There isn’t any baseball history buff alive doesn’t have at least a modicum of respect for Bob Gibson. Like him or not, this man could intimidate.
This card is from 1968 which is significant in two ways. One, it was the year that Gibby’s ERA fell into the deadball range of 1.12. He went 22-9 and led the league in strikeouts with 268. 1968 was also the year the Cardinals returned to the World Series against the Detroit Tigers (only to be defeated in seven games).
| Split | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 Totals | 22 | 9 | .710 | 1.12 | 34 | 34 | 28 | 13 | 304.2 | 198 | 49 | 38 | 11 | 62 | 268 |
…and his hitting totals for 1968.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 Totals | 35 | 110 | 94 | 3 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 32 | .170 | .233 | .223 |
There’s a lot to like about Gibson’s card. There’s his pitching grade of A&CXZ, of course. Though it does prompt the question “What does it take to get a A&B grade around here?” My guess is that APBA’s cardmakers were factoring in the league ERA as a whole. While Gibson’s 1.12 ERA was practically unprecedented in the modern era so was the NL’s 2.99 mark. I’ll stand by that.
Gibson was fast. Not only was he rated with a (F) but he also garnered a 15-10 because of his one steal.
Gibson got one 22 at 13 (he was hit by the pitch once). My guess was that Gibson wasn’t going to be intimidated by any brushback pitch by his colleagues. Gibby also got two 14s on his seven walks.
Oh yeah, did I mention his five doubles prompting APBA to give him two sixes?
Seeing him make the one play in this Baseball Hall of Fame video shows why he was rated a P-2, too.
love the white shirts/black ties in the crowd in the bio video. :)
i couldn’t imsgine how hard it was to face a guy with that much mental toughness/flat-out-meanness.
even though they only gave him and an a/c rating due to the whole ’68 season, i had to upgrade him to a/b for my ofas seasons. ah, the joys of being in charge.
Can’t be ERA – Denny McLain got an A&B (X)(Z) with a 1.96. Of course, winning 9 more games (and losing 3 less) probably didn’t hurt.
Hmmm…your card looks to be from the original set. In my 2003 reprint set Gibson is an A&B (X).
Jack,
if I’m not mistaken, the 31 wins pretty much guaranteed McLain an A&B at least according to the formula at the time.
Tom
This is my card from the Original Franchise All-Stars purchased in 1988. The 2012 reprint of the 1968 season has Gibson as an A&B 2X.
I knew a girl years ago who said the only game she ever went to was when Gibson no hit the pirates in 1971. Sort of like hitting the lottery the first time you play.
How did he lose 9 games that year!
In his nine loses the cardinals scored a total of 12 runs.
The fielding play I believe took place in
Game 5 of the 1964 World Series against the Yankees. Cards were leading 2-0 in the bottom of 9th. Mantle reached first on Groat error. Elston Howard struck out. Joe Pepitone (the batter in video clip #25) hit the pitch right back at Gibson. Because Gibby threw so hard he was usually leaning toward 1st base. The line drive hit him in the right hip and rolled toward the 3rd base foul line. As you can see Gibson changed directions, scooped up the ball, and threw Pepitone out. It looks like Joe is safe, but if you look at it in slow motion, he is out. Two outs now. The next batter, Tom Tresh, hits a 2-out, 2-run HR, tying the game. Cards score 3 on McCarver’s HR in 10th, win game, and lead series 3-2, going back to ST. Louis. If Gibson doesn’t throw Pepitone out & Tresh hits HR, Yankees win, and with Jim Bouton’s Game 6 win the Yankees would have been World Champs.