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In his history making season of 1968 Gibson only started 34 games. Typically the #1 starter back in those days would start 37-38 games, perhaps even more. Why didn’t Gibson start more games? Was there a lingering affect from his broken leg in 1967? Was there some other reason? Or was it just one of those things that the schedule dictated?
r/Esteemed Rat
I don’t know if he was injured. He was 4th in mlb in IP that season and second with 28 complete games. He pitched on 5 days rest 6 times.
I guess I might have made my 2nd mistake today. I assumed all the games he appeared in were as a starter. Apparently there were a few seasons where he made some relief appearances. According to Baseball Reference he routinely started 33-36 games. So I guess 34 wasn’t too far off.
Gibson pretty much pitched a normal amount in 68. He evidently skipped one start in July, pitching July 12 and not again until July 21, while the team had just one day off. Not sure if injured, but if so it had to be a minor ailment because those two starts were both complete games, one a shutout and the other allowing 1 run.
I guess I may have made my 2nd mistake today.
This would be akin to Goldy booting two balls in the same inning………it only happens maybe once in a lifetime. Hope you’re feeling ok, Rat. Not like you to even make one miscue in a day……unless you’re giving us one of your weather reports of course
I was only 10 years old, but I think STL used a 5 man rotation, when some teams still used a 4 man. Regardless, it was a great year for pitching in all of baseball.
Drysdale set the shutout inning record. Gibson, while overlapping Drysdale, almost broke the record. Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals. Next night, Ray Washburn no-hits the Giants. Carl Yazstremski wins the AL Gatting Crown with a .301 average. Denny McClain wins 31 games. A pitchers ERA of 3.0 was vaginally average. Unbelievable year.
Looked it up and the Cardinals pretty much spread the starts out among four guys, making 30 to 34 starts each, Gibby, Briles, Carlton and Washburn. Then Larry Jaster got the bulk of the remaining starts with 21.
They had some good arms who were healthy all year.
Nelson Briles…..Died in 2005 at age 61 in Orlando, Florida.
Steve Carlton …..still living at age 77.
Bob Gibson…..Died in 2020 at age 84 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Larry Jaster…..still living at age 78.
Ray Washburn…..still living at age 84.
Well I was definitely wrong, it was the 67 season where he broke his leg from a line drive off a batted ball. Amazingly he pitched to three more batters after that. He was out eight weeks but came back to lead us to the world series win. Not sure that would happen today.
Bob was one of my Big 4 along with Chamberlain, Ali, and Namath. Others like Lou right there. The man could just flat out Pitch.
They had more days off and more doubleheaders back then. I think Gibson only went every 5 days. Jaster was kind of a journeyman. He did have incredible stats against the Dodgers. Either 4 or 5 shutouts against them that year.
He (Larry Jaster) did have incredible stats against the Dodgers. Either 4 or 5 shutouts against them that year.
Too bad Larry wasn’t born 40 years later. We sure could have used him the last two nights coming in out of the pen. And speaking of Bob Gibson. You wonder how he would have fared vs this 2022 Dodger lineup?
Jaster was a big, tall lefty – 6’5” I think. Sort of a poor man’s Steve Carlton. Had some success, but could not quite crack the rotation on a regular basis.
Ray Washburn was good, but would have been great had he not had a series of arm ailments. He come up in the early ‘60s and threw darts. Sort of a Jordan Hicks or Alex Reyes with a better control.
But injuries derailed him, and he never quite got untracked other than ‘68. He and Gaylord Perry threw back-to-back no hitters that year.
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