R I P Bob Gibson

[Klrdds]

Just saw on MLB network that the great Bob Gibson has died at age 84 .
A true competitor who was an intimidator on the mound who believed the whole plate was his and you took your life into your hands when when you stepped into the batter’s box against him .
How many pitchers caused rule changes during their career ? I can think of 2 :
Amos Rusie and Bob Gibson . The book From Ghetto to Glory is a sports classic .

[Casey2296]

RIP "Hoot".

[MikeF34]

Seaver, now Gibson.

Heaven is assembling one hell of a staff.

RIP Bob Gibson

[One 'ol Cat]

Originally Posted by MikeF34

Seaver, now Gibson.

Heaven is assembling one hell of a staff.

RIP Bob Gibson

Yeah, but they are going to have to polish their pick off moves with Lou Brock getting on base...

[Casey2296]

"The Franchise" running the bases...

[icollectDCsports]

One of the greats. Wish I'd had a chance to see him in his prime. RIP

[Exhibitman]

RIP

[mr2686]

Bob passed away on the 52nd anniversary of his 17 strikeout performance in the 68 world series. Can you imagine striking out 17 in the world series? R.I.P. Bob!

[esd10]

Baseball has lost a lot of greats of the game this year

[Fred]

1.12 - wow

[ClementeFanOh]

This past few months has taken it's toll on baseball's greats. Rest in Peace Bob "The Hoot" Gibson. Sigh. Trent King

[ALR-bishop]

Grew up in St Louis and had the good fortune to attend Series games there in 64, 67 and 68. Fierce competitor. Cards were fortunate not to bail on him after his 58 and 59 seasons

[insidethewrapper]

The 1968 World Series players are dying off this year ( Kaline,Brock, Gibson). some of the greatest of all time. Thanks for the memories.

[nebboy]

Both Bob Gibson and Gale Sayers - both Omaha sports icons - hugh losses for my beloved city.

[Klrdds]

It”s hell getting old in many ways but when at 61 years old your childhood heroes start to die it makes it hit home . Imagine 3 players from those epic World Series teams of 1968 passing away this year plus Seaver and Gale Sayers . My long ago childhood is taking a beating ... Thank God for trading cards , autographs, memories , and memorabilia to keep it alive .
Sorry to be so philosophical but hey it’s a quiet Saturday morning.

[PowderedH2O]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

It”s hell getting old in many ways but when at 61 years old your childhood heroes start to die it makes it hit home . Imagine 3 players from those epic World Series teams of 1968 passing away this year plus Seaver and Gale Sayers . My long ago childhood is taking a beating ... Thank God for trading cards , autographs, memories , and memorabilia to keep it alive .
Sorry to be so philosophical but hey it’s a quiet Saturday morning.

I think this way a lot. I grew up in New Orleans, and for a period of time my next door neighbor was a Saints player named Mike Tilleman. Mike passed away recently and I thought about how young he was. Then I saw that he was 76. That isn't ancient, but it is pretty much a normal life span. And it hits me that as a man in my 50's that ALL of my childhood heroes are getting old. And then I will be next...

[bounce]

Was sad to see that this morning. I do very limited player collecting, but Gibson is one I've been doing and still have a few to go. I've always thought he was incredibly under appreciated. Because all threads need pics of "Cards"...especially the greats.

[Kutcher55]

Here's Bob's hall of fame speech on youtube. Very gracious, and well spoken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eGnNzYhtzE

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

It”s hell getting old in many ways but when at 61 years old your childhood heroes start to die it makes it hit home . Imagine 3 players from those epic World Series teams of 1968 passing away this year plus Seaver and Gale Sayers . My long ago childhood is taking a beating ... Thank God for trading cards , autographs, memories , and memorabilia to keep it alive .
Sorry to be so philosophical but hey it’s a quiet Saturday morning.

I turned 60 in June, and I'm definitely feeling the same way. I tend to dive in to anything related to baseball's past, rather than today's game. Not to say there isn't some good stuff going on today, but it just doesn't seem the same. I won't even get in to Football and Basketball which is so far removed from the games I loved as a child, it's not funny.

[mr2686]

One thing I wanted to add about Bob. I was a bit apprehensive to meet Bob the first time at a card show due to his on field demeanor/reputation. He turned out to be a very nice guy and I'm glad I had the chance to chat with him, if only for a minute.

[commishbob]

I don't care how bad this card is. I'll never upgrade it. It's been mine since 1959. I love everything about it. Gibby's smile...he's happy to be a ballplayer... the pink frame (I love pink cards)...and the fact that I've owned it for over 60 years.


My favorite Gibson memory comes, ironically, from 1975, his last season and the final time I saw him perform. I attended this game in mid-August with a friend of mine who happens to be a lifelong Cardinal fan. As Gibby's career came to an end he struggled through a year that saw him saddled with a 3-10 record and an ERA over five. But on this day Gibson came into the game after the Cards had taken a one run lead in the top of the eleventh. I distinctly recall watching from seats behind the Cardinal dugout as he stalked out to the mound with that look that few pitchers had. My friend and I both saw it and said to one another 'Game over." And it was. Gibby blew away three Astros (looking!!) to wrap up the game. Awesome.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

iconic pink card

[triwak]

Was fortunate to have witnessed him pitch in person several times, including during the late 1960's. No one could touch him! And yes, I pulled this card out of the pack when I was 7 years old, and loved it well. And it will ALWAYS remain my "display" card of him, in my HOF collection! R.I.P. Mr. Gibson.

[sforaker]

What a dominant and intimidating pitching great. Was fortunate to see him pitch during his prime. RIP Mr. Gibson.

[icollectDCsports]

I highly recommend this piece from 1980 on Bob Gibson by Roger Angell. Angell spent a few days with Gibson in Omaha. Very informative and insightful. Great writing about a great athlete and person.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1980/09/22/distance

[sforaker]

Great article, thank you.

[ValKehl]

Thomas Boswell is the dean of DC's sports columnists. His column in Today's Wash. Post is about Bob Gibson - here's the link to it for anyone who cares to read it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...ll-bob-gibson/ I think card collectors will especially enjoy these last couple of paragraphs from Boswell's piece:

"This has been a tough year on my childhood baseball cards as well as my adult memories: Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Don Larsen, old Senators such as Dick Hyde and characters such as Jay Johnstone, who once tackled his manager, Tommy Lasorda, in a sliding pit in spring training, then led a renegade band of Dodgers in stuffing sawdust into his whole uniform.

When I heard Gibson passed away, I remembered his blazing-pink 1959 Topps rookie card, No. 514. I searched in my old shoe boxes of cards and almost gave up. Then I realized I had made it the very first card, in the first row of the first box in its own plastic case — a singular place of honor.

Just where it should have been."

I, too, still have my Gibson's 1959 Topps RC that I pulled from a pack when I was a kid. I'd show it, except that I can't because it's not scanned and it's sitting in my safe deposit box.

[71buc]

Great story from the comment section of the Washington post.

"Steve Stone told this Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver story during a White Sox broadcast right after Tom Seaver passed away.

Tom Seaver was a highly touted rookie pitcher and was going up against Bob Gibson one day. When Seaver came up to bat Gibson stuck a pitch right under Seaver's chin, making Seaver hit the ground. Gibson told Seaver, "Welcome to the big leagues kid."

When Bob Gibson came up to bat Tom Seaver stuck a pitch right under Gibson's chin, making Gibson hit the ground. Seaver told Gibson, "It's nice to be here."

[Bocabirdman]

In case you forgot.....(Not my Card)

Bob-Gibson-Globetrotters.jpg

Meadowlark Lemon insisted that Bob was a better basketball player than he was a baseball player and that he could have not only played in the NBA but could have started for ANY team...........

RIP Mr. Gibson.......