Player Profile:
Bob Gibson
| Name: | Robert "Bob" Gibson |
|
Right-handed pitcher
|
|
| Lived: | 1935 - |
| Career span: | 1959-1975 |
| Hall of Fame? | Yes (1981) |
| Primary teams: | St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1975) |
| Best Year: | 1968: 22-9, 1.12 ERA, 268 strikeouts, 13 shutouts |
| Major Awards: | NL MVP, 1968; NL Cy Young Award, 1968,1970; World Series MVP, 1964, 1967 |
| Rank on Greatest Players list: | 18th |
Player notes: One of the most dominating (and intimidating) pitchers of his or any other era, Gibson is widely considered to be one of the greatest right-handed pitchers of all time. His 1968 season, in which he compiled an incredible 1.12 ERA (the lowest of the 20th century) was perhaps the most dominant season ever by a pitcher. This "Year of the Pitcher", led by Gibson, prompted baseball to make rule changes (such as lowering the pitcher's mound) to help the hitters, thus beginning the process leading to today's offensive-minded game.
Gibson's outstanding career has been widely recognized as placing him among the all-time greats. The Sporting News ranked him as #31 in its list of the 50 greatest players of the 20th century; The Baseball Digest fan's poll ranked him #30. As you can see above, I rank him somewhat higher on my own list, and even that lofty ranking may be conservative for the pitcher of whom it was once said "he almost makes pitching seem unfair".