The only post-WW2 starting pitcher to have a sub-1.50 ERA in a season is the 60th inductee into the Baseball Hall of Immortals.
Anyone who came to bat against Bob Gibson said he was the most intimidating pitcher they had ever faced. He was also one of the most dominating.
From the time he became a regular starting pitcher in 1961, Gibson would post a winning record for 13 consecutive years. During that stretch he would win 20 or more five times, and post sub-3.00 ERAs seven times.
And then there was his 1968 season. During the “Year of the Pitcher,” Gibson would lead the Cardinals to the World Series, going 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA. That ERA is the 4th lowest by a starting pitcher in a season ever – the other three are from 1914, 1906, and 1880. Put another way, it was the lowest ERA during the live ball era. The next closest was Dwight Gooden’s 1.53 in 1985.
When his career ended, Gibson had won 251 games with a 2.91 ERA, completing an amazing 255 of them. Along the way he won 2 Cy Youngs, an MVP, and 2 World Series MVPs.
There is no doubt that the dominance of Bob Gibson makes him an Immortal.
For some background on what this is, check out the introduction post here.
