It was fifty years ago today- September 15, 1968 the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League pennant with two weeks still remaining in the regular season. The Cardinals in the end would have a record of 97-65 and would finish 9 games ahead of the second place San Francisco Giants. They would go on to face the American League Champions- the Detroit Tigers in the World Series in early October.
Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson would have one of the greatest seasons a pitcher ever had going 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA. Gibson would win both the NL MVP Award and the NL Cy Young Award. When you look at today’s big home run numbers- looking back at the 1968 Cardinals it looks like a typographical error- their leading home run hitter that season was Orlando Cepeda with only 16 home runs. They also only had one .300 hitter- Curt Flood. This was The Year of the Pitcher in baseball.
slicethelife 
Bob could intimidate…he does by just looking at him…of course, he was a great pitcher as well.
What a great competitor- just watching him pitch was frightening. I
That stare would have frozen me. He meant business and you knew it.
I liked the story about how at all-star games he wouldn’t talk with his teammates from other NL teams.
It’s come so far from that now! They use to play for pride of their league and I’m sure a bonus.
You don’t need much offense when you have a pitcher with a 1.12 ERA. That looks like a typo! Amazing!
How did he lose 9 games that year? I mean he didn’t lose them- no support…
Flip side of not enough offense I guess
That was it- all those 1-0 games.. I am thinking I read somewhere that during that entire season not once did the pitching coach or manager make a trip to the mound to talk to Gibson during the inning.
Didn’t they lower the mound after that season because of Gibson?
Yes Gibson- McLain- and all the other great pitching- the game was becoming 1-0 battles.