| the famous people who have made their mark in | | | | certainly a perfect complement to the precision of |
| Major League Baseball history there is a | | | | his pitching. He was habitually scowling and |
| considerable number of colorful and eccentric | | | | aggressive. He not only had frequent and strong |
| personalities. Along in there with the statistics of | | | | comments to make about the opposition but also |
| baseball players, perhaps more so than just | | | | about his own teammates. He was described by |
| numbers, the peculiar personality traits of some | | | | Han Aaron as someone capable of knocking over |
| players have made them stand out in the | | | | his own grandmother if she ever provoked him to |
| collective consciousness of baseball fans. One such | | | | do that. And one of the things that could really |
| character was pitcher Bob “Hoot” | | | | provoke Gibson was for someone to tell him |
| Gibson who, from 1959 to 1975, was the king of | | | | what was wrong with the way he pitched. |
| the Cardinals’ pitching mound. His pitching | | | | Gibson was apparently unembarrassed by his |
| style baffled many batters in opposing teams and | | | | reputation and time and again reminded people of |
| made the Cardinals win the World Series twice, | | | | his aggressive temperament. When asked about |
| plus a third almost-win. | | | | how he thought the old baseball greats, like Babe |
| An Awesome Pitcher | | | | Ruth, would have taken to his pitching style he |
| Gibson had the best hand for pitching in baseball | | | | replied, referring to Babe Ruth’s famous |
| history. The solid testimony of his strikeout | | | | 1932 World Series home run, that if he were to |
| records likewise leaves no doubt that is one of | | | | pitch to someone swinging the bat upwards |
| the best pitchers in modern baseball. He registered | | | | towards the stands, that person would not make |
| more than 3,100 strikeouts. He had a total of 251 | | | | contact with his bat and because the ball would hit |
| career victories and an overall Earned Run | | | | his ribs. |
| Average of 1.27. The statistics cannot give a | | | | The stint of Gibson with the Cardinals marked a |
| complete idea of how he could make batters do | | | | period of achievement and renown for the team. |
| what he wanted from his magic mound. His most | | | | He won two Cy Young pitching awards, to World |
| spectacular display of pitching prowess was | | | | Series Titles and MVP distinctions plus nine Gold |
| evident during the 1968 season. So impressive | | | | Gloves. The impact of the man’s |
| was his performance that the year has since | | | | personality tended to overshadow the greatness |
| been dubbed “Year of the Pitcher.” | | | | of his team, but no bad feelings ever developed. |
| With 22 victories and a little over a dozen | | | | He took part in nine All Star contests. Eventually |
| shutouts, his skill had reached a peak and that | | | | his team number, 45, was retired by the Cardinals |
| year was a landmark in baseball pitching history. | | | | team, never again to be given to anyone else. Six |
| An Intimidating and Headstrong Man | | | | years after he retired he was inducted into the |
| What probably served to catch his batters of | | | | Hall of Fame. |
| their guard was his terrifying aspect. That was | | | | |