Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competitive nature, Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Gibson overcame childhood illness to excel in youth sports, particularly basketball and baseball. After briefly playing under contract to both the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Gibson decided to continue playing only baseball professionally. He became a full-time starting pitcher in July 1961 and earned his first All-Star appearance in 1962. Gibson won 2 of 3 games he pitched in the 1964 World Series, then won 20 games in a season for the first time in 1965. Gibson also pitched three complete game victories in the 1967 World Series. The pinnacle of Gibson's career was 1968, when he posted a 1.12 ERA for the season and then recorded 17 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. Gibson threw a no-hitter in 1971 but began experiencing swelling in his knee in subsequent seasons. At the time of his retirement in 1975, Gibson ranked second only to Walter Johnson among major-league pitchers in career strikeouts. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, his first year of eligibility, and the Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975, the year he retired. Gibson was later selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. He died of pancreatic cancer on October 2, 2020.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“When a hitter like Pete LaCock hits a grand slam off you, it’s time to hang them up.”
— Said to a reporter in his final season.
“Robert, the scales must be balanced no matter how long it takes.”
— Said to Bob Costas after Costas asked about the story about beaning Pete LaCock at an old timer's game (video).
“In a world filled with hate, prejudice and protest, I find that I too am filled with hate, prejudice and protest. I hate phonies. I am prejudiced against all those who have contempt for me because my face is black and all those who accept me only because of my ability to throw a baseball. I am not proud of that ability. It is not something I earned or acquired or bought. It is a gift.”
— From Gibson's 1968 book From Ghetto to Glory
“I’m proud of that fact that whatever I did, I did it my way.”
— Speech to the stadium crowd on Bob Gibson Day.
“I guess I was never much in awe of anybody. I think you have to have that attitude if you're going to go far in this game.”
— From Roger Angell's 1982 book Late Innings
“I've played a couple of hundred games of tic-tac-toe with my little daughter and she hasn't beaten me yet. I've always had to win. I've got to win.”
— From Roger Angell's 1982 book Late Innings

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competitive nature, Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award.

Overview

Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competitive nature, Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Gibson overcame childhood illness to excel in youth sports, particularly basketball and baseball. After briefly playing under contract to both the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Gibson decided to continue playing only baseball professionally. He became a full-time starting pitcher in July 1961 and earned his first All-Star appearance in 1962. Gibson won 2 of 3 games he pitched in the 1964 World Series, then won 20 games in a season for the first time in 1965. Gibson also pitched three complete game victories in the 1967 World Series. The pinnacle of Gibson's career was 1968, when he posted a 1.12 ERA for the season and then recorded 17 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. Gibson threw a no-hitter in 1971 but began experiencing swelling in his knee in subsequent seasons. At the time of his retirement in 1975, Gibson ranked second only to Walter Johnson among major-league pitchers in career strikeouts. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, his first year of eligibility, and the Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975, the year he retired. Gibson was later selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. He died of pancreatic cancer on October 2, 2020.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Notable quotes

“When a hitter like Pete LaCock hits a grand slam off you, it’s time to hang them up.”
— Said to a reporter in his final season.
“Robert, the scales must be balanced no matter how long it takes.”
— Said to Bob Costas after Costas asked about the story about beaning Pete LaCock at an old timer's game (video).
“In a world filled with hate, prejudice and protest, I find that I too am filled with hate, prejudice and protest. I hate phonies. I am prejudiced against all those who have contempt for me because my face is black and all those who accept me only because of my ability to throw a baseball. I am not proud of that ability. It is not something I earned or acquired or bought. It is a gift.”
— From Gibson's 1968 book From Ghetto to Glory
“I’m proud of that fact that whatever I did, I did it my way.”
— Speech to the stadium crowd on Bob Gibson Day.
“I guess I was never much in awe of anybody. I think you have to have that attitude if you're going to go far in this game.”
— From Roger Angell's 1982 book Late Innings
“I've played a couple of hundred games of tic-tac-toe with my little daughter and she hasn't beaten me yet. I've always had to win. I've got to win.”
— From Roger Angell's 1982 book Late Innings

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

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