Baseball History: October 12th, 1967

For the second time in three years, Bob Gibson pitches the Cardinals to a World Series title.  The St. Louis ace allows just three hits and strikes out 10 in a dominating 7-2 win over the Red Sox.  But. There's. More.  Gibson -- one of the best hitting pitchers of the post-World War II era -- also belted a 5th inning home run to extend the Cardinals lead.  And he accomplished all that on the road: this game was played at Fenway Park.

Ranking with Koufax, Drysdale, Seaver and Marichal as the greatest pitchers of his era, Bob Gibson stands alone as the fiercest competitor.  Seemingly capable of willing his team to victory, he was the most imposing presence on a baseball mound in the 1960s.  Countless stories in baseball lore cite his "owning" home plate, unafraid to brush back opposing hitters -- even those who had once been friends or teammates.  He is credited (or maybe, blamed) for MLB's decision to lower the mound and tweak the strike zone after 1968's offensively challenged "Year of the Pitcher."

I saw Gibson pitch many times on TV and a few times at Shea Stadium.  And it was a kick to meet him at WFAN in 2015, when he was promoting his final book Pitch by Pitch: My View of One Unforgettable Game.

Where does Gibson rank on your all time list of greatest or most intimidating pitchers.  Click on the COMMENT icon and share your thoughts.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Saw him at Shea Stadium from behind home plate. Very intimidating!
October 12, 2022 at 5:28 PM
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