Major League Baseball (MLB) has produced great competitors. Bob Gibson, who spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1975), is one of the all-time bests.
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Bob Gibson broke into the big leagues in 1959. He became a full-time starting pitcher in 1961 and made the NL All-Star team the very next season.
A World Series championship followed in 1964, when his Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in seven games. He led the Cardinals to another championship in 1967 against the Boston Red Sox in seven games.
Gibson won at least 20 games five times over six seasons from 1965-70, and, over that span, developed a reputation as a fierce competitor who was not afraid to throw inside and make hitters uncomfortable.
The best came in 1968 when Gibson went 22-9, posted a 1.12 ERA, and led the NL in ERA, strikeouts (268), and shutouts (13). He had a WAR of 11.2 that season, and won both the NL CY Young Award and MVP. He carried dominance into the postseason, striking out 17 Detroit Tiger hitters in Game 1 of the World Series.
Gibson would win another NL CY Young Award in 1970, and finished his career with 251 victories, playing in nine All-Star Games, and winning nine Gold Glove awards. He was excellent in the World Series, too, going 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA in nine starts, and winning the WS MVP award twice. Bob Gibson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
One of the greatest pitchers of the 20th Century–some contend the best–Bob Gibson passed away in 2020 at the age of 84.
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Published originally on the author’s blog.
