Bob Gibson, a native Omahan and one of MLB's most dominant pitchers, dies at 84
Source: Omaha World Herald
By Dirk Chatelain
Bob Gibson, the most accomplished Nebraska-born athlete and author of the greatest pitching season in Major League Baseball's past 100 years, died Friday night. He was 84.
The Hall of Fame pitcher was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2019. When the grim reaper knocks on his front door, Gibson said then, "he's gonna have a fight on his hands."
Indeed, Gibson fought the disease with his trademark tenacity.
Gibson grew up in Omaha's segregated Near North Side and starred at Tech High and Creighton before rising to fame with the St. Louis Cardinals. During the turbulent civil rights era, he smashed stereotypes and thrived under immense pressure.
Bob Gibson, born and raised in Omaha, became one of the most dominant pitchers of his era -- perhaps in MLB history -- for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Read more: https://omaha.com/sports/local-sports/bob-gibson-a-native-omahan-and-one-of-mlbs-most-dominant-pitchers-dies-at-84/article_d0cf5642-8bb9-574c-bd97-04e92b7f6f96.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
Bob and I were in physical therapy together. I was in for shoulder surgery. So was he. He lived in Bellevue a short distance from my house. He was wonderful to talk to. Great stories. All you had to do was ask.
He was a guest of the College World Series that same year. What a thrill he called me by name in front of a crowd.
OS
Gore1FL
(21,035 posts)He was a great man.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)1960's which is a hell of statement to make considering all of the other great pitchers. 1968 was the year of Bob Gibson as NO pitcher has ever had a dominating season like he did. Only a great Detroit Tiger team who came back to win the series spoiled it. RIP Bob, you made the game real to many of us
bucolic_frolic
(42,679 posts)It was a classic. The Series turned when Lou Brock failed to slide into home plate, game 5. Game 7 Lolich picked off Brock stealing second. Most YouTubers seemed to agree he was safe, yet no one questioned it.
The Cardinals were out-coached. Schoendienst stuck with his low, almost zero, hitting shortstop, while Detroit manager juggled his outfield and shortstop to get Al Kaline in the lineup, and thus more hitting. And Lolich came out of nowhere.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)what a Bob Gibson today be worth. The made the mound height change because of Bob Gibson and to tell you the truth, be of little impact. The big hitters in that day FEAR facing Gibson as he would lay a 95mph fast ball about inch below their chin, Gibson owned the plate. A lost art in todays baseball world
lastlib
(22,981 posts)I can't think of any pitcher more tenacious and physically dominating than Bob Gibson. He was really the first major-league pitcher I remember.
RIP, Bob. You cast a large, long shadow.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)way closer than St Louis. It was game where I think he struck out 12 or 13 batters including the great Ernie Banks I think 3 times. Lasting impression of a great pitcher who was as fearless in baseball as Michael Jordan was in basketball
DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)bucolic_frolic
(42,679 posts)Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2020, 07:53 AM - Edit history (1)
It was before money, advertising, and tv revenues began to run the entire sport. Discipline and effort were evident, replays were not used to question umpires, it was real old time baseball.
https://goldenrankings.com/ultimategame1968.htm
Yeehah
(4,524 posts)The Yankees field an all-star team every year, after raiding small-market teams for all of their talent.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I saw him pitch in St Louis when I was a kid. He was amazing. Probably one of the greatest ever.
mikeargo
(675 posts)You'd want Bob Gibson to start
lordsummerisle
(4,649 posts)ProfessorGAC
(64,427 posts)Saw him pitch around a half dozen times.
Mom & dad would take me, my cousin and my dad's dad a couple times a year to Cubs/Cardinal. Probably 6 times it was Gibson vs. Jenkins.
Lots of 2-1 or 3-2 games, more wins by Bob, though. The Cardinals were overall better than our Cubs though.
He was a great one!
RIP
Yeehah
(4,524 posts)Free tickets, free hot dogs for everyone - it's heaven!
rurallib
(62,346 posts)Just thinking about Gibby brings lots of stories to mind.
My favorite was the story of how competitive he was. My version has probably seen a lot of revisions but here goes:
Some interviewer asked Gibson if it was true he'd brush back his grandmother, Gibson didn't hesitate. "If she was digging in on me, yeah"
great player, great man
luvs2sing
(2,220 posts)I always knew who Bob Gibson was. Just last week I read a great article about him. Im very sad to know the reaper got through the front door.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)He was hit by a line drive from Roberto Clemente and had broken fibula. He pitched to 3 more batters and fell off the mound at one point before he finally was taken out of the game. We Cardinal fans were in shock.
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/st-louis-cardinals-news-analysis-mlb/2019/7/15/20694920/on-this-day-in-1967-bob-gibson-broke-his-leg-a-hunt-and-peck
He was an amazing athlete and individual.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2020, 09:48 AM - Edit history (1)
saw that game on TV. He threw Clemente a hard fastball and Roberto hit an even harder line drive right back through the box. It hit Gibson's leg so hard, the ball caromed into foul territory between home and first base.
I also was at the game in Three Rivers Stadium when Gibson pitched the only no-hitter of his career. IIRC, he fanned 11 that game and Willie Stargell swinging for the last out. I remember saying the Pirates could not even see what Gibson was throwing that day. He was smoking.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)and actually keeping score on piece of notebook paper. It was so cool with all the K's and outs. I dont know what happened to that scorecard. Lost it somewhere over the years.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)Occassionally I wonder if the Baseball Hall of Fame would like to have my hand-scored account.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I thought I was the only baseball fanatic that did that.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)That's the funnest thing to do ever. When my dad would take me to games, he'd buy me a scorebook with the little bitty grid inside and the roster numbers and I used that. Then one game, I saw a guy with a big Wilson scorebook with a thick hard cardboard cover and large pages with actual room for the line up plus pinch hitters and players entering the games and a place for compiling pitcher stats! I had to have one of those. Fortunately a sporting goods store in town sold them and I got my very own. Wilson still makes the scorebooks, but they aren't nearly the same quality as the originals I have.
I still have a book with blank pages in it. I figured I'd save it for when the Pirates went to another world series or championship series. Alas, under the current ownership, I think my unfilled scorebook will never be used again.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I was referring to scoring a game while listening to the radio or watching the game on TV... not at the game itself. I don't think there were many fans that did that. But maybe more that I think!
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)at games. It was fun and I paid closer attention. I haven't been to a game in years, but I'm sure I'd be a dinosaur keeping score.
Jimbo S
(2,955 posts)I keep score at games and occasionally get quizzed by someone.
warmfeet
(3,321 posts)What an amazing athlete.
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)As a lifelong Cub fan, I never hated the Cards. The rivalry always brought out the best in both teams.
Bob Gibson was so overpowering in '68, I think he was the sole reason they changed the pitcher's mound.
Rest in peace, gentlemen.
PCIntern
(25,347 posts)In 1965 or thereabouts, the Phillies had a reliever by the name of Jack Baldschun. Gibson has been throwing at Phillies all day, making them duck out of the batters box and if I remember correctly, hitting a couple of them. When Gibson came up to bat, Baldschun threw right at Gibson and he bailed out, turned around, and threw the bat right at Baldschun on the pitchers mound. Baldschun, rather than ducking, caught the bat on the fly and took off after Gibson, who tore into the dugout and hid in the clubhouse because He thought Baldschun was going to kill him. I saw this with my own eyes. They finally got the game going again after a long delay. This stuff didnt happen much in the 60s, unlike today.
TheRickles
(2,000 posts)Three complete game victories, 27 strikeouts, 3 earned runs, and one home run of his own. It was a totally awe-inspiring performance, with no grudges held by Bostonians. It only took another 37 years to get our World Series title, but Gibson was the most feared opponent we ever faced. RIP.
extvbroadcaster
(343 posts)My dad took me down to St. Louis to see Gibson win his 200th game. I tried to throw like him in little league too! I even read his book, where it described what he endured in the segregated South in both the minors and majors. A real role model. RIP.
oswaldactedalone
(3,489 posts)Gibsons hometown.
The Wizard
(12,482 posts)They changed the rules because he was that good. They lowered the pitchers mound because he was so dominant. Tom Seaver told him he ruined it for the rest of the major league pitchers. He could unbuckle a batters pants with an inside fastball.
benld74
(9,889 posts)Marthe48
(16,692 posts)Thanks for adding such a personal remembrance to this sad news. He played for a team my husband didn't follow, but I remembered him, a name mentioned with reverence, years after he retired.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)The section on Gibson is amazing..
world wide wally
(21,719 posts)TuxedoKat
(3,818 posts)is great reading. Would be a good time to reread it. RIP, Mr. Gibson.
oswaldactedalone
(3,489 posts)as thats where Im originally from. Gibbys 68 season was magical. By then, we lived 700 miles from St.L but at night we could get fuzzy broadcasts from KMOX. We listened when we could but first thing next morning, we raced to the porch to get the newspaper to read the boxscore. His run of games during June and July was magical. Nearly all complete game shutouts with rarely more than 5 hits allowed. His control was so great that he rarely walked anyone, and such a quick worker that most of the games were completed in under two hours.
Gibby, thanks for the memories.
FakeNoose
(32,356 posts)I was privileged to see Bob Gibson pitch for the Cardinals when I was growing up in Saint Louis. In 1967 my family moved to Pittsburgh when I was still in high school. I was lucky to see Mr. Gibson pitch against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
OK full disclosure, I'm a Pirates fan now, but it was a privilege to watch Bob Gibson pitch, and I rooted for the Cardinals whenever they made it to the World Series.
Such a great athlete and an inspiration to an entire generation of young black pitchers. Rest in peace Bob Gibson!
Danmel
(4,892 posts)After a Yankees-Marlins World Series game in 2003. I was afraid to speak to him. RIP.
BHDem53
(1,059 posts)RIP, Mr. Gibson
GatoMoteado
(86 posts)he and fergie jenkins were my two favorite pitchers growing up, and the best pitching duels in baseball history were played between them. what an amazing athlete he was. this is sad.
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,781 posts)JimGinPA
(14,811 posts)And I was lucky enough to have see him pitch many times. He was one of my childhood heroes.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, and now Bob Gibson. Someones building an All-Star lineup.