Celebrate '68: Gibson Gets His First Shutout

                On June 6, 1968, despite not being scheduled to pitch, Bob Gibson volunteered his services when Dick Hughes came up with a sore arm. The four days of rest did not appear to bother Gibson, as he turned in a three-hit complete game performance to help the Cardinals earn a 4-0 victory over the Astros in Houston. It was the ninth victory in a row for the soaring Redbirds.

            The first two Redbird runs came from RBIs by Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda in the third. Both ribbies were given up by Houston’s starter Don Wilson, who surrendered back-to-back home runs to lead off the sixth inning. The first was off the bat of Cepeda, followed by that of Tim McCarver. The Houston starter settled down enough to get the next three outs in that sixth inning, but his day would end shortly thereafter, when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

             Meanwhile, Bob Gibson was locked in. Only one man had earned the privilege of rounding first base, which came when Ron Davis doubled in the fourth. The fierce Cardinals hurler would carry a two-hitter into the ninth before Rusty Staub singled with two outs. Gibson capped things off by inducing Lee Thomas into a ground out. The victory was Gibby's fifth of the campaign, advancing his record to 5-5. It was his eighth complete game of the season and his first shutout.

            The performance by Gibson featured just two walks along with five strikeouts. His ERA dropped to 1.52 and would continue to fall in the weeks to come. He was on his way to the history books, and together we will remember how he got there as we continue to celebrate that glorious year: 1968.

Check out the box score: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196806060.shtml

            Earlier that day, in the wee hours of the morning, our nation lost a presidential hopeful and then-sitting state senator in the political assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles, California. He had been shot and fatally wounded just 26 short hours before his passing that morning of June 6^th. In the days to come several teams cancelled games as the nation mourned. Mark Tomasik at Retrosimba wrote about how the Cardinals reluctantly played on the day of the funeral, which was June 8^th, and what was declared a day of national mourning on June 9th. 1968 was a glorious year in baseball.  Off the field, it’s hard to say.  It makes me realize how important sports can be to our national landscape: When the world seems to be falling apart around us, we as fans can tune in for a few hours of joy. The players also take to the field in an effort to bring us that joy, despite any circumstances outside the stadium, troubling them just as much as they trouble you and me. Somehow the show must go on.

I dedicate this entry to the memory of Bobby Kennedy. He once said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Long before Bob Gibson was great, he paid his dues. He faced failure. In fact, the first batter he ever faced in the major leagues hit a home a run off of him, so I do believe those words that Mr. Kennedy spoke ring true.

            Sources included: The St. Joseph Gazette, The Columbia Missourian, Arkansas City Traveler, The Sikeston Daily Standard, The Kansas City Traveler, Retrosimba.com and Baseballreference.com

            Side note: I had no intention of adding any political commentary to my blog about Cardinals history. However, when I pull up these newspaper articles, I tend to look through the whole newspaper. I just could not ignore such a tragic event. I do not care which side of the aisle you lean toward, because I believe that at the end of the day, we are all Americans.

I hope when looking back at such a tragic event in our history, that we can all have compassion, and as we look toward our collective future, that we can all dare greatly enough to achieve a greatness we can all be proud of.  God Bless.

If you would like to read the piece Mark wrote you can do so here: https://retrosimba.com/2013/06/03/while-nation-mourned-rfk-cardinals-reluctantly-played/

Celebrate '68: Gibson Goes The Distance In New York

            

          On June 2, 1968, Bob Gibson notched his fourth win of the season and his seventh complete game with a victory over the Mets in the first game of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium in New York. Gibson ran into a little trouble along the way, however, the offense showed up for him that day as the Redbirds prevailed 6-3. It was their fourth win in a row. Before the day was over they would win their fifth in a row with a 3-2 victory that completed a four-game sweep of the National Leaguers that called the Big Apple home.

            Once the contest got underway after being delayed by rain for more than 40 minutes, Gibson was given run support right from the start. Lou Brock doubled off New York’s starter Al Jackson, who followed that up with a walk to Julian Javier. Curt Flood moved Brock and Javier over on a groundout, and then the Mets skipper Gil Hodges chose to intentionally walk Orlando Cepeda. Good chance Hodges was hoping the next man up, Mike Shannon, would hit into a double play, but that hope was dashed when “The Moon Man” singled and brought both runners around to score. While Jackson retired the next two batters, the damage was done, and the Birds were up 2-0.

            Gibson had his own hurdles to overcome during that first inning. He walked the first man he faced, allowed a single to the next, retired a man on a flyball, but hit J.C. Martin with a pitch that loaded the bases with just one out. What did Gibson do? He struck the next two men out. The first was Kevin Collins, and the next was Ed Kranepool who got caught looking.

            Jackson looked to have settled down in the second with a 1-2-3 frame, but shoddy defense and timely hitting put two more runs on the Cardinals side of the scoreboard in the third. Jackson began the inning with an out off the bat of Javier.  However, Curt Flood reached first on an error when Weis mishandled a ball at short, Cepeda doubled, Shannon was put on intentionally, then Tim McCarver came through with a two-run single to extend the lead to 4-0. A two-run blast by Dick Simpson in the fifth capped off the Cardinals scoring, as Gibson worked his way through the Mets lineup on his way to victory.

            Gibby did have a hiccup in the sixth after retiring the first two men he faced he then walked three in a row to load the bases. The Mets rightfielder Cleon Jones made him pay by rapping a two-run single of his own to break up the shutout and put his club on the board, but well behind, as they trailed 6-2. Al Jackson’s day ended for the Mets in the bottom of the seventh when he was lifted for pinch hitter Ed Charles who got hold of a Gibson pitch and cut the lead in half with a solo blast to make it 6-3.

            Gibson regrouped and took charge the rest of the way. Well, that is until the ninth, when he allowed back-to-back two out singles. Suddenly the tying run was at the dish in Jerry Buchek. Gibson put him in check with a strikeout to end the game. It was the eighth strikeout of the game for Gibson who had allowed seven hits, and the three runs as well. His ERA rose from 1.52 to 1.66. However, he was about to go on a historic run that would bring that number down significantly.

            This was a significant win during that 1968 season because the Cardinals came into the contest tied for first. They were a half game up after the contest and would never trail in the standings again that season. While this Celebrate ’68 series is focused primarily on Bob Gibson, I believe he would tell you it was a collective effort that led that club to a pennant. For on all pennant winning teams you have a variety of heroes that help them capture the flag. With that said, if we were to list the heroes, Bob Gibson would likely top the list in 1968.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196806021.shtml

Sources included:  The Alton Evening Telegraph, The Bradford Era, The Constitution Tribune, The St. Joseph Gazette, BaseballReference.com

Celebrate '68: Perry and Gibson Go Head-To-Head at Busch

     On May 28, 1968, Bob Gibson and the Birds fell 3-1 to Gaylord Perry and the San Francisco Giants in a rain abbreviated contest at Busch. Despite being handed his fourth loss in a row, Gibson was credited with his sixth complete game of the season. What did him in on that day in May were home runs off the bats of Dick Dietz and the great Willie Mays.

     Early on, the Cardinals looked to set the tone with a run in the second on an RBI by Roger Maris. Lou Brock set the table for Maris by turning a little blooper that fell into shallow left-center into a double. He dashed to third on a fly out by Curt Flood, then came into score on a fielder’s choice. A little small ball and great base running skills pushed him around the base paths. However, that would be all the offense could muster for Gibson who held the Giants in check, holding them hitless through five, before Dietz led off the sixth with a solo shot to knot it at 1-1. The tie was broken in the seventh after Ty Cline singled, then came into score when Mays got hold of one to put the Giants in front 3-1. It was the 572nd home run of Mays’ career.

      The contest had been delayed by rain from the start, as it took nearly an hour and a half just to get it going. There was also a delay in the seventh that lasted just 25 minutes before the skies opened up in the eighth that led to the umpires calling the game. Gibson’s ERA rose from 1.36 to 1.52 after the ballgame. The two pitchers' final lines for this game were as follows: Perry allowed just two hits, walked three, and struck out four, while giving up one earned run. Gibson allowed just four hits, walked one, struck out five, and was charged with three runs. It would have been a joy to see these two go toe-to-toe.

     The Cardinals were mired in a skid that had seen them drop 10 of their last 12. They were in fourth place, and some may have been questioning if the team could truly defend the title they had earned one season before. The tide would turn for the club in the days to come. Gibson would go on a tear. The team would catch fire around him as well. History would be made. The Redbirds were on the way to a pennant.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196805280.shtml

Sources included: The Pittsburgh Press, The Alton Evening Telegraph, The Edwardsville Intelligencer, and BaseballReference.com

This Entry is Dedicated to the Memory of my Nephew

Joseph Allan Forrester

10/13/94 ~ 5/22/2018

I love you, kid.

                                 

     I would also like to thank all of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. As we celebrate our freedoms today be sure to remember who fought for it. God Bless.

Celebrate '68: Drysdale Outduels Gibson At Busch

  On May 22, 1968, Bob Gibson and the Redbirds hosted Don Drysdale and the Dodgers in St. Louis. Drysdale had come to the mound that day having thrown 20 consecutive innings of scoreless baseball.  When he left town, he had thrown 29.  Gibson was a more than formidable foe, surrendering only one run.  As it turned out, that one run was all Drysdale would need in what proved to be a 2-0 Cardinals loss at Busch.

          Drysdale was the story of the day because of extending his streak. However, Bob Gibson was… well, he was Bob Gibson. The Cardinals legend allowed just one hit over eight innings of work. In the third, Gibby issued a one out walk to second baseman Paul Popovich.  He then served up a double to first baseman Wes Parker bringing Popovich around to score.

          Meanwhile, Drysdale set down batter after batter. He would end up allowing just five hits in his complete game effort, while Gibson’s day would end in the eighth after being lifted for a pinch hitter. Gibby’s teammate Joe Hoerner took over in the ninth for the Cardinals and watched the Dodgers tack on an insurance run. However, that run was not charged to the reliever because of a throwing error by Orlando Cepeda.

  There were just 9,560 fans in attendance that night at Busch Stadium. While they may have walked away disappointed, rightfully so, the fact of the matter is they were witnessing history on the grandest of scales.  On one side of that scale was Bob Gibson. He was at the top of his game, as would be the case throughout that 1968 season, allowing just the one hit, striking out six, and dropping his ERA from 1.36 to 1.34. On the other side of that scale sat Don Drysdale: allowing five hits, striking out eight, and walking away with a nearly equally impressive ERA of 1.64.

         What was more impressive in the long run for Drysdale was his scoreless inning streak. It would not be snapped until 18 days later; it came to a halt after throwing 58 and 2/3 consecutive innings of scoreless baseball, breaking Walter Johnson’s record of 55 and 2/3 consecutive innings. 20 years after Drysdale set the mark, he would be in the booth to watch another Dodger by the name of Orel Hershiser break his record by going 59 innings. Drysdale is still second on the all-time list. Bob Gibson is third on the list. We will get into that later…


Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196805220.shtml

Sources included:  The Bakersfield Californian, The St. Petersburg Times, The Southern Illinoisan, The Mount Vernon Register-News, ESPN.com/classicmoments, mlb.com/news/longest-scoreless-inning-streaks-in-history, and Baseballreference.com

Celebrate '68: Bill White Beats His Old Friend In Philly

                On May 17, 1968, Bob Gibson turned in a complete game, going nine and two-thirds, only to fall 1-0 to the Phillies in Philadelphia in the bottom of the tenth. Gibson’s former roommate and ex-Cardinal, Bill White, pushed in the winning run with a single in the tenth.

Gibson and the Redbirds faced Woodie Fryman that day in mid May, and the 28-year-old righty allowed just five hits in the contest. Mike Shannon picked up the first hit off Fryman with a double in the second. The only other man that could get to Fryman was Julian Javier who singled in four out of his five trips to the plate.

A duel until the end, both pitchers had only allowed five hits as the game went into the bottom of the tenth. Fryman was the first man up in that inning and singled to open the frame. He moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt, watched Cookie Rojas fly out, and then saw Gibson intentionally walk Johnny Callison to get to his old friend Bill White.

Gibby had walked Callison in the eighth with two outs to get to White and got him to pop out. In a story that was published in The Bakersfield Californian, White said, “It was embarrassing. It was like getting knocked down twice, and then you have to get up and keep on fighting.” When Gibson gave Callison the free pass to set the table for White in the tenth, he would forget being embarrassed in an instant as he singled in his pitcher, who was rewarded for his valiant effort against one of the best in the game: Bob Gibson.

Gibson’s ERA dropped from 1.43 to 1.36 after the outing in which he added five strikeouts to his resume. His counterpart, Woodie Fryman struck out nine in the contest, helping his team snap a four-game losing streak. During that 1968 season Gibson received very little run support. In a recent interview with Dan McLaughlin from Fox Sports Midwest, Gibson mentioned the frustration he felt when it came to the lack of run support he received during that ’68 season. It was a little more than three runs per game, and on many days, he was lucky to see three runs on the Cardinals side of the scoreboard. He had to pitch his ass off just to have a chance to win and that is what he did. Bob Gibson turned in stellar performance one after the other, as he mapped a road to a number that will not be forgotten… 1.12.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196805170.shtml

Sources included: The Republican Courier, The Bakersfield Californian, The Daily Capital News, The Alton Evening Telegraph, Baseballreference.com, and Dan McLaughlin’s Game 3 Preview Against the Padres on May 12, 2018. You can listen to that here: https://soundcloud.com/dan-mclaughlin-428947011/cardinals-padres-game-3-preview-mixdown

Since I mentioned Danny Mac during this blog, I would like to take a moment to thank him for his ongoing support. I also sincerely appreciate his interactions with the fans, whether it be a lifelong fan here in St. Louis, or a young one in another city that he made sure got a baseball. I cannot overstate how much this fan of the game appreciates Dan McLaughlin. From what I understand, he will be starting full podcasts here soon, and I cannot wait to listen.

Celebrate '68: Gibson Drops One To Houston

                On May 12, 1968, the Houston Astros snapped Bob Gibson’s three-game winning streak and four complete game streak with a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals at Busch. Both clubs were haunted by unearned runs, but it was the Cardinals who would be haunted in the end after Denis Menke drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a bases-loaded single in the seventh.

                Larry Dierker stood on the bump for the ‘Stros.  He surrendered an early 1-0 lead in the first when an error by shortstop Hector Torres put Roger Maris in the position to knock Curt Flood in with a double. That lead disappeared in the second when an error by Dal Maxvill put Houston’s catcher Dave Adlesh in the same position Maris found himself in during the first. Just like that it was 1-1.  The tide turned in the fourth when Mike Shannon lined a home run over the wall in right to put the Birds up 2-1.

                The two hurlers battled until the seventh when Gibson ran into trouble from the get go. He had the top of the order in front of him, which began with centerfielder Ron Davis who singled to start the inning. He then hit rightfielder Norm Miller with a pitch, before leftfielder Jim Wynn bunted his way on to load the bases. Gibson retired the next two men but could not get Menke, who knocked in Davis and Miller. Up to that point, Gibson had struck out nine men. He finished off the seventh inning with his 10^th strikeout of the day.

                Gibson went one more inning. He was lifted for a pinch hitter when the Cardinals came to bat in the eighth. Hal Gilson took over pitching duties, but the Birds could not get to Dierker. The Astros hurler sailed into the ninth having scattered six hits. He allowed his seventh hit to Roger Maris to begin the ninth, then sat down the next three men in a row to end it.

                Gibson’s ERA sat at 1.43 at the end of this day. He had been charged with the two runs over eight innings. His performance was certainly good enough for the Cardinals to win. However, as we all know, there are days when the offense fails to come through for a pitcher who turns in a splendid performance.  There are also days when a pitcher turns in a splendid performance only to watch his counterpart do the same for the opposing team.

                To think about the fact that Gibson finished that season with an ERA of 1.12, and still lost nine games is astounding. It was the year of the pitcher though, and the Cardinals had to face their fair share of good and even great pitchers. With that said, they had one of the greatest of them all. He wore the 45… His name was Bob Gibson.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196805120.shtml

Sources included: The Southeast Missourian, The Victoria Advocate, The St. Joseph Gazette, The Alton Evening Telegraph, and Baseballreference.com

Celebrate '68: Gibson and Seaver Duel At Busch

On May 6, 1968, a duel to remember took place in St. Louis as Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver went head-to-head in front of 12,741 fans. Gibson would get the best of “Tom Terrific” on that day in early May, winning 2-1 in 11 innings. Tom was terrific nonetheless. As was Gibson.

            The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead in the second after Tim McCarver singled, reached second on an error by first baseman Ed Kranepool, then came around to score on a single by Julian Javier. From there, Seaver was lights out. In fact, he no-hit the Cardinals until the tenth when he surrendered a single to Mike Shannon in.

            After McCarver scored in the second, The Mets came back with a run in the fourth to tie it up, by picking up three singles in a row by Bud Harrelson, Ken Boswell, and Art Shamsky who earned the RBI. The single by Shamsky was followed by a flyball to center, that looked like it was going to bring in the rookie Boswell to score on the sac fly. However, Boswell slid wide and missed the dish. McCarver did not realize he missed the plate, but Orlando Cepeda shouted at him to tag the runner. In a haste, McCarver applied the tag to keep the game knotted at one.

            Those three hits that the Mets bunched together to start off the fourth would be the only hits that Gibson gave up that day. He struck out 11 through 11, then was rewarded for his efforts in the bottom of that inning when Lou Brock tripled off Seaver to begin the inning. The Mets’ skipper Gil Hodges then chose to intentionally walk Curt Flood and Roger Maris to load the bases for Orlando Cepeda. Hodges had to be hoping for a force at the plate, however, Cepeda made him pay by singling to right for the game winning RBI. Two hours and ten minutes after the game begun the Cardinals were victorious. It was a game for the ages indeed.

Check out the box score here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196805060.shtml

Some side notes: Gibson threw 109 pitches, while his counterpart Tom Seaver threw 120. The two pitchers would combine for 562 wins in their careers. It had to be something special to see those two go at it. Just think, so far, we have looked at a game where Gibson faced Fergie Jenkins, and now we have looked at one that had him going against Tom Seaver. The matchups were fierce. The competition was great. What a year it was. #Celebrate68.