Bob Gibson pitching during the ninth inning of the first game of the 1968 World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, October 2, 1968.Photograph from AP
Posted on 10/02/2020 8:39:57 PM PDT by ifinnegan
By almost any account, Stan Musial was considered the greatest Cardinals player. By the same accounts, Bob Gibson, who died at age 84 Friday night in Omaha, Nebraska, under hospice care after fighting pancreatic cancer for more than a year, was considered the franchise’s greatest pitcher.
Gibson was the Cardinals' second National Baseball Hall of Famer to die in the past month. His longtime teammate, Lou Brock, died at age 81 on Sept. 6. Gibson's death came on the 52nd anniversary of perhaps his greatest game, a record 17-strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Gibson was one of the greatest of all time, including the time he pitched on a broken leg in 1968. While rehabbing the leg, he taped an “interview” for the media to his locker for when he wasn’t there. The interview consisted of one of the three following answers:
1) The leg is coming along fine. I hope to be back pitching again as soon as possible.
2) I have confidence that the Cardinals will continue winning even as I am recuperating.
3) None of your damn business.
Gibson once pitched a complete game against the Dodgers in under an hour and thirty minutes. Scully exclaimed:
“Gibson is pitching as if he’s double-parked”.
Yes, one of the great ones. A class act. RIP
No kidding, in 1968 we had at least 3 incredible pitching performances...
Bob Gibson a 1.12 ERA for the entire season
Denny McClain - 31 wins
Don Drysdale has 58 consecutive scoreless innings which at the time as a all time record broken 20 years later by Orel Hersheiser...
RIP.
Me too! It was a great time to grow up in St. louis! Sad how things got!
Mickey Lolich was the star for us in the series. It was supposed to be Gibson vs McClain. A truly great pitcher Mr. Gibson
Re Bumgarner check out his WS record.
His literal record.
Best ERA all-time in WS history. 40 IP. One ER. 0.25 in 40 IP of WS play. PLUS in two single game Wild Card playoffs, two nine-inning shutouts.
If I recall correctly, Gibby had a 1.12 ERA in 1968. Mind boggling. One of the greatest of all time.
Pitching was dominant in 1968. Carl Yastrzemski won the batting title, with an average of .301.
In a sign of the times in 1968, that only yielded a 22-9 W-L record. You would have figured 27-4 (or better), but he didn't get much run support.
He had 13 shutouts that season, but didn't get his first one until the 12th game he pitched (out of 34 starts). So, 13 of his last 23 games started he pitched a shutout. Raised mound or not, that was unreal.
Awesome pitcher and competitor. Remembered from the days of my youth. Eternal Rest for you, Bob.
A great piece on Gibson here:
Bob Gibson pitching during the ninth inning of the first game of the 1968 World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, October 2, 1968.Photograph from AP
Thanks to Mickey Lolich and some bad fielding by the Cards.
I believe he also played basketball while at Creighton too.
I think Yaz won the Triple Crown that year.
Thought it was 1967 that he won it.
You are right!
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