Bob    

"Gibby" was one of the most dominating pitchers of his time.  Once he crossed the white lines he was all business.  An amazing competitive spirit led him to numerous individual, team and World Series records.  His 1.12 ERA in 1968, now more than 30 years later, is still an unbelievable feat!!!

"I owe the public just one thing -- a good performance."  -- Bob

The Sporting News has ranked Bob number 31 in their list of the top 100 greatest players of all time!!!!

Career Highlights

    -  Debut:  4/15/1959    ---   Final game:  9/3/1975    (Career summary)

    -  Cy Young winner, 1968 & 1970

    -  Elected to the Hall of Fame, 1981

    -  Selected to the All-Star game 7 times

    -  Is the only MLB pitcher to win 7 straight World Series starts (1964 - 5 & 7, 1967 - all three games, 1968 - 1 & 4)

    -  Ranks second in NL history for most seasons with 200 or more strikeouts, 9.

    -  NL MVP in 1968

    -  World Series MVP, 1964 & 1967

    -  Cardinals retire Bob's #45 uniform in 1975.

    - 9 consecutive Gold Gloves.  (1965-1973)

    - 10 Opening Day starts.

Team Records:

    -  Most Career Shutouts: 56 (1959-75)

    -  Most Career Wins: 251

    -  Most Career Strikeouts: 3,117

    -  Most Complete Games: 255

    -  Most Innings Pitched: 3885

    -  Most Season Shutouts: 13 (1968)

    -  Most Season Strikeouts: 274 (1970)

    -  Lowest Season ERA: 1.12 (1968)

    - Starts: 1st (482)

    - Games pitched: 2nd (528)

World Series Records:

    -  Most Strikeouts, Series -- 35 (1968) (seven games)

    -  Most Strikeouts, Game -- 17 (1968) (game 1)

MLB Videos

- Cardinals Retire #45

- Gibson strikes out 17 in Game 1 of the 68 WS

- TBS Hot Corner - Pride of October

- Bob Gibson with Costas and McCarver

- HOF Bio

- 2011 Opening day!

Career Pitching Stats:

Career Strikeout leaders: (as of 1/21/2013)

1.	Nolan Ryan	5714
2.	Randy Johnson	4875
3.	Roger Clemens	4672
4.	Steve Carlton	4136
5.	Bert Blyleven	3701
6.	Tom Seaver	3640
7.	Don Sutton	3574
8.	Gaylord Perry	3534
9.	Walter Johnson	3508
10.	Greg Maddux	3371
11.	Phil Niekro	3342
12.	Ferguson Jenkins	3192
13.	Pedro Martinez	3154
14.	Bob Gibson	3117
15.	Curt Schilling	3116
16.	John Smoltz	3084
17.	Jim Bunning	2855
18.	Micky Lolich	2832
19.	Mike Mussina	2813
20.	Cy Young	2803
21.	Frank Tanana	2773
22.	David Cone	2668
23.	Chuck Finley	2610
24.	Tom Glavine	2607
25.	Warren Spahn	2583

They said it... Fun facts:

At age 35, Bob finally throws his first career no-hitter, 11-0 over the Pirates.  He strikes out Willie Stargell for the final out.

"I've played a couple of hundred games of tick-tac-toe with my little daughter and she hasn't beaten me yet.   I've always had to win.  I've got to win."

"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock, I knew it was time to quit."

"A great catch is like watching girls go by... the last one you see is always the prettiest."

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I've ever seen.  He always pitches on the day the other team doesn't score any runs."  --  Tim McCarver

"The only thing you know about pitching is that you can't hit it."  -- Bob to Tim McCarver

"Bob Gibson pitches as though he's double parked." -- Vin Scully

It didn't make any difference to Bob that it was a spring training game when the Pirates' Frank Traveras beat out a two-strike bunt.  On his next at-bat, Bob hit him with a fastball.

The longest streak of consecutive wins by a Cardinal pitcher is 15, by Bob in 1968.

During his remarkable 1968 season, Bob pitched a span of 92 innings in June and July in which he allowed two runs, one of which scored on a wild pitch.

"It's a shame it had to end that way, but I'm not disappointed. We won."  Bob reflecting on the wild pitch that ended his 47 2/3rds consecutive scoreless innings.

"He couldn't pitch today because they wouldn't let him.  The way he'd throw inside, he'd be kicked out of the game in the first inning, along with guys like Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax."    -- Red Schoendienst

In June 1968 Bob hurled his fifth straight shutout, a four-hit, 3-0 victory over the hard-hitting Pirates.  He is in the midst of an incredible string of 99 innings in which he gives up just two runs - one on a wild pitch, the other on a bloop double that is fair by inches.

Bob is the only Cardinals player in franchise history to strike out four batters in a single inning.  (6/7/66, Pirates)

Bob pitched three complete-game victories in the 1967 World Series.

Bob is the only Cardinals pitcher to hit two career grand-slams.

In Gibson's first full year, he walk 5.07 batters per nine innings, and ended up 13-12 on the season.

Bob played himself in the 1968 episode of the TV show Gentle Ben.  ("Batter Up", Season 1, Episode 21)

Bob's links:

St. Louis Walk of Fame

MLB Hall of Fame

        Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

Baseball Library

The Baseball Page

Baseball Reference

Baseball Almanac

ESPN Classic

Sources:

   -  The Cardinals Fan's Little Book of Wisdom/ Rob Rains / 1994

   -  Cardinals Magazine/September 1994

   -  Cardinals Gameday Magazine/March 1998

(This site is in no way affiliated or sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals or Major League Baseball and is intended to be used for non-commercial, personal enjoyment.  Although I attempt to be as correct/accurate as possible when giving information in these documents, I make no guarantees as to their accuracy.  Questions/comments may be sent to the address below. Mark Mobley (1999-2013) all rights reserved.  All photos and/or images may be copyrighted by their original owners.)

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Updated: 01/21/13                                Comments? Cardsfan@ford-mobley.com