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Stranger to the Game: 2the Autobiography of Bob Gibson
Hall of Famer Bob Gibson fires off a no-holds-barred reflection on his life in baseball. From Gibson's early days in the Jim Crow South to his glory days as a World Series-winning pitcher, Stranger to the Game is the candid memoir of one of the game's greatest pitchers and most outspoken black players.
Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
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About the author
Bob Gibson
33 books9 followersBOB GIBSON is a baseball Hall of Famer who played 17 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals. During that time he was a two-time Cy Young Award and World Series winner. He is also the author of Stranger to the Game: The Autobiography of Bob Gibson and Sixty Feet, Six Inches, which was written with Reggie Jackson and coauthor Lonnie Wheeler and Pitch by Pitch : My View of One Unforgettable Game, also written with Wheeler.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 30, 2025
I liked this book, but Bob Gibson reveals himself to be a complex character who might not always have been easy to like -- even by his own teammates and fans. He recounts some anecdotes and stories that do not necessarily reveal him in the best light. Out of fear, he once punched a dog (p. 34). He nearly fought with a teammate in the shower (45) and considered himself to be an a**hole (160), etc. Gibson seems to hold nothing back.
We're talking about a legend here --Bob Gibson was a former NL MVP, two-time World Series MVP, two-time Cy Young winner, first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher, who had perhaps the greatest year any pitcher ever had in 1968. His success that "year of the pitcher" helped contribute to significant rules changes to lower the mound and shrink the strike zone to favor offense. He was selected for 9 All Star Games and won 9 Gold Gloves for his fielding. He was also a decent hitter (for a pitcher) and threw a no-hitter. He had an outstanding career.
I've read bios by or about contemporaries like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Sandy Koufax, so Gibson was not writing about a period that was altogether alien to me. When I was a kid, he was still playing -- he was born in 1935, as was my father. And yet, there are some unique insights in this book. Gibson was a college basketball player at Creighton and spent part of a season playing with the Harlem Globetrotters led by Meadowlark Lemon. His many years on the Cardinals offered him time with a steady stream of Hall of Fame teammates including Dick Allen, Lou Brock, Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, Ted Simmons, and Joe Torre. Others became famous executives or broadcasters, including Roger Craig, Dal Maxville, Bill White, Bob Uecker and Tim McCarver. Curt Flood arguably invigorated the baseball labor union movement and helped set up free agency for players. His 1967 Cardinals team defeated the last Mickey Mantle Yankee team to make the World Series. The 1964 team famously defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for the pennant after the latter team collapsed in September, blowing a 6.5 game lead with 12 games to play.
Gibson tells some interesting stories in describing all that. And we learn a little about his interest in model cars and ukulele music. There's some mention of his family and at one point in the middle of his successful career he released a previous autobiographic book. I have not read that.
Anyway, back to Gibson's reputation -- was he really universally disliked for being mean?
In fairness, Gibson (with coauthor Lonnie Wheeler) works to explain some of his perceived meanness. He was undoubtedly a victim of racism, specifically pointing to his time in the minors in Tulsa (35-6) when he was forced to sleep and eat away from his teammates, to a train trip through the Jim Crow south to spring training (48), to an occasion staying at an integrated hotel that had a segregated swimming pool (94), and to a "driving while black" incident in the Corvette he won as World Series MVP (105), etc.
However, Gibson also explains that he was intentionally unfriendly to members of other teams so that he could see them as enemies and do everything he could to defeat them during games. This competitive attitude arguably defined Gibson and he repeats the message often. His animosity for opponents extended to time off the field and outside of games. Here his own behavior is certainly not discriminatory -- he talks of his dislike of Ernie Banks for talking so much (158-9), for example. Gibson also tried to intimidate opponents by throwing inside, particularly if he thought they were trying to take the outside portion of home plate, which he saw as his. Indeed, in Chapter VIII Gibson discusses at length the difference between knockdown and brushback pitches and differentiates both from the times when he meant to hit opponents. To a hitter, maybe these all looked like meanness? Wildness also played a role. Gibson, like the young Nook LaLoosh in Bull Durham, allegedly threw a wild warmup pitch on purpose to create fear in his foes (44).
Gibson is clearly writing about a different time, but he arguably would have been at home performing in today's game. He was a very hard-throwing strikeout pitcher with a good health record. These kinds of starters are paid very handsomely in today's game. And yet, the book concludes with the author complaining about the "modern" game. Though 1995 was 30 years ago many of his points would not be affected by the decades that have passed -- long-term contracts (still around) have created perverse incentives as have shared agents (still around) by players across teams. He says the entire game has become too offense-minded and that pitchers have lost the ability to pitch inside without risking being tossed from a game. He also blasts the work ethic of modern players claiming that disabled list usage was up 50% for players on long-term contracts in the free agent era. Players also ignore collective strategies -- like efforts to move runners on the bases with well-placed outs. Sabermetric analysts could have explained to Gibson why the game on the field has changed. I suspect the injury stat he references is tied to the fact that free agents are generally the oldest players and the money in today's game has created incentives to stick around rather than retire. Improved medical procedures also assure that teams won't just cut players for having what once would have been career-ending injuries.
Gibson also reveals his relationships with some people who are now seen in a quite different light. Most remarkably, perhaps, he includes a specific anecdote about Bill Cosby (238) mixing drinks for people at a party even though the comedian did not drink! He reveals himself to be a fan of Roger Clemens, now tainted by steroid accusations, and almost worked in a new Baseball League headlined by NY team owner Donald Trump (unsurprisingly, that league never happened). He was a Dwight Gooden fan but does not mention the drug problems that derailed his career.
Both at the beginning and end of the book, Gibson complains about his failure to secure a long-term job in baseball after his playing career ended though he says he would "take any job available" (284). It's an odd point to emphasize. First, Gibson notes at various points in the book that he turned down jobs -- initially for the Cardinals when he first retired (250), then as a pitching coach for SF (257) and the New York Yankees (264). In 1991, he turned down a significant job in broadcasting for ESPN (272). Say no often enough and word gets around -- at least that's what I learned in my time as a low-level academic administrator over the years. Second, Gibson worked in baseball -- as a pitching coach for Joe Torre multiple times. In any case, Gibson had some kind of advisory job for years with the Cardinals after this book was published.
We're talking about a legend here --Bob Gibson was a former NL MVP, two-time World Series MVP, two-time Cy Young winner, first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher, who had perhaps the greatest year any pitcher ever had in 1968. His success that "year of the pitcher" helped contribute to significant rules changes to lower the mound and shrink the strike zone to favor offense. He was selected for 9 All Star Games and won 9 Gold Gloves for his fielding. He was also a decent hitter (for a pitcher) and threw a no-hitter. He had an outstanding career.
I've read bios by or about contemporaries like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Sandy Koufax, so Gibson was not writing about a period that was altogether alien to me. When I was a kid, he was still playing -- he was born in 1935, as was my father. And yet, there are some unique insights in this book. Gibson was a college basketball player at Creighton and spent part of a season playing with the Harlem Globetrotters led by Meadowlark Lemon. His many years on the Cardinals offered him time with a steady stream of Hall of Fame teammates including Dick Allen, Lou Brock, Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, Ted Simmons, and Joe Torre. Others became famous executives or broadcasters, including Roger Craig, Dal Maxville, Bill White, Bob Uecker and Tim McCarver. Curt Flood arguably invigorated the baseball labor union movement and helped set up free agency for players. His 1967 Cardinals team defeated the last Mickey Mantle Yankee team to make the World Series. The 1964 team famously defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for the pennant after the latter team collapsed in September, blowing a 6.5 game lead with 12 games to play.
Gibson tells some interesting stories in describing all that. And we learn a little about his interest in model cars and ukulele music. There's some mention of his family and at one point in the middle of his successful career he released a previous autobiographic book. I have not read that.
Anyway, back to Gibson's reputation -- was he really universally disliked for being mean?
In fairness, Gibson (with coauthor Lonnie Wheeler) works to explain some of his perceived meanness. He was undoubtedly a victim of racism, specifically pointing to his time in the minors in Tulsa (35-6) when he was forced to sleep and eat away from his teammates, to a train trip through the Jim Crow south to spring training (48), to an occasion staying at an integrated hotel that had a segregated swimming pool (94), and to a "driving while black" incident in the Corvette he won as World Series MVP (105), etc.
However, Gibson also explains that he was intentionally unfriendly to members of other teams so that he could see them as enemies and do everything he could to defeat them during games. This competitive attitude arguably defined Gibson and he repeats the message often. His animosity for opponents extended to time off the field and outside of games. Here his own behavior is certainly not discriminatory -- he talks of his dislike of Ernie Banks for talking so much (158-9), for example. Gibson also tried to intimidate opponents by throwing inside, particularly if he thought they were trying to take the outside portion of home plate, which he saw as his. Indeed, in Chapter VIII Gibson discusses at length the difference between knockdown and brushback pitches and differentiates both from the times when he meant to hit opponents. To a hitter, maybe these all looked like meanness? Wildness also played a role. Gibson, like the young Nook LaLoosh in Bull Durham, allegedly threw a wild warmup pitch on purpose to create fear in his foes (44).
Gibson is clearly writing about a different time, but he arguably would have been at home performing in today's game. He was a very hard-throwing strikeout pitcher with a good health record. These kinds of starters are paid very handsomely in today's game. And yet, the book concludes with the author complaining about the "modern" game. Though 1995 was 30 years ago many of his points would not be affected by the decades that have passed -- long-term contracts (still around) have created perverse incentives as have shared agents (still around) by players across teams. He says the entire game has become too offense-minded and that pitchers have lost the ability to pitch inside without risking being tossed from a game. He also blasts the work ethic of modern players claiming that disabled list usage was up 50% for players on long-term contracts in the free agent era. Players also ignore collective strategies -- like efforts to move runners on the bases with well-placed outs. Sabermetric analysts could have explained to Gibson why the game on the field has changed. I suspect the injury stat he references is tied to the fact that free agents are generally the oldest players and the money in today's game has created incentives to stick around rather than retire. Improved medical procedures also assure that teams won't just cut players for having what once would have been career-ending injuries.
Gibson also reveals his relationships with some people who are now seen in a quite different light. Most remarkably, perhaps, he includes a specific anecdote about Bill Cosby (238) mixing drinks for people at a party even though the comedian did not drink! He reveals himself to be a fan of Roger Clemens, now tainted by steroid accusations, and almost worked in a new Baseball League headlined by NY team owner Donald Trump (unsurprisingly, that league never happened). He was a Dwight Gooden fan but does not mention the drug problems that derailed his career.
Both at the beginning and end of the book, Gibson complains about his failure to secure a long-term job in baseball after his playing career ended though he says he would "take any job available" (284). It's an odd point to emphasize. First, Gibson notes at various points in the book that he turned down jobs -- initially for the Cardinals when he first retired (250), then as a pitching coach for SF (257) and the New York Yankees (264). In 1991, he turned down a significant job in broadcasting for ESPN (272). Say no often enough and word gets around -- at least that's what I learned in my time as a low-level academic administrator over the years. Second, Gibson worked in baseball -- as a pitching coach for Joe Torre multiple times. In any case, Gibson had some kind of advisory job for years with the Cardinals after this book was published.
January 21, 2025
Easily one of the best sports biographies that I have read in the past ten years.
Gibson has some assistance in the writing from Lonnie Wheeler, and it shows in the result in the smooth development of the famous pitcher's story, but the book is so good it is as if you are sitting in the room with the subject.
Gibson is brutally honest and finally opens up as to what the silent, stalking star of the mound was thinking all of the time.
He really believed in winning the mental edge of the game so he tried to intimidate the batters that he faced. He would squint angrily at the batters from the mound and "brush them back" anytime that they would try to get too comfortable in their stance at the plate.
Gibson was a great athlete , a good hitter, a sat basketball player in college, so good that he spent two seasons with the Harlem Globe Trotters.
Although showing up as a "raw product" when he entered the St. Louis Cardinals organization, he was teachable, as he developed into one of the three best right-handed pitchers of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Indeed, he has done things that have not been matched since his retirement.
I found his recollection of the 1967 and 1968 seasons to be a special highlight of this book.
Sadly, Gibson found himself, a "stranger to the game" of baseball upon his retirement when the doors of opportunity to baseball related jobs were for the most part, closed to him.
The racial prejudice that this man had to face along the way is painful to read, but a sad reality of the day that covered more areas than what we might imagine.
The weakest part of the book is the ending in that the author just kind of "pulls the plug" on the story by repeating some complaints that he had already aired.
Gibson has some assistance in the writing from Lonnie Wheeler, and it shows in the result in the smooth development of the famous pitcher's story, but the book is so good it is as if you are sitting in the room with the subject.
Gibson is brutally honest and finally opens up as to what the silent, stalking star of the mound was thinking all of the time.
He really believed in winning the mental edge of the game so he tried to intimidate the batters that he faced. He would squint angrily at the batters from the mound and "brush them back" anytime that they would try to get too comfortable in their stance at the plate.
Gibson was a great athlete , a good hitter, a sat basketball player in college, so good that he spent two seasons with the Harlem Globe Trotters.
Although showing up as a "raw product" when he entered the St. Louis Cardinals organization, he was teachable, as he developed into one of the three best right-handed pitchers of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Indeed, he has done things that have not been matched since his retirement.
I found his recollection of the 1967 and 1968 seasons to be a special highlight of this book.
Sadly, Gibson found himself, a "stranger to the game" of baseball upon his retirement when the doors of opportunity to baseball related jobs were for the most part, closed to him.
The racial prejudice that this man had to face along the way is painful to read, but a sad reality of the day that covered more areas than what we might imagine.
The weakest part of the book is the ending in that the author just kind of "pulls the plug" on the story by repeating some complaints that he had already aired.
July 8, 2025
Baseball sorely needs another Bob Gibson. If anything, there needs to be someone to put the arrogance of Juan Soto to rest- to purposefully bury a fastball in his rib cage for every snide nod he makes to a pitcher after a swinging strike. Gibson would have knocked him on his ass in a second, and baseball needs that old school integrity back to wipe away the prima donnas and all this gambling horseshit.
For years, I have loved Bob Gibson, but never knew there was an autobiography (co-written by the late great Lonnie Wheeler, who did Hank Aaron’s autobiography and Cool Papa Bell’s biography!). The heart of the teenager in 1992 who was mesmerized by the 1968 stat line of Gibson’s, and the 48 year old who is now mesmerized by his entire work, sang throughout this entire book. The insight it gives to what it takes to be a fierce competitor, as well as the stories of the bonds he forged with so many of his teammates is what makes baseball so goddamned great. This book is a love letter to baseball, a sport that after his retirement, turned its back largely on him. There is some bitterness in these pages - justified, but there is also a ton of love born of sweat and dedication and a fierce work ethic.
To me, Bob Gibson will always be the greatest pitcher to ever toe the rubber. Full stop.
For years, I have loved Bob Gibson, but never knew there was an autobiography (co-written by the late great Lonnie Wheeler, who did Hank Aaron’s autobiography and Cool Papa Bell’s biography!). The heart of the teenager in 1992 who was mesmerized by the 1968 stat line of Gibson’s, and the 48 year old who is now mesmerized by his entire work, sang throughout this entire book. The insight it gives to what it takes to be a fierce competitor, as well as the stories of the bonds he forged with so many of his teammates is what makes baseball so goddamned great. This book is a love letter to baseball, a sport that after his retirement, turned its back largely on him. There is some bitterness in these pages - justified, but there is also a ton of love born of sweat and dedication and a fierce work ethic.
To me, Bob Gibson will always be the greatest pitcher to ever toe the rubber. Full stop.
February 2, 2013
I did a study of baseball players for a course on autobiography in grad school (admittedly, just to piss off my professor, who assigned a reading list of sadists, masochists, a eunuch, locked-in-an-attic loners and other oddballs.
Most of what I read was useless, repetitive junk. Gibson was the exception. He was smart, opinionated, funny (often unintentionally). He wrote three autobiographies: One right after the Cards won a championship about the "winning year," one right after he retired when he didn't speak his mind because he was hoping to be named GM someplace, and this one, after he decided he wasn't ever going to get that front-office job. He puts it down to racism, which may be partly true, but by his own account, when he pitched, he was a loner with a bad attitude and few friends, so it's not entirely surprising that he wasn't embraced as a good guy who you would want to work with after he retired.
Great read.
Most of what I read was useless, repetitive junk. Gibson was the exception. He was smart, opinionated, funny (often unintentionally). He wrote three autobiographies: One right after the Cards won a championship about the "winning year," one right after he retired when he didn't speak his mind because he was hoping to be named GM someplace, and this one, after he decided he wasn't ever going to get that front-office job. He puts it down to racism, which may be partly true, but by his own account, when he pitched, he was a loner with a bad attitude and few friends, so it's not entirely surprising that he wasn't embraced as a good guy who you would want to work with after he retired.
Great read.
February 9, 2017
Fabulous book, gets deep into the mystique of the man everyone was so scared of. One of my favorites when I was a kid and he was in his prime. The narratives from his opponents and teammates made it extra special. Also deals squarely with the issue of race in baseball when it was still a big deal, and it's cool to see the praise Gibson gives his white teammates over the support they gave the black players. In that sense it's an essential historical piece for any fan's bookshelf.
July 20, 2021
Bob Gibson’s second autobiography chronicles his development as an athlete and specifically as a major league pitcher. The book features information about his participation in basketball and baseball as a youth; his participation in basketball and baseball at Creighton University; his playing against the Harlem Globetrotters and his performances as a member of the Globetrotters; his development as a pitcher in the minor leagues and his strong career as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Career highlights included his pitching performances in the 1964, 1967 and 1968 World Series. He also served as a coach with the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Cardinals. Joe Torre, a former teammate with the Cardinals, was the manager of all of the teams that Gibson coached for. He was an “attitude coach” with the Mets and a pitching coach with the Braves and the Cardinals.
I respected Bob Gibson a lot. He was a strong and determined individual. He stood up for himself and provided leadership for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a tough and strong competitor. In 1967, when the Cardinals were competing for a pennant, Gibson pitched a game with a broken leg. The Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Gibson’s pitching performance was memorable and exemplary.
Gibson wrote about how his older brother helped to coach him in basketball and baseball. He also mentioned how the local youth sports leagues and facilities helped him to develop his abilities and skills. He benefited from youth coaches. This is often the case with athletes. Many professional athletes benefited from various coaches along the way.
It was interesting to learn that Gibson considered himself to be a better basketball player than a baseball player. He also thought that he would deal with less discrimination as a basketball player. He was frustrated that his basketball career did not work out. Gibson pointed out that the Minneapolis Lakers were the only team to show interest in in Gibson as a potential professional basketball player.
Gibson wrote about some of his teammates and the different years that he played for the Cardinals. It was interesting to read about Bill White; Curt Flood; Lou Brock;Bob Uecker; Tim Mccarver; Steve Carlton; Orlando Cepeda; Mike Shannon and others. Gibson said that the team in 1964 that won the World Series was a close knit team. The players got along with each other. He also said that the 1967 team, despite having star players, also had a strong sense of team.
Gibson also talked about how much he liked manager Johnny Keene, who managed the 1964 team to the World Series championship. Keene helped Gibson reach his potential. Keene helped the entire team to reach his potential. He was a good manager.
Gibson said the only time he threw a knuckleball in a game was to Hank Aaron one time. Aaron lined out to second baseman Julian Javier. Gibson also said that Billy Williams “may have been the toughest all around hitter for me.” Additionally, Gibson said that Willie McCovey was the “scariest” hitter he pitched against. He also said that Willie Stargell was a good hitter. He said that he pitched inside to Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and other players.
It was also interesting to read about Gibson’s description of his pitching strategies. He talked about the importance of mental discipline; his intensity on the mound; his attempt to control the plate by pitching inside; his ability to concentrate in the mound; the importance of working quickly on the mound; getting ahead in the count and other aspects of pitching.
He described the personalities of some of the players that he played with and against. It was interesting to read about some of the players that he played with as a member of the Cardinals.
Gibson was the MVP of the 1964 and 1967 World Series. In 1968, he was also the first player to win the National League player of the month twice in a row. His pitching performance in 1968 may have been the best year of all time for any pitcher. He finished 22-9, with a 1.12 ERA, which is the lowest ERA since 1946. He also had 13 shut outs and won 15 consecutive games. In 1968, many pitchers pitched well, and Gibson referred to it as the “year of the pitcher.” In the “year of the pitcher” Gibson was the best.
In 1968, the Cardinals lost the World Series in 7 games to the Detroit Tigers. Gibson won game 1 and game 4, but lost game 7. However, Gibson pitched well in all three games. Gibson helped the Cardinals win two World Series and make it to a third World Series.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes Major League Baseball.
I respected Bob Gibson a lot. He was a strong and determined individual. He stood up for himself and provided leadership for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a tough and strong competitor. In 1967, when the Cardinals were competing for a pennant, Gibson pitched a game with a broken leg. The Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Gibson’s pitching performance was memorable and exemplary.
Gibson wrote about how his older brother helped to coach him in basketball and baseball. He also mentioned how the local youth sports leagues and facilities helped him to develop his abilities and skills. He benefited from youth coaches. This is often the case with athletes. Many professional athletes benefited from various coaches along the way.
It was interesting to learn that Gibson considered himself to be a better basketball player than a baseball player. He also thought that he would deal with less discrimination as a basketball player. He was frustrated that his basketball career did not work out. Gibson pointed out that the Minneapolis Lakers were the only team to show interest in in Gibson as a potential professional basketball player.
Gibson wrote about some of his teammates and the different years that he played for the Cardinals. It was interesting to read about Bill White; Curt Flood; Lou Brock;Bob Uecker; Tim Mccarver; Steve Carlton; Orlando Cepeda; Mike Shannon and others. Gibson said that the team in 1964 that won the World Series was a close knit team. The players got along with each other. He also said that the 1967 team, despite having star players, also had a strong sense of team.
Gibson also talked about how much he liked manager Johnny Keene, who managed the 1964 team to the World Series championship. Keene helped Gibson reach his potential. Keene helped the entire team to reach his potential. He was a good manager.
Gibson said the only time he threw a knuckleball in a game was to Hank Aaron one time. Aaron lined out to second baseman Julian Javier. Gibson also said that Billy Williams “may have been the toughest all around hitter for me.” Additionally, Gibson said that Willie McCovey was the “scariest” hitter he pitched against. He also said that Willie Stargell was a good hitter. He said that he pitched inside to Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and other players.
It was also interesting to read about Gibson’s description of his pitching strategies. He talked about the importance of mental discipline; his intensity on the mound; his attempt to control the plate by pitching inside; his ability to concentrate in the mound; the importance of working quickly on the mound; getting ahead in the count and other aspects of pitching.
He described the personalities of some of the players that he played with and against. It was interesting to read about some of the players that he played with as a member of the Cardinals.
Gibson was the MVP of the 1964 and 1967 World Series. In 1968, he was also the first player to win the National League player of the month twice in a row. His pitching performance in 1968 may have been the best year of all time for any pitcher. He finished 22-9, with a 1.12 ERA, which is the lowest ERA since 1946. He also had 13 shut outs and won 15 consecutive games. In 1968, many pitchers pitched well, and Gibson referred to it as the “year of the pitcher.” In the “year of the pitcher” Gibson was the best.
In 1968, the Cardinals lost the World Series in 7 games to the Detroit Tigers. Gibson won game 1 and game 4, but lost game 7. However, Gibson pitched well in all three games. Gibson helped the Cardinals win two World Series and make it to a third World Series.
I would recommend this book for anyone who likes Major League Baseball.
January 4, 2023
I've always been a fan of Bob Gibson, even though I was generations removed from his playing days. No other pitcher came to the mound with such drive, such anger, such intimidation to make their mark in the great game. He always considered '64 his best team he was on. And the way he spoke of his teammates, you could tell they were a family. It was wild to think of the racism around him back then, and how he had to bite his lip more often than not. But found he did change said minds as they got to know him as a person and not just as a ball player.
Sure, I do love this great autobiography, but I felt it was a very "safe". He never divulged in much of his personal life. He speaks highly of his brother Josh Gibson, who helped him become the player he ended up being. He spoke of how they had a falling out but never really mentions why. There are things like that throughout his story that leave you wondering why there are so many gaps. Still, though, if you're a fan of Gibson, you'll enjoy this coverage of his career.
Sure, I do love this great autobiography, but I felt it was a very "safe". He never divulged in much of his personal life. He speaks highly of his brother Josh Gibson, who helped him become the player he ended up being. He spoke of how they had a falling out but never really mentions why. There are things like that throughout his story that leave you wondering why there are so many gaps. Still, though, if you're a fan of Gibson, you'll enjoy this coverage of his career.
August 19, 2020
I first read this book when it was published in 1994. Reading it now (when I'm older than Gibson was when he threw his final pitch for the Cardinals) offered a new perspective on the same extraordinary life. There have been more talented baseball players, perhaps, but no man in the history of the sport has competed as fiercely as Bob Gibson did over his 17 years with St. Louis. I grew up listening to my dad's stories, so knew of Gibson's brilliance (and ferocity) on the mound. He delivers a slider across the plate with this book, written in first-person. Matter of fact, he gets rather professorial in describing the craft of pitching inside, devoting an entire chapter to clarifying the means and motives of the most intimidating pitcher we may ever see. Gotta win one baseball game to save the world? I give the ball to Bob Gibson.
February 25, 2022
There are not really enough words to describe just how much I enjoyed the book, or love the man it is about. Bob Gibson was always one of my most favorite Cardinals, and has always Benn the standard against whom I judge all other pitchers. Yet, reading this autobiography, I came to appreciate who Gibson was as a man and how truly remarkable his baseball accomplishments really were. Baseball will NEVER see as great a pitcher as Gibson again, as modern players are not built that tough or talented. While Lou Brock is still my all-time favorite Redbird, Gibson has ascended to position 1a. Cheers to a great book, and an even greater champion.
November 29, 2020
Complex and complicated, but not mysterious or "mean". Strong opinions. The very definition of a Man's Man. Larger than life.
All the nastiness and intimidation on the mound was calculated to get an edge. I think he put more fear into white fans in the stands and watching on TV!! The "angry" Black Man who had a degree from Creighton.
He became a stranger to the game when the Old Boys network operating MLB refused to give him a job, plus the game he played on the field was and still is tinkered with to make it the crashing bore it has become.
All the nastiness and intimidation on the mound was calculated to get an edge. I think he put more fear into white fans in the stands and watching on TV!! The "angry" Black Man who had a degree from Creighton.
He became a stranger to the game when the Old Boys network operating MLB refused to give him a job, plus the game he played on the field was and still is tinkered with to make it the crashing bore it has become.
May 14, 2022
This book was awesome on Audible! The narrator was excellent and the story of Bob Gibson was great. He really told an excellent story. Bob’s life and career was inspiring and rich. I highly recommend this book for any baseball fan and certainly for any Cardinals fans.
July 27, 2022
I am a huge fan of Bob Gibson. I thought this was an honest and sometimes very funny autobiography. I never got to see him pitch, but there is no doubt in my mind that he will forever be the greatest pitcher and the greatest Cardinal to ever live.
January 8, 2024
The one overriding theme in this book is the competitive nature of Mr. Gibson. From reading his story, it is clear that this is not something that he could turn off and on and, as a result, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball history.
February 10, 2024
Incredible insight into the 1960s Cardinals, including commentary from some of Gibson's teammates. The book was written in the early 1990s so the end seems a bit stale, but the majority of the book is timeless.
January 4, 2010
Published in 1994, this autobiography of the legendary Cardinals pitcher has its share of “By the seventh inning, we had dueled to a 1 to 1 score…” type of reminiscences. Nonetheless, Gibson’s candid, outspoken voice and perspective on the game captures the reader’s attention. Gibson’s tale could be viewed as a sequel to Satchel Paige’s story as told in Larry Tye’s recent biography, since Satchel epitomized life when baseball was segregated, and Gibson represented part of the coming of age of integration in the Major Leagues. As a child growing up in urban Omaha in the late 40’s, Gibson was inspired by Jackie Robinson’s example to aspire to play in the majors (provided, that is, if he didn’t make it into the NBA, since basketball was his #1 sport), since integration of the races in Major League Baseball was now a reality.
Throughout his life and career, Gibson struggled with racism, with both the overt and the veiled variety. However, the Cardinal teams that he played on in the 60’s, together with Stan Musial, Joe Torre, Tim McCarver, Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and others, evolved into a close-knit, biracial band of brothers that played an intelligent form of baseball and were tough competitors.
Gibson, of course, gained the reputation as the toughest competitor of all and the most intimidating pitcher of his era. His feats, especially his one-season ERA record of 1.12, are unlikely to be equaled. In this book, Gibson explains his philosophies of pitching and competition and tells it as he sees it about teammates, competitors, and front office figures. Unfortunately for Gibson, his ferocious competitiveness, tough guy persona, and apparent chip on his shoulder, which served him so well on the field and in the dugout, did not wear well with the powers that be, so that, following his retirement as an active player, he had few opportunities to serve as a coach or manager. At the end of the book, Gibson voices his frustration that this has been so. Overall, through this book we get to know—and care about--an outsize personality who was a leading historical figure of his time and is a legend still in ours.
Throughout his life and career, Gibson struggled with racism, with both the overt and the veiled variety. However, the Cardinal teams that he played on in the 60’s, together with Stan Musial, Joe Torre, Tim McCarver, Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and others, evolved into a close-knit, biracial band of brothers that played an intelligent form of baseball and were tough competitors.
Gibson, of course, gained the reputation as the toughest competitor of all and the most intimidating pitcher of his era. His feats, especially his one-season ERA record of 1.12, are unlikely to be equaled. In this book, Gibson explains his philosophies of pitching and competition and tells it as he sees it about teammates, competitors, and front office figures. Unfortunately for Gibson, his ferocious competitiveness, tough guy persona, and apparent chip on his shoulder, which served him so well on the field and in the dugout, did not wear well with the powers that be, so that, following his retirement as an active player, he had few opportunities to serve as a coach or manager. At the end of the book, Gibson voices his frustration that this has been so. Overall, through this book we get to know—and care about--an outsize personality who was a leading historical figure of his time and is a legend still in ours.
August 11, 2011
Bob Gibson was the competitor's competitor: unafraid to challenge any batter on the inside of the plate, prone to berating teammates if they fraternized with opponents during a game, and willing to create a mystique to intimidate other teams to the detriment of a comfortable relationship with the media and, quite often, his fans. His stellar pitching in 1968 (ERA of 1.14, the lowest in the "modern" era of baseball) was instrumental in fundamental changes to the game, including the lowering of the pitcher's mound, which, ironically, took away much of the pitcher's equity at the plate. His disregard for compromise is evident in many anecdotes that take an unflinching look at both baseball and society in the 1950s - 1970s.
Gibson was clearly demonized for being an intelligent black man in a sport rife with white owners/decision-makers. Sadly, this silent, systematic racism - conjoined with the arguably TOO successful mystique he developed - have kept Hoot out of the game for far too much of his retirement. The most recent ownership of the Cardinals have reversed some of the stigma by inviting him and Lou Brock (another of the greats who has never been given his due with a front office job) to be special instructors during spring training. The overpaid crybabies of modern baseball could learn a lot from Gibson about the will to win. This should be a must-read for any player or self-respecting student of the game.
Gibson was clearly demonized for being an intelligent black man in a sport rife with white owners/decision-makers. Sadly, this silent, systematic racism - conjoined with the arguably TOO successful mystique he developed - have kept Hoot out of the game for far too much of his retirement. The most recent ownership of the Cardinals have reversed some of the stigma by inviting him and Lou Brock (another of the greats who has never been given his due with a front office job) to be special instructors during spring training. The overpaid crybabies of modern baseball could learn a lot from Gibson about the will to win. This should be a must-read for any player or self-respecting student of the game.
October 23, 2015
This book was written about 10 years ago, so I wonder how the last 10 years would have changed how Gibson would view some of the points brought out in this book. I guess it is my age, but I was surprised how much racism Gibson faced even after he had reached a high level of fame. It is amazing the workhorse this guy was. How he wanted the ball everyday and had the confidence to know he was one of the best. I loved how the guy gave insight into some of the chemistry of the club that made it a winner in 1964 and 1967 and how that might have been a limiting factor in the years that followed. Hoot gave some interesting insight to teammates such as Curt Flood, Orlando Cepeda, Ukerker and McCarver, and Bill White. I especially like the positive mentions of Stan Musial in the early part of the book. It is interesting how Hoot's and Gibson's post career activities seemed the same, but Gibson did seem to enjoy the success or notoriety of Musial. I guess that is why the guy claims he is stranger to the game. However, in the 10 years since the book was written and changes in STL, I am sure that opinion may have changed a bit. I hear of Gibson at the St. Louis Cardinals spring training now.
April 15, 2016
Perhaps my favorite of all the baseball biographies I have read. My guess is that people who dislike the book might dislike it for the same reason they disliked Gibson. I think what I enjoyed most was the balance between his insights into his life and his insights into baseball itself. While many saw Gibson simply as an angry black man trying to kill people with a baseball, he might have actually had a better understanding of the art of pitching than any of his peers. Gibson was simply a fierce competitor who asserted his rights as a pitcher unapologetically.
Of course, as with the tale of any black man trying to make his way in the major leagues of the mid-1900s, Gibson's is one of courage, persistence, and triumph. I never cease to be amazed at what these men had to overcome to make it to the big stage where they could not only claim their God-given equality, but often show their hard-earned superiority.
Gibson's biography is one I will likely re-read at some point, not just to remind me of the triumph of such men, but to continually fan the flame of my passion for baseball itself.
Of course, as with the tale of any black man trying to make his way in the major leagues of the mid-1900s, Gibson's is one of courage, persistence, and triumph. I never cease to be amazed at what these men had to overcome to make it to the big stage where they could not only claim their God-given equality, but often show their hard-earned superiority.
Gibson's biography is one I will likely re-read at some point, not just to remind me of the triumph of such men, but to continually fan the flame of my passion for baseball itself.
December 24, 2010
Watching the Phillies lose to the underdog Giants, I said to a fellow-watcher, "Gibson would have had Cody Ross on his ass four times on his next at bat." The book is worth it for the chapter on the lost art of brushback pitching, in which Gibson takes us through the fine points and clarifies his intentions. A very intelligent pitcher, a very intelligent man.
March 11, 2024
One of the best sports biographies I’ve ever read. Love him or hate him, Bob Gibson is perhaps the most candid ball player ever. He absolutely always says exactly what and how he feels about everything and everyone. He might come off sounding conceited at times but you never ever feel like he doesn’t believe everything he says.
November 13, 2009
Very shallow book. The baseball stuff was okay but not very deep. The other things he wrote about were just not interesting. Not that the subjects were not interesting his take on them were shallow. Read the book he wrote with Reggie Jackson. It is much better
August 29, 2010
I was struck by how brutally honest this autobiography was. A salute to Gibson and his co-writer, Lonnie Wheeler.
January 12, 2013
Every bit as passionate, intelligent, and forthright as you would expect.
July 31, 2013
well written,lots of great insight to the way the game used to be played, no whining millionares just hardnosed baseball and men who played for the love of the game
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