Baseball Legends: Bob Gibson (Cardinals 1959-1975)

“Don’t dig in against Bob Gibson, he’ll knock you down. He’d knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don’t stare at him, don’t smile at him, don’t talk to him. He doesn’t like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don’t run too slow, don’t run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don’t charge the mound, because he’s a Gold Glove boxer.” ~ Hank Aaron

One of the most dominating pitchers of the modern era, Bob Gibson played his entire career in a Cardinals uniform. He won two Cy Young awards, one NL MVP, two World Series MVP trophies, and nine Gold Gloves; he also appeared on nine All-Star rosters, and started the All-Star Game in 1972.

Gibson’s 1968 season was one for the ages. Known as “The Year of the Pitcher,” Gibson showed his dominance as he recorded 22 wins, 13 of those shutouts. Only three other pitchers in the history of the game have had as many shutouts: Pete Alexander (16 in 1916), George Bradley (16 in 1876), and Jack Coombs (13 in 1910).  His 1.12 ERA was the lowest since Dutch Leonard’s 0.96 in 1914; the lowest since 1968 was Dwight Gooden’s 1.53 in 1985. Even more telling was Gibson’s adjusted ERA of 258, over 100 points better than the Giants’ Bobby Bolin that same year.

While Gibson is most known for his amazing 1968 season, he was an overpowering pitcher for much of his career. Between 1965-1970, he won 20 or more games five times. Twice he won 19 games; once 18. He finished his career with 251 wins, 3117 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA; his career adjusted ERA was 127.

Gibson’s presence on the mound was intimidating; he rarely smiled on the field. Even with his own teammates, he was gruff. During a mound conference with his catcher, Tim McCarver, Gibson reportedly said, “The only thing you know about pitching is you can’t hit it. Get back behind the plate unless you want the medic to carry you back to the dugout.”

Even after retirement, he continued to show a competitive personality. In a 1992 Old-Timers Game, Reggie Jackson homered off Gibson; in 1993, Jackson got a brushback pitch as retaliation.

Gibson’s uniform number 45 is retired by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 1981, with 84% of the vote.

See Gibson’s career statistics at baseball-reference.com.

Written by JT at The Writer’s Journey.