Cardinals Legend Bob Gibson Passes Away at 84

Gibson spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals, winning two World Series MVP awards and two Cy Young awards.

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, who spent all 17 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Cardinals, passed away on Friday after a bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 84 years old.

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Gibson won the Cy Young and MVP awards in 1968, famously dubbed the "Year of the Pitcher." He went 22-9 with an MLB-leading 1.12 ERA in 304 2/3 innings. In large part because of Gibson's dominance, the height of the mound was lowered the following year.

He won his second Cy Young award in 1970 at age 34, leading the National League with 23 wins. He helped lead the Cardinals to World Series titles in 1964 and 1967, winning the World Series MVP each time. In nine career postseason starts, he went 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 81 innings.

Gibson's passing occurred on the 52-year anniversary of his 17-strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. He set Cardinals records in wins (251), complete games (255), strikeouts (3,117) and shutouts (56).

Born and raised in Omaha, Neb., Gibson played baseball and basketball at Creighton University. He spent a year playing for the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the Cardinals, making his debut in 1959. In addition to his pitching dominance, he was an excellent fielder, winning nine Gold Glove Awards. His résumé also includes nine All-Star appearances and inclusion on MLB's All-Century Team in 1999.

Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, his first year of eligibility. His legacy persists as one of the most dominant, reliable pitchers the game has ever seen.

“I want to be remembered as a person, a competitor, that gave 100% every time I went out on the field,” Gibson said at his Hall of Fame induction, per St. Louis Fox 2 News. ”Sometimes I wasn’t too good but nobody could accuse me of cheating them out of what they paid to see.”