Bob Gibson won 251 games during a 17-season Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched 255 complete games and struck out 3,117 opposing batters.
He was also exceptional in the postseason, winning seven of his nine World Series decisions and being named MVP of both the 1964 and 1967 Series.
This is a look back at the 10 most exceptional regular season outings as well as the five best post-season games of this Hall of Fame standout.
The standard of measurement for regular season games is Win Probability Added. That calculates the individual’s role in influencing the game’s outcome. It’s not an ideal measurement, because it judges the player’s contribution within the broader context of the game. For example, WPA does not rank Gibson’s 1971 no-hitter among his 10 best performances because the Cardinals won that game 11-0. In other words, they would have won with even an average pitching performance.
By the standard of WPA, Gibson’s role in victory is far more likely to be enhanced when he is pitching in closely fought games where each pitch is pivotal and the outcome often is decided only in extra innings. You’ll see that scenario time and again on this list.
St. Louis Cardinals: The 10 best regular-season games of Bob Gibson’s career
10. Sept. 14, 1969, Cardinals 2, Chicago Cubs 1. The Cubs were in the middle of their infamous September swoon that would cost them the NL pennant, and Gibson did his part to extend Chicago’s misery. Matched up that afternoon against Ken Holtzman in St. Louis, he battled Holtzman to a 1-1 tie through the regulation nine innings.
In the 10th, Gibson went through the heart of the Cubs order, fanning Glenn Beckert, then retiring future Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Ron Santo on pop flies. Lou Brock’s one-out home run won it in the bottom of the 10th. He allowed just seven hits, and struck out five. Gibson Win Probability Added: 0.651.