1981 – Steve Carlton fans 12 Expos in 10 innings to break Bob Gibson’s National League strikeout record (Carlton now has 3,128), but the Phillies lose to the Expos, 1 – 0 in 17 innings. Montreal’s Bryn Smith retires just one batter, but picks up his first major league victory.
On January 15, 1981, former St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson is elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In 17 seasons with the Cardinals, Gibson won 251 games, compiled a 2.91 era, and earned two World Championship rings. Gibson also gained a reputation as a fierce competitor…
In the final game of his Hall of Fame career, Cardinals great Bob Gibson gives up a grand slam to Pete LaCock. It will be LaCock’s only bases-loaded homer of his career.
Cardinals pitching great Bob Gibson fans the Reds’ Cesar Geronimo to become the second hurler after Walter Johnson to strike out 3,000 batters. Geronimo will become Nolan Ryan’s 3,000th strikeout victim six years later. The Reds shrug it off, scoring six runs in the 1st inning and three in the 2nd on their way to a 12 – 7 win.
1973 – Pitcher Bob Gibson wins the last of his nine Gold Gloves, and Joe Morgan wins the first of his five at second base.
In a 9 – 7 losing effort against the Giants, Cardinals ace Bob Gibson makes his 242nd consecutive start. It is a new 20th century record, passing that of Red Ruffing, who never pitched in relief the last 10 years of his career.
1972 – Pencil-thin shortstop Roger Metzger belts his first major-league homer to spark a six-run eighth-inning rally that shocks the Cardinals, 10-7. The shot comes off Hall-Of-Famer Bob Gibson. Pinch-hitter Jimmy Stewart’s two-run triple gives Houston the lead. Lee May caps a four-hit night with a ninth-inning blast. Houston leads the NL West by a game over Los Angeles.
Vida Blue becomes the youngest player ever to win the MVP award. The 22 year-old A’s southpaw is only the fifth hurler to capture both the Cy Young Award and the MVP in the same season, joining Don Newcombe (1956 Dodgers), Sandy Koufax (1963 Dodgers), Bob Gibson (1968 Cardinals), and Denny McLain (1968 Tigers).
Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches the first no-hitter of his career
Before 41‚121 at Chicago‚ Billy Williams clubs a 10th-inning homer off Bob Gibson to give the Cubs a 2 – 1 win over the Cards. Joe Torre’s homer‚ off Fergie Jenkins‚ is the only Cardinal score.