Tough year in St. Louis continues, Gibson passes away from pancreatic cancer less than a month after former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Lou Brock. The news broke moments after the Cardinals were eliminated from the National League playoffs. The team overcame a severe Covid outbreak that lead to several days of hotel quarantine in Milwaukee and a slew of doubleheaders just to reach baseball's postseason.
Gibson overcame a tough childhood in Omaha's Near North Side before becoming a basketball standout and Creighton University's first Black student-athlete.
Gibson's death comes on the anniversary of his complete game, 17 strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. Gibson's 1.12 ERA that season included a 47-inning scoreless streak (ended with a wild pitch) and led Major League Baseball to lower the mound height for the following season.
'Cardinal Nation lost another one': Yadier Molina reflects on Gibson in postgame interview