As a kid l remember in 1968 whenever Gibson was scheduled to pitch against my beloved Giants I would cringe. He was an incredible competitor and phenomenal pitcher. Certainly one of the very best in an era of great pitchers. RIP Mr. Gibson.
I was a Red Sox fan during that amazing 1967 season, the first year I was interested in baseball. I got to know a lot of the American League players like Mickey Mantle, Dean Chance, Al Kaline, Frank Howard, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Ken Berry. I didn’t know anyone in the National League except Don Drysdale, who had the same name as the banker in the Beverly Hillbillies, and Sandy Koufax, who had been on an episode of Dennis the Menace.
When the Sox won the pennant my Dad said “They aren’t going to win the Series. St. Louis has a pitcher by the name of Bob Gibson who is almost unhittable.” And that’s how it happened.
You had Marichal, and he wasn’t half bad.