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1.12

CO. Hoosier

Hall of Famer
Aug 29, 2001
45,309
21,746
113
That was Bob Gibson's earned run average in 1968. One of those numbers that will endure probably forever in baseball. That year Gibson threw 28 complete games; 13 for shutouts. Another enduring number. He was so dominant in 1968 that MLB lowered the mound starting the '69 season just to give batters a chance.

Gibson had the nastiest slider in baseball. Some pitchers may have thrown one that broke more, but Gibson threw with amazing control. And he wasn't a one inning relief guy. His slider was as effective in the 9th inning as the first. The GIF below is the final out in the first '68 world series game. The pitch is thrown at the batter's hip and breaks for strike three for a World Series record 17 strikeouts.

Gibson's slider had a cost. He threw with a stiff wrist and torqued his elbow to generate spin. According to Kepner's K; The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches, Gibson threw in constant pain which was aleived by a horse balm that the FDA banned for use on humans.

Gibson dominated, was constantly competitive, and was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game. RIP.



Bob-Gibson-Cardinals-backup-slider-011314.gif
 
Gibson might have been a Hoosier but for the race quotas that were in effect at the time; he ended up at Creighton instead. I was a big Bob Gibson fan as kid.

From Wikipedia:

Gibson attended Omaha Technical High School, where he participated on the track, basketball, and baseball teams.[8] Health issues resurfaced for Gibson, though, and he needed a doctor's permission to compete in high school sports because of a heart murmur that occurred in tandem with a rapid growth spurt.[9] Gibson was named to the All-State basketball team during his senior year of high school by a newspaper in Lincoln, Nebraska, and soon after won a full athletic scholarship for basketball from Creighton University.[10] Indiana University had rejected him after stating their Negro athlete quota had already been filled.[1
 
That was Bob Gibson's earned run average in 1968. One of those numbers that will endure probably forever in baseball. That year Gibson threw 28 complete games; 13 for shutouts. Another enduring number. He was so dominant in 1968 that MLB lowered the mound starting the '69 season just to give batters a chance.

Gibson had the nastiest slider in baseball. Some pitchers may have thrown one that broke more, but Gibson threw with amazing control. And he wasn't a one inning relief guy. His slider was as effective in the 9th inning as the first. The GIF below is the final out in the first '68 world series game. The pitch is thrown at the batter's hip and breaks for strike three for a World Series record 17 strikeouts.

Gibson's slider had a cost. He threw with a stiff wrist and torqued his elbow to generate spin. According to Kepner's K; The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches, Gibson threw in constant pain which was aleived by a horse balm that the FDA banned for use on humans.

Gibson dominated, was constantly competitive, and was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game. RIP.



Bob-Gibson-Cardinals-backup-slider-011314.gif

Gibson was my first pro sports hero.

My dad's family was from Southern Illinois and we were Cardinal fans from day 1.
His hero was Musial.
Mine was Gibby. (Learning that he played for the Harlem Globetrotters sealed the deal!)

October 10, 1968 was one of the worst days ever.
Had a yellow, plastic AM radio with a single ear plug.
Listened to the end of the World Series game in my driveway.

And folks forget that in 69 and 70, his 2 seasons with his highest number of at-bats, he also hit his highest averages - .246 and .303!

Glad to have lived in his era.

He ranks up their with the all-time dominant players of all sports - one of the guys who were the unquestionable elites.
 
We had no TV when I was young. I fell asleep most summer nights listening to the Cardinals on my small transistor radio.

Listened to Gibson’s no hitter fishing on my grandfathers pond. I think Gibson is one of the greatest ever.

One night a few years ago during a rain delay I watched McCarver, Shannon, Brock and Gibson talk baseball for an hour or more. I didn’t miss a minute of it. I wish I could find it and watch again.

If Gibson were on the Cardinal roster this past week, Tatis would have learned that bat tosses and showing up the pitcher after a home run don’t work.
 
Gibson might have been a Hoosier but for the race quotas that were in effect at the time; he ended up at Creighton instead. I was a big Bob Gibson fan as kid.

From Wikipedia:

Gibson attended Omaha Technical High School, where he participated on the track, basketball, and baseball teams.[8] Health issues resurfaced for Gibson, though, and he needed a doctor's permission to compete in high school sports because of a heart murmur that occurred in tandem with a rapid growth spurt.[9] Gibson was named to the All-State basketball team during his senior year of high school by a newspaper in Lincoln, Nebraska, and soon after won a full athletic scholarship for basketball from Creighton University.[10] Indiana University had rejected him after stating their Negro athlete quota had already been filled.[1

A friend of mine told me the IU story a few days ago. I didn’t realize. Terrible Sad days in the history of IU and the Country. Bob Gibson didn’t sulk or cry about the unfairness. He became one of the greatest pitchers of all time. I listened to him speak many times. He was just as fine of a human being.
 
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Gibson was my first pro sports hero.

My dad's family was from Southern Illinois and we were Cardinal fans from day 1.
His hero was Musial.
Mine was Gibby. (Learning that he played for the Harlem Globetrotters sealed the deal!)

October 10, 1968 was one of the worst days ever.
Had a yellow, plastic AM radio with a single ear plug.
Listened to the end of the World Series game in my driveway.

And folks forget that in 69 and 70, his 2 seasons with his highest number of at-bats, he also hit his highest averages - .246 and .303!

Glad to have lived in his era.

He ranks up their with the all-time dominant players of all sports - one of the guys who were the unquestionable elites.
I have a lot of family in southern Illinois. I almost hesitate to ask, but whereabouts?
 
What a competitor! One of the best hitting pitchers. Those teams with Gibson, Brock, McArver, and Flood was as close as I came to being a Cards fan.
 
Gibson was my first pro sports hero.

My dad's family was from Southern Illinois and we were Cardinal fans from day 1.
His hero was Musial.
Mine was Gibby. (Learning that he played for the Harlem Globetrotters sealed the deal!)

October 10, 1968 was one of the worst days ever.
Had a yellow, plastic AM radio with a single ear plug.
Listened to the end of the World Series game in my driveway.

And folks forget that in 69 and 70, his 2 seasons with his highest number of at-bats, he also hit his highest averages - .246 and .303!

Glad to have lived in his era.

He ranks up their with the all-time dominant players of all sports - one of the guys who were the unquestionable elites.
Kmox radio station? Cards have lots of families like your dad’s that grew up following them on the radio. Southern ill. Kentucky. Arkansas etc. diehard fans
 
We had no TV when I was young. I fell asleep most summer nights listening to the Cardinals on my small transistor radio.

Listened to Gibson’s no hitter fishing on my grandfathers pond. I think Gibson is one of the greatest ever.

One night a few years ago during a rain delay I watched McCarver, Shannon, Brock and Gibson talk baseball for an hour or more. I didn’t miss a minute of it. I wish I could find it and watch again.

If Gibson were on the Cardinal roster this past week, Tatis would have learned that bat tosses and showing up the pitcher after a home run don’t work.

What do you mean it doesn’t work? Tatis lead them to the NLDS did he not?

You are the reason everyone hates Cardinals fans, the holier than though, baseball purist bullshit is really alienating.
 
Watching the playoffs this year raises a point. Watching a great pitcher like Gibson pitch and chalk up strike totals is something. The 1st round games this year averaged over 20 k's per game. This homer or strikeout thing has gotten boring.
 
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Kmox radio station? Cards have lots of families like your dad’s that grew up following them on the radio. Southern ill. Kentucky. Arkansas etc. diehard fans

Absolutely.

When I was in the third grade, we wrote to Harry Carey and Jack Buck and told them we we were coming to the first double header in Busch Stadium. Harry sent us 2 packs of 8x10 black and white photos of every player. And I still have the autographed baseball we got from Stan Musial - “Bat Wishes, Stan Musial”

Learned to hit from his record.
 
Absolutely.

When I was in the third grade, we wrote to Harry Carey and Jack Buck and told them we we were coming to the first double header in Busch Stadium. Harry sent us 2 packs of 8x10 black and white photos of every player. And I still have the autographed baseball we got from Stan Musial - “Bat Wishes, Stan Musial”

Learned to hit from his record.
Ha! Fantastic.
 
What do you mean it doesn’t work? Tatis lead them to the NLDS did he not?

You are the reason everyone hates Cardinals fans, the holier than though, baseball purist bullshit is really alienating.
Nah, not everyone hates them, just people that root for shitty teams that haven’t won as much...you know, kinda like PU fans feel about IU. Lemme guess, Cubs fan?
 
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What do you mean it doesn’t work? Tatis lead them to the NLDS did he not?

You are the reason everyone hates Cardinals fans, the holier than though, baseball purist bullshit is really alienating.

He needed a ball between his shoulder blades. Bob Gibson would have knocked his ass to the ground. He wouldn’t have flipped to bat a second time.
 
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Gibson might have been a Hoosier but for the race quotas that were in effect at the time; he ended up at Creighton instead. I was a big Bob Gibson fan as kid.

From Wikipedia:

Gibson attended Omaha Technical High School, where he participated on the track, basketball, and baseball teams.[8] Health issues resurfaced for Gibson, though, and he needed a doctor's permission to compete in high school sports because of a heart murmur that occurred in tandem with a rapid growth spurt.[9] Gibson was named to the All-State basketball team during his senior year of high school by a newspaper in Lincoln, Nebraska, and soon after won a full athletic scholarship for basketball from Creighton University.[10] Indiana University had rejected him after stating their Negro athlete quota had already been filled.[1

Wow! I had no idea! So Bob Gibson got a letter from Indiana University saying that he couldn't play basketball in Bloomington cuz they already had one black player on the team. Very embarrassing and disappointing.
 
That was Bob Gibson's earned run average in 1968. One of those numbers that will endure probably forever in baseball. That year Gibson threw 28 complete games; 13 for shutouts. Another enduring number. He was so dominant in 1968 that MLB lowered the mound starting the '69 season just to give batters a chance.

Gibson had the nastiest slider in baseball. Some pitchers may have thrown one that broke more, but Gibson threw with amazing control. And he wasn't a one inning relief guy. His slider was as effective in the 9th inning as the first. The GIF below is the final out in the first '68 world series game. The pitch is thrown at the batter's hip and breaks for strike three for a World Series record 17 strikeouts.

Gibson's slider had a cost. He threw with a stiff wrist and torqued his elbow to generate spin. According to Kepner's K; The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches, Gibson threw in constant pain which was aleived by a horse balm that the FDA banned for use on humans.

Gibson dominated, was constantly competitive, and was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game. RIP.



Bob-Gibson-Cardinals-backup-slider-011314.gif
Today's players would have a hard time dealing with him because he didn't hesitate to come inside if a batter started crowding the plate. A lot of players today would be ready to fight when that happen.
 
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