This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/15/2020
Hank Aaron hit more home runs than any player that took the diamond before him, but even "Hammerin' Hank" was intimidated when facing hurler Bob Gibson. Explaining to Dusty Baker what it was like to face Gibson, Aaron said, "Don’t dig in against Bob Gibson, he’ll knock you down. He’d knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don’t stare at him, don’t smile at him, don’t talk to him. He doesn’t like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don’t run too slow, don’t run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don’t charge the mound, because he’s a Gold Glove boxer." Remembered for his unfathomable 1968 season, Gibson was so far above and beyond any hurler that his 1.12 ERA still stands as the greatest mark in modern history. Gibson hurled 13 shutouts that season and surrendered 4 earned runs in a game only twice, one being an 11-inning performance. But perhaps Gibson's most incredible accomplishment that season, one that is often overlooked, is that in 34 games (all starts), Gibson pitched 304 2/3 innings; that's an average of 8.96 innings per game! Not since the "dead-ball" era days of Cy Young, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson had a pitcher taken the mound so consistently without the need for relief. Presented is Bob Gibson's well-known 1959 Topps card, an exceptional specimen that has earned the grade of PSA 9 MINT and is surpassed by just 3 others on PSA's famed pop report. Virtually dead-centered with a bone-white frame that leads to four stalwart endpoints, each of which can make a convincing case for GEM MINT status. The image of the fiery rookie is spot-on and the reverse shows mild toning and a very slight shift toward the top edge. And maybe that's the rationale for it not being in GEM MINT holder because we don't see any other reason why.