Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Bob Gibson, Feared Flamethrower for the Cardinals, Dies at 84

Diamond Images/Getty Images

Bob Gibson, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame right-hander who became one of baseball’s most dominating pitchers, winning 251 games in 17 seasons with an intimidating fastball and an attitude to match, died on Friday. He was 84.

His death was confirmed by Brian Bartow, a spokesman for the Cardinals. Gibson announced in July 2019 that he had pancreatic cancer.

Through the summers of the 1960s and early ’70s, Gibson proved a relentless force, and he was at his best in the World Series.

Gibson won both the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award, as its best pitcher, in 1968, when he won 22 games, struck out 268 batters, pitched 13 shutouts and posted an earned run average of 1.