4 before going the distance in a Game 7 loss.
Gibson brought home both the 1968 Cy Young Award and the NL Most Valuable Player Awards, and, in the ultimate compliment, baseball lowered the mound the following season, because pitchers, led by Gibson, were dominating hitters and games were historically low-scoring.
Gibson earned a second Cy Young Award in 1970, and pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates in 1971. Injuries were beginning to take their toll, however, and Gibson wound down with double figure victory totals in 1973 and '74 before retiring in 1975. Gibson's 17 years with the Cardinals netted 251 victories, 3,117 strikeouts, 56 shutouts and an ERA of 2.91. He later served as a pitching coach for the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981, and the MLB All-Century Team in 1999.
Joe Torre, Gibson's teammate from 1969-'75 and a sometime battery mate, said: "Pride, intensity, talent, respect, dedication. You need them all to describe Bob Gibson."
Gibson passed away on Oct.2, 2020.
That Bob Gibson was a star basketball player at Creighton University and that he played with the Harlem Globetrotters?
"Gibson pitches as though he's double parked. "
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Position Played: Pitcher
Birth place: Omaha, Nebraska
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Died: 2020, Omaha, Nebraska
St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1975)
Innings PitchedIP
WinsW
LossesL
Winning %Winning %
Games StartedGS
ERAERA
Complete GamesCG
ShutoutsSHO
WHIPWHIP
SavesSV
Earned RunsER
StrikeoutsSO
Ball thrown by Bob Gibson for his 3,000th career strikeout, Cesar Geronimo of the Cincinnati Reds struck out in the 2nd inning July 17, 1974 at Busch Stadium - B-389-74 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
St. Louis Cardinals' Bob Gibson - BL-5655-70 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
Bob Gibson strikes out Cincinnati Reds outfielder César Gerónimo to record his 3000th strikeout. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Bob Gibson won 251 games during his 17-year big league career with the St. Louis Cardinals. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Bob Gibson struck out 92 batters over 81 innings in the World Series. In nine World Series starts, he registered eight complete games. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Bob Gibson - Baseball Hall of Fame Biographies, 0:46
Bob Gibson 1981 Hall of Fame Induction Speech
The Hall of Fame Remembers Bob Gibson
Hall call puts exclamation point on Gibson's career
Bob Gibson's career of excellence culminated in a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame in 1981.
Bob Gibson becomes the second pitcher to record 3,000 strikeouts
On July 17, 1974, Bob Gibson became a member of a club of only two members when he recorded his 3,000th career strikeout.
Bob Gibson fans 17 Tigers in Game 1 of 1968 World Series
Oct. 2 featured three World Series strikeout records in a 15-year span.
Gibson completes fantastic 1968 season with NL MVP honors
Though Bob Gibson only played in 34 regular season games in 1968, it was enough to earn him NL MVP honors and to change baseball's rules moving forward.
Bob Gibson remembered as one of baseball's ultimate competitors
Cardinals ace posted some of the most dominant numbers in history.
Bob Gibson wills Cardinals to Game 7 victory in 1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series marked a turning point in the history of the game.
Steve Carlton passes Bob Gibson atop the NL's all-time strikeout list
The Philadelphia Phillies' Steve Carlton struck out 12 Montreal Expos on Sept. 21, 1981 to pass Bob Gibson atop the National League's all-time strikeout list.