[uncbob]

The guy was truly great, an unbelievable competitor, and tough as nails.

Joe Adcock 6'4" 240 lbs of bone and muscle hit Gibson very well
One game Gibson low bridged him
Adcock got to first and feigned a eye problem
Came off the bag and halfway to the mound and told Gibson if he ever did it again he would kill him but first he would break his arm so he could have something to remember
Never happened again
Didn't come any tougher than Joe

[netguide]

This story illustrates the competitive nature of Gibson:
Years after he retired from the Cardinals, Gibson served a stint as a pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves. The Brave pitcher was in trouble so Gibson paid a visit to the mound. The hometown Cardinal fans were ecstatic to see their former hero and gave a rousing reception to Gibson. I expected him to tip his cap or acknowledge the warm reception in some way but Gibson strode back to the dugout after talking to his pitcher and never even glanced up. Nowadays there would be a reception and hugs all around but Gibson was too competitive for that.