Last night, it was revealed that Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Jack Morris broke the news to the public while broadcasting a game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians on Saturday, and it was subsequently confirmed by Gibson’s long-time agent Dick Zitzmann.
The news became public knowledge after Gibson notified the Hall of Fame that he will not be in Cooperstown, New York next week for the Hall of Fame ceremonies.
"We all know what a competitor he is.”#Cardinals #HOF Bob Gibson hospitalized as he battles pancreatic cancer. Rick Hummel has the latest on the greatest Cardinal pitcher. #stlcards https://t.co/Unxxj7z9WL
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 14, 2019
Zitzmann stated that Gibson was diagnosed several weeks ago, and that he had gone to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for treatment before being hospitalized at a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska where he has been for the last two weeks.
Gibson is expected to begin chemotherapy sessions on Monday.
Hall-of-Fame @Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson is battling pancreatic cancer. pic.twitter.com/EskBMGdkyS
— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) July 14, 2019
Bob Gibson is seen as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history. He was one of the league’s most dominant arms in the 1960s, and his 1968 season has a permanent place in baseball lore. Gibson finished that season with a 22-9 record and posted an absurd 1.12 ERA. It is the third-lowest single-season ERA in MLB history, and the lowest we have seen in the last 100 years.
While some put an asterisk on that season due to the elevated mound, Gibson was miles better than any other pitcher. Bobby Bolin had the next-lowest ERA of any qualified pitcher that season, finishing with a 1.99 ERA.
Gibson won the NL Cy Young Award in 1968 and 1970, and he was named the league MVP in 1968 after the best season by a pitcher in modern baseball history. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 in his first year of eligibility. Gibson has seen his No. 45 retired by the St. Louis Cardinals, and a street was named after him earlier this year.
H/T St. Louis Post Dispatch
