Highlighted Year: Bob Gibson, 1962

Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 26

4^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 189 

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 43 games

P – 32, PR – 11

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 32

Games Started – 30 [19, tied with Cal Koonce & Ernie Broglio]

Complete Games – 15 [8]

Wins – 15 [13, tied with Bob Shaw, Johnny Podres & Al McBean]

Losses – 13 [17, tied with Jim O’Toole, Johnny Podres & Bob Hendley]

PCT - .536

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 5 [1, tied with Bob Friend]

Innings Pitched – 233.2 [14]

Hits – 174

Runs – 84

Earned Runs – 74

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 95 [5]

Strikeouts – 208 [3]

ERA – 2.85 [5]

Hit Batters – 10 [6]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 11 [6]

Midseason Snapshot: 10-6, ERA - 3.05, SO - 113 in 130 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 9 IP) vs. Philadelphia 6/13, (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 7/18

10+ strikeout games – 6

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at Houston 4/26

Batting

PA – 90, AB – 76, R – 11, H – 20, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 5, BB – 4, SO – 28, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .263, GDP – 1, HBP – 3, SH – 6, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances - 56

Put Outs – 18

Assists – 35

Errors – 3

DP – 6

Pct. - .946

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Cardinals went 84-78 to finish sixth in the NL, 17.5 games behind the pennant-winning San Francisco Giants. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (17). The Cardinals got off to a solid 11-4 start in April and contended into May when a 3-9 stretch dropped them into fourth. A brief hot streak gave way to another poor stretch and they were at .500 (24-24) by June 3. A strong June lifted the club to fourth, where they stayed until July 22 but the inconsistent team entered September in fifth place, and an eight-game losing streak mired them in sixth place to stay, although they finished the season with a four-game West Coast winning streak that affected the pennant race. Gibson’s fine season ended in September due to a broken ankle.

Aftermath of 1962:

Off to a slow start in 1963, Gibson still improved his record to 18-9 with a 3.39 ERA and 204 strikeouts. The Cardinals won the NL pennant in a close race in 1964 and Gibson contributed a 19-12 record with a 3.01 ERA and 245 strikeouts to the effort. In the World Series victory against the Yankees he won two more games, against one loss, struck out 31 batters and was named MVP of the Series. Manager Keane, his mentor, resigned following the Series and was replaced by Red Schoendienst. The Cards had a lesser season in 1965 although Gibson went 20-12 with a 3.07 ERA and 270 strikeouts. Tall, lean, intense, quiet and aloof, and a fierce competitor with an intimidating mound presence who did not fraternize with players from other teams, he improved his record to 21-12 in 1966 with a 2.44 ERA and 225 strikeouts. The Cardinals got off to a fast start in 1967 and Gibson had a 10-6 record in mid-July when he suffered a broken leg when struck by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente. St. Louis stayed on track to win the pennant and Gibson returned in September to win three more games, including the pennant-clincher. He finished with a 13-7 mark and 147 strikeouts over 175.1 innings and a 2.98 ERA. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox he won all three of his starts, including the title-clinching seventh game, which were all complete games. He had a 1.00 ERA and recorded 26 strikeouts over the course of his 27 innings pitched and was once again the Series MVP. With both a rising and sinking fastball, slider, curve, and changeup, and always working at a fast pace, he came into the 1968 season recognized as one of baseball’s best pitchers. The Cardinals again won the NL pennant and, in a season dominated by pitching, Gibson produced a 22-9 record with a 1.12 ERA, 13 shutouts, and 268 strikeouts, earning him NL MVP, as well as Cy Young, recognition. In the World Series against Detroit, he set a World Series record in Game 1 with 17 strikeouts and added to his string of complete game wins before faltering in Game 7. Gibson, nicknamed “Hoot” for movie cowboy Hoot Gibson, or “Gibby”, who received a pay increase to $125,000, remained solid in 1969, posting a 20-13 record with a 2.18 ERA and 269 strikeouts while topping the NL with 28 complete games, although the Cardinals were no longer a first-place team. The club struggled in 1970 although Gibson had another Cy Young-winning year while producing a 23-7 mark and 3.12 ERA with 274 strikeouts. He slipped to 16-13 in 1971 although he pitched his only career no-hitter against Pittsburgh. Gibson had his last All-Star season in 1972, going 19-11 with a 2.46 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The Cardinals rebounded from a dreadful start in 1973 to move into contention in the NL East but Gibson suffered a knee injury in August and the Redbirds came up short. His record was 12-10 with a 2.77 ERA and 142 strikeouts over 195 innings. “Gibby” fell off to 11-13 in 1974, his first losing record since 1960, as his ERA rose to 3.83. Pitching poorly at age 39 in 1975, he was relegated to the bullpen and retired in frustration prior to the end of the season. For his major league career, played entirely with the Cardinals, he compiled a 251-174 record and a 2.91 ERA with 255 complete games, 56 shutouts, and 3117 strikeouts over 3884.1 innings pitched. Gibson had five 20-win seasons. Pitching in 9 World Series games, he compiled a 7-2 record with 92 strikeouts over the course of 81 innings that included 8 complete games. His seven wins were consecutive as well as all of the complete games, and his 17-strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 Series remains the single game World Series record to date. A good hitting pitcher, he compiled 24 home runs with 144 RBIs over the course of his career and added two more home runs during World Series play. An excellent fielder despite an off-balance delivery, Gibson was awarded nine Gold Gloves. An eight-time All-Star, the Cardinals retired his #45 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. A statue was erected in his honor outside Busch Stadium. Gibson went into broadcasting for a time following his playing career and later served as a pitching coach for the Braves under manager Joe Torre, a former teammate. He also served as a coach and special instructor for the Cardinals. Gibson died at age 84 in 2020.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.