Cardinals Legend Bob Gibson Had a Memorable Career in the MLB
Bob Gibson spent his entire career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he had a lot of success with the team.
He left a long-lasting legacy throughout his career, and he left a huge impact on the league.
Bob Gibson developed into one of the top pitchers in the league
Gibson made his MLB debut in 1959 with the Cardinals. During his first season, he appeared in 13 games and made nine starts on the mound. He finished the season with a 3-5 record and a 3.33 ERA. Though he finished the season with a losing record, Gibson put together some productive performances during the season. In his second season, he made 27 appearances and had 12 starts finishing with a 3-6 record.
During his fourth season, he made tremendous progress. That was the first time in his career when he made the All-Star team. He finished the 1962 season with a 15-13 record, making 30 starts. Gibson posted a 2.85 ERA, which was the lowest of his career at the time. From that point on, he became a dominant pitcher in the league. During his career, he made six straight All-Star games from 1965 to 1970.
After his third season in the league, he did not post a losing record until his final season, which was in 1975. Gibson knew what it took to win games, and that was his goal each time he stepped on the mound. He won his first World Series title in 1964 and won another one in 1967. Not only did he win multiple World Series titles, but he also won multiple individual awards.
A career filled with individual accomplishments
If you look at Gibson’sGibson’s career, you will see a list of individual awards. His first award came in 1965 when he won a Gold Glove award. He went on to win nine consecutive Gold Glove awards as a pitcher. For a player to win that many Gold Glove awards consecutively shows how talented and skilled he was at that position. A pitcher does not simply focus on pitching; they’re defenders too. After they throw that ball, they have to get ready to field the ball at all times.
Not only did he win numerous Gold Glove awards, but he was also a two-time Cy Young award winner and won the NL MVP award. The 1968 season was one of Gibson’sGibson’s best seasons of his career. That season he finished with a 22-9 record and led the league in ERA (1.12) and strikeouts (268). The next season he led the league in wins with 23. Gibson was a competitor and always gave 100 percent when he stepped on the field. He finished his career with a record of 251-174 with a 2.91 ERA and 3,117 strikeouts.
Bob Gibson’s death was a big blow to the MLB community
Gibson put together a productive career during his time in the MLB. The 1975 season was the final season of Gibson’sGibson’s career, and the Cardinals retired his No. 45 jersey that same season. In 1981 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. At the beginning of the year in 2014, the Cardinals announced that Gibson was among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.
In July of 2019, Gibson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was due to start chemotherapy. Gibson lost his battle to cancer a few days ago, and the MLB community made sure to pay their respect to an MLB legend. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke out after Gibson’sGibson’s death.
“This is a very sad day for all of Baseball,” Manfred said in a statement. “Bob Gibson produced one of the most decorated pitching careers in history with his intelligence, athleticism, durability and toughness. One of only three players to be a two-time MVP of the World Series, this legend of October will always be remembered as one of our sport’s fiercest competitors. His performance in 1968 with the Club he represented all his life, the St. Louis Cardinals, is on the short list of the best pitching seasons ever.”
Gibson passed away on the 52nd anniversary of his tremendous performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series where he struck out a World-Series record 17 batters against the Detroit Tigers. There was a reason why he was elected to the Hall of Fame and he’s a player that will always be remembered.
