Stranger to the Game - Softcover

Few pitchers dominated baseball like Hall of Famer Bob Gibson. In the 1960s, Gibson's lightning fastball, menacing demeanor, and unforgiving attitude toward pitchers vs. batters' rights broke personal records and won championships for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1968 - The Year of the Pitcher - Gibson posted the astoundingly low ERA of 1.12, prompting new rules to improve hitters' chances. Despite his astonishing exploits and accomplishments, Gibson, a self-described glowering black man who wouldn't make small talk or apologies for pitching inside, could never find a job in a front office. Now with Lonnie Wheeler, co-author of Hank Aaron's bestselling I Had a Hammer, the ace hurler fires off his no-holds-barred reflections on a life in baseball. He recalls barnstorming the Jim Crow South with Willie Mays's black all-stars and the pioneering breakthroughs he made with fellow Cardinals such as Tim McCarver and Bob Uecker to build a team tradition of racial harmony. Career highlights, including three World Series and pitching duels with Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Denny McLain, come to life in riveting vignettes. His ferocity on the field is recounted with humor and admiration by the likes of Hank Aaron, Bill White, Joe Torre, and other greats. The result is a first-class baseball book by one of the game's most uncompromising and eloquent stars.