I wasn't born until 1971 (too young to remember Bob Gibson pitching), but I've lived in Missouri a couple of years now. I got in a discussion about Bob Gibson with a friend a few days ago and have been thinking about his 1968 season since then. Everyone knows about the 1.12 ERA and that baseball lowered the mound after that season. Gibson also had 13 complete game shutouts that season. Complete games were pretty common back then, but 13 shutouts?!? He also had a stretch of 92 innings where he allowed two earned runs. I didn't believe this last one as that's about 11 complete games (figuring a complete game is either 8 or 9 innings). I just fact checked it though.

Reading about the 92 inning stretch that season, I also came across one of my all-time favorite baseball stories:

Righting a Wrong: Why Bob Gibson Deserves More Respect from Baseball Writers
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/111849-righting-a-wrong-why-bob-gibson-deserves-more-respect-from-baseball-writers

quote:

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Gibson was notorious in how he constantly pitched inside to batters. Hank Aaron, who coincidentally received nearly 98 percent of his Hall of Fame vote, had this sage advice for Dusty Baker.

"'Don't dig in against Bob Gibson; he'll knock you down. He'd knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don't stare at him, don't smile at him, don't talk to him. He doesn't like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don't run too slow, don't run too fast.

"'If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don't charge the mound, because he's a Gold Glove boxer.' I'm like, 'Damn, what about my 17-game hitting streak?' That was the night it ended."

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I am absolutely in awe of this man right now.

Yeah, I remember 1968. It was the year after the Athletics left Kansas City for Oakland, and the year before the Royals started playing.

All of us across the state in Kansas City got to hear a lot about Bob Gibson over in St. Louis.

Made our heads hurt. The irony of this story asking for more respect of Gibson is Gibson didn't respect anyone.

He was going to beat you down and he didn't care who you were. He didn't want to be your hero, he didn't want to be your role model. He just wanted to knock you on your ass and make you feel bad.

Guy was a wonder to watch, Guy was just a wonder to watch, he'd probably have gotten more votes if he played nowadays with MLBTV, ESPN, YouTube, fantasy leagues, etc...

Back then, the voters weren't nice to anyone, not that they aren't tough now. 1 or 2 guys got in the Hall of Fame a year and they didn't get anymore votes than Gibson did unless your name was Hank Aaron or Willie Mays.

84% on your first ballot is pretty high honor, IMO. Its not just Gibson that gets slighted. Its everyone. Just how the MLB Hall of Fame voters are.

p.s. Guy could hit, too.

Got to meet him as a kid when my dad took me to Cooperstown for Nolan Ryan's induction. Could not have been a nicer, more engaging guy.

Willie Mays on the other hand... total dick.

Great thread. Hall of Fame balloting is a strange animal. Gibson entering the HoF with only 84% is an embarrassment to the voters --- the 64 of them that left him off their ballot.

what I think partly happened...Sandy Koufax overshadowed all of the great pitchers of the 60's. And if you weren't Koufax you just couldn't be the best in the minds of the old crusty sportswriters.

Juan Marichal made 83% of ballots and Don Drysdale just 78%. Heck, Warren Spahn was only on 83% of the ballots.

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a few other things I didn't realize...Ryne Sandberg was elected on only 76% of ballots. (Biggio made 82%) Ernie Banks on 84% and Willie Stargell on just 83%. Banks & Stargell should have been in the 90%+ range.

quote:

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what I think partly happened...Sandy Koufax overshadowed all of the great pitchers of the 60's. And if you weren't Koufax you just couldn't be the best in the minds of the old crusty sportswriters.

Juan Marichal made 83% of ballots and Don Drysdale just 78%. Heck, Warren Spahn was only on 83% of the ballots.

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a few other things I didn't realize...Ryne Sandberg was elected on only 76% of ballots. (Biggio made 82%) Ernie Banks on 84% and Willie Stargell on just 83%. Banks & Stargell should have been in the 90%+ range.

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Koufax was retired by 1966, but that aside, he only got 87% of the vote.

Its just the way it works. Its a tough system.

I am old so I will chime in.
I think Gibson is the best pitcher ever. He was a stud.

The 1968 may have been the best series ever. Everyone talks about Gibson's ERA but they played the Detroit Tigers that year with McLain and Lolich. Denny McLain was 31-6 with a 1.96 ERA.

Cardinals went up 3-1. Gibson had two wins both complete games. Lolich had won once. Complete game
Tigers had to win three in a row with Gibson coming up. Lolich pitches on two days rest and throws a complete game for the win. Now 3-2. McLain throws a complete game winning easily. Now 3-3

Seventh game Lolich vs Gibson. Lolich again on two days rest. First six innings 0-0. Curt Flood, a great defensive center fielder, misplayed a ball in the outfield and two runs score for Detroit. The Tigers go on to win. Both pitchers throw complete games. Lolich wins three in the series. MVP of the series as a pitcher...And deserved it.
3 wins , 3 complete games 5 runs.

one interesting stat about Gibson...perhaps a case of how the legend grew beyond the real story...

Gibson pitched in 528 major league games for a total of 3,884 innings pitched --- he only had 102 career HBP

Basically 1 HBP every 4 or 5 starts.

contrast that with Pedro Martinez who hit 141 batters in 2,827 innings pitched --- an average of 1 HBP every 2 or 3 starts

I believe the 68 series also featured the infamous non-slide by Lou Brock at home plate

Hall of fame announced changes that should help, have to cover baseball within the past 10 years

Yes Brock should easily have been safe, he might have been anyway.

What was the huge controversy in the series?. Jose Feliciano's national anthem. By today's standards pretty tame.

Bumgarner certainly deserved the praise he got last year, but the old-timers calling those games should have stuff like '68 at the front of their minds while they're making Bumgarner into Superman.

I graduated from high school in '68. It was awesome to get to see Gibson, Koufax, Marichal, and Dierker pitch.