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1968 • Baseball Clip • Bob Gibson Radio Interview · Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History

• 0:00
  This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
• 0:07
  This is Keith Morris of Sports Illustrated. My guest is Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• 0:12
  Bob, when a pitcher has a winning streak like 15 or 16 games, do you feel that a certain amount of luck is involved?
• 0:17
  Oh, you definitely have to have luck. You can pitch one hit ball as I did before and I lost a ballgame.
• 0:24
  So you have to be lucky, your team has to be hitting and you of course have to have good stuff.
• 0:30
  Some people feel that this year's Cards are one of the strongest teams of all times. How do you see it?
• 0:36
  I think we definitely have one of the best teams in the league.
• 0:41
  Of all times I couldn't compare with anybody because I've never seen any of those old clubs they used to have.
• 0:47
  But I can't imagine those teams being any better than the team that we have now.
• 0:52
  Bob Gibson, do you think that the atmosphere around your club with everybody seeming to get along has helped the Cards make success or has success made everybody get along?
• 1:00
  I think the way the players are is definitely a plus as far as having a good ball team.
• 1:10
  We've been down before and we had the same guys, we have the same attitude that we have now.
• 1:16
  And I think when you stick together there is a certain amount of togetherness that you feel when you're out on the field that is comparable to something that a family has.
• 1:28
  And this is the type of ball team that we have.
• 1:30
  With such a big lead so late in the season, is there a tendency for your team not to put out quite so much?
• 1:35
  I don't think so. Our team right now is not playing real good baseball, but we're a little tired.
• 1:42
  We've been playing straight through since July 11th, haven't had an off day.
• 1:47
  And the grind is going to make anybody tired.
• 1:50
  And when you lose a few games the first thing they say is that you're not putting out or you're getting complacent.
• 1:54
  But I don't think that's the point at all.
• 1:56
  Another runaway penner for the Cards should mean some bigger salaries next year.
• 1:59
  Do you think that a team with so many people on such high salary tends to let up?
• 2:03
  I don't think so. And as far as the salary is concerned, that's not my problem.
• 2:06
  You have to talk with the general manager about that.
• 2:09
  But when you make a little bit of money and you have a good year, there's always a little bit more money to make.
• 2:14
  And we play baseball for our living.
• 2:17
  It's not one of those deals where it's a raw, raw thing, you know.
• 2:20
  And so I'm quite sure the players are aware that if they do a better job, they're going to make better money.
• 2:25
  And it's not a thing of complacency.
• 2:29
  Well, I see that Prentice Hall has put Bob Gibson's life story into book form, From Ghetto to Glory.
• 2:34
  And what is this about mainly?
• 2:36
  It's a book about my life from the time I was a kid through the present day.
• 2:41
  And I think it's a fairly good book. It explains how I grew up, the things that I did, the schools that I went to, and how I became a professional baseball player.
• 2:52
  It should be good reading. Bob Gibson, good luck to you and the St. Louis Cardinals.
• 2:55
  Thank you.
• 2:56
  This is Keith Morris of Sports Illustrated.