In his three game sevens pitched, Bob Gibson had his "worst" start in terms of runs allowed. He did, however pitch well in each. At least, when he had too!
Staked, by his St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-0 lead after five innings in game seven of the 1964 World Series, Gibby was looking home free. But the opposition was the New York Yankees. The home town fans would not be in for any smooth sailing!
Bobby Richardson, leading off the top of the sixth, singled on a slow roller to third. Roger Maris followed with a single and Mickey Mantle was next. Gibson had help The Mick to no hits in the '64 Fall Classic. But this time, Mickey went deep to left for three runs. It was his 18th and last World Series home run.
The Yankees hit the ball hard off Gibson in the next inning as Richardson got his thirteenth hit with two down. Maris was back at the dish and Mantle was back in the on-deck circle. Gibson had to get him. Maris hit it well, but right to Mike Shannon in right. St. Louis then got a little more breathing room as Ken Boyer hit a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead to four runs.
Gibson got through the top of the eight without much trouble. Mantle was the only Yankee to get it out of the infield. The Cardinals looked poised for more runs in the bottom of the frame, but came up empty. Gibson then gave up solo home runs to Clete Boyer and Phil Linz in the top of the ninth. The lead was down to 7-5. Gibby got Richardson to pop out to end it.
Gibson and St. Louis faced the Boston Red Sox in 1967. Gibby won games one and four to put St. Louis up three games to one. But the Red Sox charged back and forced a game seven at home. Gibson took the hill.
The Red Sox got a run in the bottom of the first of a scoreless deadlock, but Gibby got out of the that without a run tallied. And through four innings, settled down on a no-hitter. And also a nice lead he helped provide!
The Cardinals scored twice in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. After failing to get a run the next inning, St. Louis needed more breathing room. Here comes Gibson the batter!
He hit a home run and the lead was now three. The Cards kept the rally going and crossed the plate again before the third out was recorded. But in the bottom of the frame, Gibby lost the no-hitter and shutout.
George Scott got a hold of one of Gibson's offerings and smashed a triple to centre. A throwing error by Julian Javier on the play scored him. 4-1, Cardinals. But St. Louis had no intention of losing this thing. Gibson got the next three batters out to keep the lead. And when Javier hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth, the countdown was on.
Gibson, showing what he had learned from the last time he was up six runs in a game seven, didn't let up. Could the Red Sox do anything to Hoot?
Not in the bottom of the frame as they went 1-2-3. Carl Yastrzemski led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. But Bob Gibson got Ken (Hawk) Harrelson to force him at second for the first out. Then he retired the next two batters.
St. Louis went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and eighth, but the Red Sox were not done. Rico Petrocelli led off the bottom of the eighth with a double. A wild pitch to Elston Howard moved Rico to third with no outs. Dalton Jones came in to bat for Ellie, during the plate appearance, as the Red Sox needed everything they could muster at this point. Jones walked and things looked promising.
Norm Siebern, like Howard and Gibson's teammate Roger Maris, an ex-Yankee, batted for the pitcher. Gibson got him to force Jones at second. This was crucial. Although Petrocelli scored on the play, Boston's chances of a big inning took a step backwards. Gibson could afford to allow the Sox a run at this point, leading 7-1. But he didn't want them to get to 7-5 or even 7-4 like in '64!
Joe Foy also hit into a force, as did Mike Andrews. Gibson was out of his most difficult ordeal of the afternoon. St. Louis looked more than poised for a big inning with the bases filled and only one out in the top of the ninth, but could not score.
Gibson face Yaz again, and Carl lined a single to right. It was the Red Sox's third hit of the game. It was also their last. Harrelson hit into a double play and Scott fanned. Gibson and the Cardinals were champions again, and again in seven games.
The same scenario presented itself the next year as it was the Detroit Tigers turn. Wins by Gibson in games one and four again put St. Louis up three games to one. But again, the opposition came back.
In game seven, Gibson started strong. He retired the first ten batters to face him. His mound opponent, Mickey Lolich, looked tired and beaten, but kept getting out of trouble. Lolich then began to look like Gibson out there.
Gibson was undaunted, and had a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth. In the top of the seventh, the great Gibson finally faltered.
With two down, Norm Cash and Willie Horton singled. Jim Northrup then hit a ball that centerfielder Curt Flood misjudged and it got behind him for a triple. 2-0, Tigers. When Bill Freehan followed with a double, it was 3-0.
The Cardinals got a man on in the bottom of the frame on an error, but did not score. Gibson had a 1-2-3 top of the eight. But time was running out on St. Louis. They coaxed a walk off Lolich in the bottom of the eighth, but again failed to score. Gibson batted for himself in that inning and fanned, meaning he'd be back for the top of the ninth. It might have been a bad move.
With one out, Horton singled. Northrup followed with one of his own. Bill Freehan was retired. But Don Wert singled to make it 4-0. The Tigers were three outs away from a World Championship.
St. Louis finally managed to pry a run off Lolich via a Mike Shannon home run in the bottom of the ninth, but that was it. The Cardinals and Gibson had lost, 4-1.
A tough was to end it for Bob Gibson. But in game one of '68, he'd fanned 17 Tigers in a shutout. Game four saw the Tigers score just once off him. 1967 saw Gibson win 2-1 in game one in a pitcher's duel. Game four was a majestic 6-0 win for him. 1964 saw him lose 8-3 (but Bob only pitched eight innings and only allowed four runs) in game 2 and win 5-2 in game five. That game saw him fan 13 and allow no earned runs.
Gibson, the competitor, may have had some problems in game seven. But the greats handle adversary the way you and I handle a cold. We fight through it. Gibson faced several tough tests in every World Series starts of his, but handled them like a fighter. And while game seven is a challenge to anyone who participates in them, Gibson met it head on. No quarter asked or given!
Staked, by his St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-0 lead after five innings in game seven of the 1964 World Series, Gibby was looking home free. But the opposition was the New York Yankees. The home town fans would not be in for any smooth sailing!
Bobby Richardson, leading off the top of the sixth, singled on a slow roller to third. Roger Maris followed with a single and Mickey Mantle was next. Gibson had help The Mick to no hits in the '64 Fall Classic. But this time, Mickey went deep to left for three runs. It was his 18th and last World Series home run.
The Yankees hit the ball hard off Gibson in the next inning as Richardson got his thirteenth hit with two down. Maris was back at the dish and Mantle was back in the on-deck circle. Gibson had to get him. Maris hit it well, but right to Mike Shannon in right. St. Louis then got a little more breathing room as Ken Boyer hit a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead to four runs.
Gibson got through the top of the eight without much trouble. Mantle was the only Yankee to get it out of the infield. The Cardinals looked poised for more runs in the bottom of the frame, but came up empty. Gibson then gave up solo home runs to Clete Boyer and Phil Linz in the top of the ninth. The lead was down to 7-5. Gibby got Richardson to pop out to end it.
Gibson and St. Louis faced the Boston Red Sox in 1967. Gibby won games one and four to put St. Louis up three games to one. But the Red Sox charged back and forced a game seven at home. Gibson took the hill.
The Red Sox got a run in the bottom of the first of a scoreless deadlock, but Gibby got out of the that without a run tallied. And through four innings, settled down on a no-hitter. And also a nice lead he helped provide!
The Cardinals scored twice in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. After failing to get a run the next inning, St. Louis needed more breathing room. Here comes Gibson the batter!
He hit a home run and the lead was now three. The Cards kept the rally going and crossed the plate again before the third out was recorded. But in the bottom of the frame, Gibby lost the no-hitter and shutout.
George Scott got a hold of one of Gibson's offerings and smashed a triple to centre. A throwing error by Julian Javier on the play scored him. 4-1, Cardinals. But St. Louis had no intention of losing this thing. Gibson got the next three batters out to keep the lead. And when Javier hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth, the countdown was on.
Gibson, showing what he had learned from the last time he was up six runs in a game seven, didn't let up. Could the Red Sox do anything to Hoot?
Not in the bottom of the frame as they went 1-2-3. Carl Yastrzemski led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. But Bob Gibson got Ken (Hawk) Harrelson to force him at second for the first out. Then he retired the next two batters.
St. Louis went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and eighth, but the Red Sox were not done. Rico Petrocelli led off the bottom of the eighth with a double. A wild pitch to Elston Howard moved Rico to third with no outs. Dalton Jones came in to bat for Ellie, during the plate appearance, as the Red Sox needed everything they could muster at this point. Jones walked and things looked promising.
Norm Siebern, like Howard and Gibson's teammate Roger Maris, an ex-Yankee, batted for the pitcher. Gibson got him to force Jones at second. This was crucial. Although Petrocelli scored on the play, Boston's chances of a big inning took a step backwards. Gibson could afford to allow the Sox a run at this point, leading 7-1. But he didn't want them to get to 7-5 or even 7-4 like in '64!
Joe Foy also hit into a force, as did Mike Andrews. Gibson was out of his most difficult ordeal of the afternoon. St. Louis looked more than poised for a big inning with the bases filled and only one out in the top of the ninth, but could not score.
Gibson face Yaz again, and Carl lined a single to right. It was the Red Sox's third hit of the game. It was also their last. Harrelson hit into a double play and Scott fanned. Gibson and the Cardinals were champions again, and again in seven games.
The same scenario presented itself the next year as it was the Detroit Tigers turn. Wins by Gibson in games one and four again put St. Louis up three games to one. But again, the opposition came back.
In game seven, Gibson started strong. He retired the first ten batters to face him. His mound opponent, Mickey Lolich, looked tired and beaten, but kept getting out of trouble. Lolich then began to look like Gibson out there.
Gibson was undaunted, and had a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth. In the top of the seventh, the great Gibson finally faltered.
With two down, Norm Cash and Willie Horton singled. Jim Northrup then hit a ball that centerfielder Curt Flood misjudged and it got behind him for a triple. 2-0, Tigers. When Bill Freehan followed with a double, it was 3-0.
The Cardinals got a man on in the bottom of the frame on an error, but did not score. Gibson had a 1-2-3 top of the eight. But time was running out on St. Louis. They coaxed a walk off Lolich in the bottom of the eighth, but again failed to score. Gibson batted for himself in that inning and fanned, meaning he'd be back for the top of the ninth. It might have been a bad move.
With one out, Horton singled. Northrup followed with one of his own. Bill Freehan was retired. But Don Wert singled to make it 4-0. The Tigers were three outs away from a World Championship.
St. Louis finally managed to pry a run off Lolich via a Mike Shannon home run in the bottom of the ninth, but that was it. The Cardinals and Gibson had lost, 4-1.
A tough was to end it for Bob Gibson. But in game one of '68, he'd fanned 17 Tigers in a shutout. Game four saw the Tigers score just once off him. 1967 saw Gibson win 2-1 in game one in a pitcher's duel. Game four was a majestic 6-0 win for him. 1964 saw him lose 8-3 (but Bob only pitched eight innings and only allowed four runs) in game 2 and win 5-2 in game five. That game saw him fan 13 and allow no earned runs.
Gibson, the competitor, may have had some problems in game seven. But the greats handle adversary the way you and I handle a cold. We fight through it. Gibson faced several tough tests in every World Series starts of his, but handled them like a fighter. And while game seven is a challenge to anyone who participates in them, Gibson met it head on. No quarter asked or given!
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