Bob Gibson-RIP

[jimsumner]

Rough few weeks for the Cardinals nation.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ls-ace-dies-84

His 1968 season might be the best season ever in the live-ball era.

[YmoBeThere]

He had great stuff on the mound and was a fierce competitor. Never afraid to claim part of the plate.

Re: '68 - how do you lose 9 games with a 1.12 ERA?

[Bob Green]

Another childhood hero gone. Sad day. RIP.

[budwom]

Bob's amazing year was one of the reasons why baseball lowered the mount from 15 inches to 10 inches after the '68 season...

[accfanfrom1970]

1964 World Series- first one watched, after my first Little League season, as a Cardinal. Fan ever since, Gibson was great. Re-read 1964 this summer, time to re-read Stranger to the Game. First Brock, now Gibson. 2020 sucks.

[weezie]

Any infant in Detroit at that time learned Gibson's name. The city was in fearful awe of his power.
Godspeed Bob Gibson...

[ClemmonsDevil]

He had great stuff on the mound and was a fierce competitor. Never afraid to claim part of the plate.

Re: '68 - how do you lose 9 games with a 1.12 ERA?

Baseball is the best sport for stat geeks. It's an individual sport masquerading as a team sport. I agree with Mr. Sumner's take on the 1968 season.

[ClemmonsDevil]

And if there are baseball games in heaven I would caution the angels that when they dig in against Mr. Gibson they should not crowd the plate. That inner half is his.

[Green Wave Dukie]

As a cub fan growing up in the 70s in central Illinois, where we were located closer to St. Louis than Chicago, Bob Gibson was a feared rival. Praying for his family.

(Paging JV001 for his perspective).

[jv001]

As a cub fan growing up in the 70s in central Illinois, where we were located closer to St. Louis than Chicago, Bob Gibson was a feared rival. Praying for his family.

(Paging JV001 for his perspective).

First Lou Brock and now The Great Gibby. It's been a rough time for this Cardinal fan. I think the only major league pitcher who had the fire that Gibson had was Nolan Ryan. Gibson in the 60s was a pretty sure thing for a complete game. A few times as the losing pitcher. I do not think there will ever be a Cardinal pitcher as good as Gibby.

RIP Mr. Gibson.

[jimsumner]

First Lou Brock and now The Great Gibby. It's been a rough time for this Cardinal fan. I think the only major league pitcher who had the fire that Gibson had was Nolan Ryan. Gibson in the 60s was a pretty sure thing for a complete game. A few times as the losing pitcher. I do not think there will ever be a Cardinal pitcher as good as Gibby.

RIP Mr. Gibson.

I'd put Tom Seaver on the short-had-fire-list but not many other pitchers of that generation.

[jv001]

I'd put Tom Seaver on the short-had-fire-list but not many other pitchers of that generation.

I agree that Seaver had that fire and we lost him this year. Tom was Tom Terrific. I might even say Roger Clemens had that fire but he was not in that generation.

[jimsumner]

In a different generation Gibson might have been an NBA icon. He was a great basketball player at Creighton. But the NBA was way behind MLB in the food chain in the 1950s and Gibson obviously made the right decision.

Still, it would have been interesting to see him go up against Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Hal Greer, Sam Jones and the other great NBA guards of that era.

[ClemmonsDevil]

https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2014/3/...ball-creighton

Excellent Jim. He was fantastic it seems. Averaged over 20 per game for his career.

[jimsumner]

https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2014/3/...ball-creighton

Excellent Jim. He was fantastic it seems. Averaged over 20 per game for his career.

It's interesting how many top major-league players in the 1960s were also outstanding college basketball players; our own Dick Groat, Frank Howard, Donnie Kessinger, Joe Gibbon. Steve Hamilton, Dave DeBusschere, Gene Conley and Ron Reed played NBA and MLB. DeBusschere, of course, stuck with the NBA and became a great player.

Now, sports are so specialized that it's tough to pull off that sort of thing.

[luvdahops]

I agree that Seaver had that fire and we lost him this year. Tom was Tom Terrific. I might even say Roger Clemens had that fire but he was not in that generation.

I would argue that Steve Carlton had it, too. Feuded with the media for much of his career, so wasn't as celebrated as the media-savvy Seaver, but was definitely feared and respected by opponents. Also on record for mocking pitch counts and 5-man rotations in the modern game.

[jimsumner]

I would argue that Steve Carlton had it, too. Feuded with the media for much of his career, so wasn't as celebrated as the media-savvy Seaver, but was definitely feared and respected by opponents. Also on record for mocking pitch counts and 5-man rotations in the modern game.

Carlton was 27-10 in 1972 for a Phillies team that won 59 games. That has to rank with Gibbie's 1968 season.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Carlton was 27-10 in 1972 for a Phillies team that won 59 games. That has to rank with Gibbie's 1968 season.

I believe I have read that Bill James holds those 2 seasons in extraordinarily high esteem. Maybe ranking Carlton's season as the greatest single season pitching performance ever.

[jv001]

I believe I have read that Bill James holds those 2 seasons in extraordinarily high esteem. Maybe ranking Carlton's season as the greatest single season pitching performance ever.

Carlton trade, worst in Cardinal history. Rick Reed, are you kidding me.

[YmoBeThere]

Some might suggest Koufax in '65...