Bob Gibson

Robert Gibson (November 9, 1935 – October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he overcame childhood illness to excel in youth sports, particularly basketball and baseball. After briefly playing with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, he chose baseball and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Gibson became a full-time starting pitcher in July 1961 and earned his first All-Star appearance in 1962. He won two of the three games he pitched in the 1964 World Series, then won 20 games in a season for the first time in 1965. He pitched three complete-game victories in the 1967 World Series, and is one of four players and two pitchers to win multiple World Series MVP awards. The pinnacle of his career came in 1968, during the "Year of the Pitcher."

Known for his fiercely competitive nature, Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 earned run average. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award.