Bob Gibson's Fall Classic exploits went beyond his pitching! He was a clutch pitcher, and could even be clutch hitter, too! In the three World Series St. Louis was in during the 1960s (1964, 1967, and 1968) Gibson was always ready to take the call on the hill or at the dish!
In Bob Gibson's first World Series start, it wasn't quite good enough, although he pitched a fine game. And what about his hitting? Let's put it this way, Gibby did a lot on the mound and at the plate. St. Louis had taken game 1, 9-5 over New York. Gibby had a bit of the pressure off him. But, you know, Bob Gibson liked pressure. So I am sure his approach here was no different than it would have been had it been game 7. And Gibson would be on this hill in game 7 of the 1964 World Series.
His first appearance at the dish was in the bottom of the 3rd in a 0-0 deadlock. Another situation Gibson liked, no doubt! The St. Louis right-hander was up against Mel Stottlemyre. And it was Mel who broke first. The Yankees' had sent to the mound a rookie pitcher. It showed, here.
With runners on first and second and nobody out, it was time for Gibby to get those runners over. He laid down a fine bunt, and catcher Elston Howard could only go to first. When Curt Flood grounded out, the Cards had drawn first blood.
After the Yankees tied it in the top of the 4th, Gibson came back to the plate in the bottom of the 5th. This would be his first Fall Classic at bat. True to his flair for the dramatic, Gibby came through with a single. But St. Louis failed to score. The Yankees, no strangers to taking advantage of wildness, would score next as it turned out. In the top of the 6th, a walk, a hit batter, and a Tom Tresh single broke the tie. 2-1, New York.
Then, in the 7th, it was Bob Gibson who really came unravelled. A single by Phil Linz. A wild pitch. A single by Bobby Richardson. It was 3-1, Bronx Bombers. And they weren't through. Roger Maris singled Richardson to third. There was nobody out and the Yankees were up by two run. Mickey Mantle, who scored the go-ahead run for the Yankees in the 6th, hit a ground ball to second. Dal Maxvill, the Cardinals second basemen, could only go to first. That made it 4-1, Yankees. Gibson was out of there after 8 innings. The Cardinals lost, 8-3. Gibson took the loss.
It was another Gibson / Stottlemyre duel in game 5, with the World Series tied at two. Gibson was much better this time around. But so was Stottlemyre. Gibby was on his way to 13 K's, but Mel K'd the side in the top of the first.
Stottlemyre also fanned Gibson in the top of the second. In the 5th, Mel started by fanning Maxvill. Gibson though, hit a lob over short, that dropped in just in front of both Tresh in left, and a charging Linz at short. This single would help trigger a 2-run uprising that Bob needed. Stottlemyre got into the act himself in the bottom of the frame, however. He lashed a 2-out single of his mound opponent. No runs scored, alas.
With one out in the top of the 7th, it was time for Gibby at the dish again. But, once again, Gibson fanned. It was Mel's 6th and final strikeout of the afternoon. St, Louis managed to get two on, but both runners were stranded.
Hal Reniff pitched the top of the 8th for New York and ran into some trouble. Pete Mikkelsen came in and got the Yankees out of a 2 on, 1 out, situation. Then, in the top of the 9th, Pete fanned Gibson. The Yankees needed that kind of pitching to keep them in this game, for a dramatic 2-run home run by Tresh tied things in the bottom of the frame.
Tim McCarver, Gibson's battery mate, then untied it with a 3-run dinger to right in the top of the 10th. And Gibson got through the bottom of the frame without a single Yankee tally. 5-2, St. Louis in the game, 3-2 Cardinals in the 1964 Fall Classic!
The Yankees won game six to send it to the limit. Gibson and Stottlemyre, part 3 would decide it. For 3 1/2 innings it was scoreless. Gibson popped out in the bottom of the third. But the next inning, St. Louis scored three times in the bottom of the 4th. Gibson did nothing in his plate appearance. He popped up to Joe Pepitone at first.
The Cardinals kept the ball rolling in the bottom of the 5th, as they nailed reliever Al Downing for three more runs. Meanwhile, Gibson was pitching out of some jams and getting some nice fielding behind him. But he must have been tiring, pitching on only three day's rest. But he was ahead, 6-0 with only four more innings to go. When would the fatigue show up?
It showed in the top of the 6th. Before Gibby could get one out, the Yankees got three runs on two singles and an opposite-field home run by the incandescent Mantle. Suddenly, it was only 6-3, St. Louis.
Gibson flew out against Rollie Sheldon in the bottom of the frame. The good news was Gibson got through the top of the 7th by allowing the Yankees only one hit. But the outs were getting longer and louder.
Ken Boyer hit his second home run of the 1964 World Series in the bottom of the 7th inning to make it 7-3. With a little more breathing room, Gibson got 'em 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th.
Gibby though, had a chance for the real dagger in the Bronx's hearts in the bottom of the 8th. St. Louis got runners to second and third with only one out. Bob could only hit a grounder to Ken's younger brother Clete at third. Tim McCarver had started towards home and Boyer had him in a rundown. McCarver was out. And with runners only on 1st and 2nd, Curt Flood lined out to Boyer. A potentially huge inning had just been wasted.
And, seeing that this was against the Yankees, you just knew they'd make St. Louis pay.
With one out in the top of the 9th, the defiant Yankees caught fire. Clete Boyer, having thwarted the Cardinals' rally half an inning ago, started a Yankee uprising. The hard way. The hard hit ball way. By going yard. After Gibson fanned Johnny Blanchard, it was time for Linz to go yard as well. Uh-oh, only 7-5 for the Cards. Gibson induced Bobby Richardson (with 13 hits this series) to pop up and end it!
It was ironic that, three years later, Gibson's first at bat was not too unlike his last. In the 1967 World Series, St. Louis faced the Boston Red Sox, playing in their first Fall Classic in 21 years. Ironically, it had been the Cardinals who beat them in 1946. Gibson was needed this time to pitch and hit St. Louis to another Fall Classic triumph.
He didn't quite deliver in game 1. Gibby came up in the top of the second with the bases loaded and only one out. Gibson proceeded to hit into a inning-ending double play.
The teams traded runs the next inning. Roger Maris, now a Card, drove in a run in the top of the frame. But, in the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox tied it. Of all people to tie it! It was Bob Gibson's mound adversary, young Jose Santiago, that took Gibson deep and over the Green Monster in left. 1-1.
Gibson, I think, liked this: tied and having the pressure on himself!
But what he didn't like was fanning in the top of the 4th. Bob also flew out in the top of the 6th as the game remained in a 1-1 deadlock.
His adversary from 1964, Maris, must have pleased Gibson somewhat. Another clutch RBI from him put the Cardinals back out in front, 2-1. Pitching-wise didn't seem to be a problem at this time. But Gibson's attempt to sac bunt in the top of the 9th only resulted in a pop up foul out to first. St. Louis did eventually get runners to second and third, but they were both stranded.
Bob Gibson would survive a walk in the bottom of the 9th to win game one of the 1967 World Series, 2-1. A fine 6-hitter. But Gibson had no hits himself.
In game four, Bob Gibson found his club up two games to one. A chance to put the Red Sox on the brink of defeat. It would be either three games to one or a two-two Fall Classic after this game. It was a home game, with game five in St. Louis as well. Big game. But Big Game Gibson was more than up to task here!
The Cards scored four times in the first inning to get rid of Santiago early here. But Bob ended the inning by flying out to Carl Yastrzemski, who had gotten the Red Sox first hit off Hoot in the top of the frame.
Two more runs in the bottom of the third made it 6-0, St. Louis. Gibson again ended the inning with a flyball out, this time to center.
The Red Sox pitchers seemed to settle down after that, but Bob Gibson was making that look like a mere formality. And in the bottom of the 6th, with St. Louis still up 6-0, Gibby drew a walk. But Lou Brock forced him. A steal of second followed, but Lou would be stranded right there.
In the bottom of the 8th, Gibson faced someone who's younger brother knew a thing or two about hitting, Ken Brett. With Maxvill on first and two outs, Bob again ended the inning by forcing him at second. I guess Ken was determined to prove that Bob Gibson was no George Brett this game when it came to batting.
Gibson though, was a little bit of Cy Young when it came to pitching in this game. Or maybe Walter Johnson. Johnson had 110 shutouts in his day. On this day, Bob Gibson would finish with a 5-hit shutout.
In game 7 at Fenway, it was a battle between two starters who had each won two games in the '67 Fall Classic. Bob Gibson and Jim Lonborg. But it turned out to be all Gibson. And Gibson really brought his bat here!
It was scoreless after two, but then St. Louis got to Lonborg. They had scored one run off him in 20 innings. In the top of the third, they scored twice. But Gibson could only line out to third.
Lonnie and Gibby got 'em 1-2-3 in the 4th, but St. Louis was back at it in the 5th. And guess who got the ball rolling on another 2-run uprising. Yep, Gibson. With one out, the right-hander made it 3-0 Cards with a long home run to left center, landing in the seats where the Green Monster meets the stands. Maris, again helping his one-time adversary, drove in the fourth Cardinal run with a sac fly.
Gibson surrendered a run in the bottom of the frame, but a 3-run home run by Julian Javier in the 6th made it 7-1, St. Louis. At this point, Bobby and his mates could taste the champagne. Dick Williams, the Red Sox manager had said his lineup would be, "Lonborg and champagne." Well, he did get the champagne part right! Gibby would bat one out later and ground out to third. But with a six run cushion, it hardly mattered.
The Red Sox got one run back in the bottom of the 8th, and Bob helped them get it by throwing a wild pitch and a walk that inning. In the top of the 9th, Gibson batted for the last time as he led off the inning. He fanned, but the next three batters sure didn't. In fact, they all reached! Somehow, the Cardinals failed to get any more runs. Again, it was Ken Brett doing some nice work, retiring McCarver to end that.
Gibson gave up a leadoff single to Yaz in the bottom of the 9th. But it was only the third hit by the Red Sox. And it proved to be their last hit. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson hit into a double play. When George Scott fanned on a huge, sweeping curveball, the Cardinals were World Series champions for 1967.
Gibby and his mates had one last World Series in them the next year. This time, it was Detroit's turn to face the wrath of Bob. Game one sufficed.
Okay, forget about the 17 K's and the complete game shutout, did Gibby do much at the plate?
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the third, Bob and his mates needed to take a bite out of the Tigers and pitcher Denny McLain. McLain, who didn't pitch too badly, ran into Gibson the batter in this inning!
After Dal Maxville led off the inning with a walk, up came Gibson. McLain's first pitch was a high ball. But Gibby got the man to second with a fine bunt. McLain, though, took Brock's comebacker and caught Max in a rundown between second and third. Brock stole second and went to third on throwing error by Bill Freehan. The Cardinals failed to score. But they scored three times in the bottom of the 4th. And that would be more than enough for Gibby.
In the 7th inning with Denny in the shower, Gibson popped out for the second out. Lou Brock didn't pop out. He went yard to make it 4-0, St. Louis. That would be the final score.
It was game four of the 1968 World Series where Bob Gibson really showed all that he could do. The Tigers scored twice in the first, Brock with another long ball. That would be all Gibson needed.
McLain, shaken, had a 1-2-3 second. Gibson could only ground out. But St. Louis got rid of McLain in the third with two more runs. 4-0, St. Louis!
And then, in the 4th inning, Gibson went yard to lead things off. That blast inspired the Cards to score again that inning. 6-0, St. Louis. A home run by Jim Northrup got one run back for the Tigers. But it would prove to be the only time the Bengals touched home.
In the top of the 6th, Gibson grounded out. But in his next at bat in the top of the 8th inning, Hoot drew a bases loaded walk to plate the 7th Cardinal run. Gibson then scored behind two other runners when Brock hit a double. It was 10-1, St. Louis. That was the final score. Gibby was in the on-deck circle when the Cardinals were retired in the 9th. But Bob Gibson finished with 10 K's and just 5 hits allowed. Plus, he was 2-3 at the dish with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run. Once again, Bobby beat Denny!
The Tigers had taken a 3-1 Series lead, but Detroit clawed back to win the next two games. As had it been in '67, game 7 was between the two, two-game winners: Gibson and Mickey Lolich!
And Lolich, like Lonborg, was starting on only two days rest. This game was a home game for the Cardinals. You had to figure with a well-rested Gibson, home field advantage, that St. Louis had a big edge.
Gibson batted first in the bottom of the third, but could only ground out. At this point, he already had 5
strikeouts. And Gibby would retire the first 10 batters to face him. Gibby was off to a fast start! Lolich, though, got 'em 1-2-3 in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th inning.
Gibson came up with a runner on and two down in the bottom of the 5th. But popped out to end the inning. In the top of the 7th, the Tigers plated three runners. That must have surprised everyone.
Gibby, in his last ever World Series at bat, fanned against Lolich in the bottom of the 8th. Gibby was then nicked for another run in the top of the 9th. That made it 4-0, Detroit. A Mike Shannon home run in the bottom of the frame broke up Lolich's shutout bid, but that was all St. Louis got. The Tigers became just the 3rd team in MLB history to rally from three games to one down to win a best-of-seven World Series.
Gibson would never play again in the World Series. And for all that hitting, his lifetime batting average was just .143 in the Fall Classic. Yet two of those hits were long balls. And most of those hits were clutch. Combine that with outstanding pitching when the Cards were on the table, and Bob Gibson will forever be The Man when you need a pitcher to do it all in the Fall Classic!
In Bob Gibson's first World Series start, it wasn't quite good enough, although he pitched a fine game. And what about his hitting? Let's put it this way, Gibby did a lot on the mound and at the plate. St. Louis had taken game 1, 9-5 over New York. Gibby had a bit of the pressure off him. But, you know, Bob Gibson liked pressure. So I am sure his approach here was no different than it would have been had it been game 7. And Gibson would be on this hill in game 7 of the 1964 World Series.
His first appearance at the dish was in the bottom of the 3rd in a 0-0 deadlock. Another situation Gibson liked, no doubt! The St. Louis right-hander was up against Mel Stottlemyre. And it was Mel who broke first. The Yankees' had sent to the mound a rookie pitcher. It showed, here.
With runners on first and second and nobody out, it was time for Gibby to get those runners over. He laid down a fine bunt, and catcher Elston Howard could only go to first. When Curt Flood grounded out, the Cards had drawn first blood.
After the Yankees tied it in the top of the 4th, Gibson came back to the plate in the bottom of the 5th. This would be his first Fall Classic at bat. True to his flair for the dramatic, Gibby came through with a single. But St. Louis failed to score. The Yankees, no strangers to taking advantage of wildness, would score next as it turned out. In the top of the 6th, a walk, a hit batter, and a Tom Tresh single broke the tie. 2-1, New York.
Then, in the 7th, it was Bob Gibson who really came unravelled. A single by Phil Linz. A wild pitch. A single by Bobby Richardson. It was 3-1, Bronx Bombers. And they weren't through. Roger Maris singled Richardson to third. There was nobody out and the Yankees were up by two run. Mickey Mantle, who scored the go-ahead run for the Yankees in the 6th, hit a ground ball to second. Dal Maxvill, the Cardinals second basemen, could only go to first. That made it 4-1, Yankees. Gibson was out of there after 8 innings. The Cardinals lost, 8-3. Gibson took the loss.
It was another Gibson / Stottlemyre duel in game 5, with the World Series tied at two. Gibson was much better this time around. But so was Stottlemyre. Gibby was on his way to 13 K's, but Mel K'd the side in the top of the first.
Stottlemyre also fanned Gibson in the top of the second. In the 5th, Mel started by fanning Maxvill. Gibson though, hit a lob over short, that dropped in just in front of both Tresh in left, and a charging Linz at short. This single would help trigger a 2-run uprising that Bob needed. Stottlemyre got into the act himself in the bottom of the frame, however. He lashed a 2-out single of his mound opponent. No runs scored, alas.
With one out in the top of the 7th, it was time for Gibby at the dish again. But, once again, Gibson fanned. It was Mel's 6th and final strikeout of the afternoon. St, Louis managed to get two on, but both runners were stranded.
Hal Reniff pitched the top of the 8th for New York and ran into some trouble. Pete Mikkelsen came in and got the Yankees out of a 2 on, 1 out, situation. Then, in the top of the 9th, Pete fanned Gibson. The Yankees needed that kind of pitching to keep them in this game, for a dramatic 2-run home run by Tresh tied things in the bottom of the frame.
Tim McCarver, Gibson's battery mate, then untied it with a 3-run dinger to right in the top of the 10th. And Gibson got through the bottom of the frame without a single Yankee tally. 5-2, St. Louis in the game, 3-2 Cardinals in the 1964 Fall Classic!
The Yankees won game six to send it to the limit. Gibson and Stottlemyre, part 3 would decide it. For 3 1/2 innings it was scoreless. Gibson popped out in the bottom of the third. But the next inning, St. Louis scored three times in the bottom of the 4th. Gibson did nothing in his plate appearance. He popped up to Joe Pepitone at first.
The Cardinals kept the ball rolling in the bottom of the 5th, as they nailed reliever Al Downing for three more runs. Meanwhile, Gibson was pitching out of some jams and getting some nice fielding behind him. But he must have been tiring, pitching on only three day's rest. But he was ahead, 6-0 with only four more innings to go. When would the fatigue show up?
It showed in the top of the 6th. Before Gibby could get one out, the Yankees got three runs on two singles and an opposite-field home run by the incandescent Mantle. Suddenly, it was only 6-3, St. Louis.
Gibson flew out against Rollie Sheldon in the bottom of the frame. The good news was Gibson got through the top of the 7th by allowing the Yankees only one hit. But the outs were getting longer and louder.
Ken Boyer hit his second home run of the 1964 World Series in the bottom of the 7th inning to make it 7-3. With a little more breathing room, Gibson got 'em 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th.
Gibby though, had a chance for the real dagger in the Bronx's hearts in the bottom of the 8th. St. Louis got runners to second and third with only one out. Bob could only hit a grounder to Ken's younger brother Clete at third. Tim McCarver had started towards home and Boyer had him in a rundown. McCarver was out. And with runners only on 1st and 2nd, Curt Flood lined out to Boyer. A potentially huge inning had just been wasted.
And, seeing that this was against the Yankees, you just knew they'd make St. Louis pay.
With one out in the top of the 9th, the defiant Yankees caught fire. Clete Boyer, having thwarted the Cardinals' rally half an inning ago, started a Yankee uprising. The hard way. The hard hit ball way. By going yard. After Gibson fanned Johnny Blanchard, it was time for Linz to go yard as well. Uh-oh, only 7-5 for the Cards. Gibson induced Bobby Richardson (with 13 hits this series) to pop up and end it!
It was ironic that, three years later, Gibson's first at bat was not too unlike his last. In the 1967 World Series, St. Louis faced the Boston Red Sox, playing in their first Fall Classic in 21 years. Ironically, it had been the Cardinals who beat them in 1946. Gibson was needed this time to pitch and hit St. Louis to another Fall Classic triumph.
He didn't quite deliver in game 1. Gibby came up in the top of the second with the bases loaded and only one out. Gibson proceeded to hit into a inning-ending double play.
The teams traded runs the next inning. Roger Maris, now a Card, drove in a run in the top of the frame. But, in the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox tied it. Of all people to tie it! It was Bob Gibson's mound adversary, young Jose Santiago, that took Gibson deep and over the Green Monster in left. 1-1.
Gibson, I think, liked this: tied and having the pressure on himself!
But what he didn't like was fanning in the top of the 4th. Bob also flew out in the top of the 6th as the game remained in a 1-1 deadlock.
His adversary from 1964, Maris, must have pleased Gibson somewhat. Another clutch RBI from him put the Cardinals back out in front, 2-1. Pitching-wise didn't seem to be a problem at this time. But Gibson's attempt to sac bunt in the top of the 9th only resulted in a pop up foul out to first. St. Louis did eventually get runners to second and third, but they were both stranded.
Bob Gibson would survive a walk in the bottom of the 9th to win game one of the 1967 World Series, 2-1. A fine 6-hitter. But Gibson had no hits himself.
In game four, Bob Gibson found his club up two games to one. A chance to put the Red Sox on the brink of defeat. It would be either three games to one or a two-two Fall Classic after this game. It was a home game, with game five in St. Louis as well. Big game. But Big Game Gibson was more than up to task here!
The Cards scored four times in the first inning to get rid of Santiago early here. But Bob ended the inning by flying out to Carl Yastrzemski, who had gotten the Red Sox first hit off Hoot in the top of the frame.
Two more runs in the bottom of the third made it 6-0, St. Louis. Gibson again ended the inning with a flyball out, this time to center.
The Red Sox pitchers seemed to settle down after that, but Bob Gibson was making that look like a mere formality. And in the bottom of the 6th, with St. Louis still up 6-0, Gibby drew a walk. But Lou Brock forced him. A steal of second followed, but Lou would be stranded right there.
In the bottom of the 8th, Gibson faced someone who's younger brother knew a thing or two about hitting, Ken Brett. With Maxvill on first and two outs, Bob again ended the inning by forcing him at second. I guess Ken was determined to prove that Bob Gibson was no George Brett this game when it came to batting.
Gibson though, was a little bit of Cy Young when it came to pitching in this game. Or maybe Walter Johnson. Johnson had 110 shutouts in his day. On this day, Bob Gibson would finish with a 5-hit shutout.
In game 7 at Fenway, it was a battle between two starters who had each won two games in the '67 Fall Classic. Bob Gibson and Jim Lonborg. But it turned out to be all Gibson. And Gibson really brought his bat here!
It was scoreless after two, but then St. Louis got to Lonborg. They had scored one run off him in 20 innings. In the top of the third, they scored twice. But Gibson could only line out to third.
Lonnie and Gibby got 'em 1-2-3 in the 4th, but St. Louis was back at it in the 5th. And guess who got the ball rolling on another 2-run uprising. Yep, Gibson. With one out, the right-hander made it 3-0 Cards with a long home run to left center, landing in the seats where the Green Monster meets the stands. Maris, again helping his one-time adversary, drove in the fourth Cardinal run with a sac fly.
Gibson surrendered a run in the bottom of the frame, but a 3-run home run by Julian Javier in the 6th made it 7-1, St. Louis. At this point, Bobby and his mates could taste the champagne. Dick Williams, the Red Sox manager had said his lineup would be, "Lonborg and champagne." Well, he did get the champagne part right! Gibby would bat one out later and ground out to third. But with a six run cushion, it hardly mattered.
The Red Sox got one run back in the bottom of the 8th, and Bob helped them get it by throwing a wild pitch and a walk that inning. In the top of the 9th, Gibson batted for the last time as he led off the inning. He fanned, but the next three batters sure didn't. In fact, they all reached! Somehow, the Cardinals failed to get any more runs. Again, it was Ken Brett doing some nice work, retiring McCarver to end that.
Gibson gave up a leadoff single to Yaz in the bottom of the 9th. But it was only the third hit by the Red Sox. And it proved to be their last hit. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson hit into a double play. When George Scott fanned on a huge, sweeping curveball, the Cardinals were World Series champions for 1967.
Gibby and his mates had one last World Series in them the next year. This time, it was Detroit's turn to face the wrath of Bob. Game one sufficed.
Okay, forget about the 17 K's and the complete game shutout, did Gibby do much at the plate?
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the third, Bob and his mates needed to take a bite out of the Tigers and pitcher Denny McLain. McLain, who didn't pitch too badly, ran into Gibson the batter in this inning!
After Dal Maxville led off the inning with a walk, up came Gibson. McLain's first pitch was a high ball. But Gibby got the man to second with a fine bunt. McLain, though, took Brock's comebacker and caught Max in a rundown between second and third. Brock stole second and went to third on throwing error by Bill Freehan. The Cardinals failed to score. But they scored three times in the bottom of the 4th. And that would be more than enough for Gibby.
In the 7th inning with Denny in the shower, Gibson popped out for the second out. Lou Brock didn't pop out. He went yard to make it 4-0, St. Louis. That would be the final score.
It was game four of the 1968 World Series where Bob Gibson really showed all that he could do. The Tigers scored twice in the first, Brock with another long ball. That would be all Gibson needed.
McLain, shaken, had a 1-2-3 second. Gibson could only ground out. But St. Louis got rid of McLain in the third with two more runs. 4-0, St. Louis!
And then, in the 4th inning, Gibson went yard to lead things off. That blast inspired the Cards to score again that inning. 6-0, St. Louis. A home run by Jim Northrup got one run back for the Tigers. But it would prove to be the only time the Bengals touched home.
In the top of the 6th, Gibson grounded out. But in his next at bat in the top of the 8th inning, Hoot drew a bases loaded walk to plate the 7th Cardinal run. Gibson then scored behind two other runners when Brock hit a double. It was 10-1, St. Louis. That was the final score. Gibby was in the on-deck circle when the Cardinals were retired in the 9th. But Bob Gibson finished with 10 K's and just 5 hits allowed. Plus, he was 2-3 at the dish with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run. Once again, Bobby beat Denny!
The Tigers had taken a 3-1 Series lead, but Detroit clawed back to win the next two games. As had it been in '67, game 7 was between the two, two-game winners: Gibson and Mickey Lolich!
And Lolich, like Lonborg, was starting on only two days rest. This game was a home game for the Cardinals. You had to figure with a well-rested Gibson, home field advantage, that St. Louis had a big edge.
Gibson batted first in the bottom of the third, but could only ground out. At this point, he already had 5
strikeouts. And Gibby would retire the first 10 batters to face him. Gibby was off to a fast start! Lolich, though, got 'em 1-2-3 in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th inning.
Gibson came up with a runner on and two down in the bottom of the 5th. But popped out to end the inning. In the top of the 7th, the Tigers plated three runners. That must have surprised everyone.
Gibby, in his last ever World Series at bat, fanned against Lolich in the bottom of the 8th. Gibby was then nicked for another run in the top of the 9th. That made it 4-0, Detroit. A Mike Shannon home run in the bottom of the frame broke up Lolich's shutout bid, but that was all St. Louis got. The Tigers became just the 3rd team in MLB history to rally from three games to one down to win a best-of-seven World Series.
Gibson would never play again in the World Series. And for all that hitting, his lifetime batting average was just .143 in the Fall Classic. Yet two of those hits were long balls. And most of those hits were clutch. Combine that with outstanding pitching when the Cards were on the table, and Bob Gibson will forever be The Man when you need a pitcher to do it all in the Fall Classic!
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