Gibby

“He's the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs.” — Tim McCarver

The best pitcher I ever saw in person was Bob Gibson. He was a great athlete with an irresistible competitive spirit. In 1967 he suffered a broken leg from a Roberto Clemente line drive, got and threw six more pitches before collapsing on the mound. He came back that October to win three games over the Red Sox and win another World Series for the Cardinals.

Strangely, one of my earliest baseball memories involves Gibson hitting at old Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. He drove a ball just over the left-field fence and Frank Robinson crashed into the wall trying unsuccessfully to catch it. Robinson crumpled at the base of the wall as Gibby circled the bases - this was in the days before anybody thought padding the fences.

Sportsman's Park, btw, was what they called "old" Busch Stadium before the brewery bought the team. Of course, "new" Busch Stadium is now just a memory where the new "new" Busch Stadium sits in downtown St. Louis.

Here's an ESPN story on Gibson's success in the World Series.