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Sixty Feet, Six Inches: A Hall of Fame Pitcher & a Hall of Fame Hitter Talk About How the Game Is Played
Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand America's pastime from their unique insider perspective.
Legendary. Insightful. Uncompromising. Candid. Uncensored.
Mr. October and Hoot Gibson unfortunately never faced each other on the field. But now, in Sixty Feet, Six Inches , these two legends open up in fascinating detail about the game they love and how it was, is, and should be played. Their one-of-a-kind insider stories recall a who's who of baseball nobility, including Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, Billy Martin, and Joe Torre. This is an unforgettable baseball history by two of its most influential superstars.
Legendary. Insightful. Uncompromising. Candid. Uncensored.
Mr. October and Hoot Gibson unfortunately never faced each other on the field. But now, in Sixty Feet, Six Inches , these two legends open up in fascinating detail about the game they love and how it was, is, and should be played. Their one-of-a-kind insider stories recall a who's who of baseball nobility, including Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, Billy Martin, and Joe Torre. This is an unforgettable baseball history by two of its most influential superstars.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
38 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Bob Gibson
32 books9 followersBOB GIBSON is a baseball Hall of Famer who played 17 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals. During that time he was a two-time Cy Young Award and World Series winner. He is also the author of Stranger to the Game: The Autobiography of Bob Gibson and Sixty Feet, Six Inches, which was written with Reggie Jackson and coauthor Lonnie Wheeler and Pitch by Pitch : My View of One Unforgettable Game, also written with Wheeler.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 16, 2020
This delightful baseball book is just what a fan needs during the long winter offseason. Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson played in different leagues. I remembered Reggie's early days with the A's when he used to beat my Senators. They discuss different aspects of the game in a back-and-forth interview format. Lots of awesome insights are offered. Both Hall of the Famers express strong opinions, sometimes agreeing, other times not so much. I liked remembering a lot of the baseball players they mention (relief pitcher Bob Humphreys, for instance). Great stuff.
December 14, 2011
In the beginning, I really enjoyed this. In the middle, it was okay. By the end, I couldn't wait to finish and move on. I don't blame the book though. It is what it is . . . two great baseball players talking about baseball. And that's exactly what it is intended to be. There isn't a narrative flow but a conversational one - a dialogue between a Hall of Fame pitcher and a Hall of Fame hitter.
It seemed a lot like you'd been invited to lunch with your retired uncle invited you to lunch one day with a friend of his, and your uncle happened to be Bob Gibson and the friend was Reggie Jackson. Uncle Bob, for some reason, had never talked about baseball with you before but he was willing to let you listen in on his conversation with Reggie. Excitedly, you accept the offer and sit riveted to everything that was said through the salad and main course. But by the time you swallowed the last bite of your entree, the conversation has gone on so long that you'd love to change the subject or ask for the check. But, alas, Uncle Bob and Reggie order dessert . . . and coffee, and you're stuck at the table waiting for the opportunity to leave. The conversation during coffee is no less interesting than the conversation during the salad, but it is, by then, certainly less interesting to you.
That's the way of Sixty Feet, Six Inches. The last few chapters were as interesting as the first but by then I was certainly less interested in them. And that's my fault, not Gibson's or Jackson's or their ghost writer, Lonnie Wheeler's. When I didn't want to read the book anymore, I should have put it down and waited for later. But, for some strange reason, I'm compelled to finish a book that I start before starting another one. And, so I did this time to my own detriment.
Take my advice, if you read this book (and baseball fans should) read it a little at a time. And if you're retired uncle invites you to a single lunch to tell you everything he knows about life . . . suggest a series of coffees instead.
It seemed a lot like you'd been invited to lunch with your retired uncle invited you to lunch one day with a friend of his, and your uncle happened to be Bob Gibson and the friend was Reggie Jackson. Uncle Bob, for some reason, had never talked about baseball with you before but he was willing to let you listen in on his conversation with Reggie. Excitedly, you accept the offer and sit riveted to everything that was said through the salad and main course. But by the time you swallowed the last bite of your entree, the conversation has gone on so long that you'd love to change the subject or ask for the check. But, alas, Uncle Bob and Reggie order dessert . . . and coffee, and you're stuck at the table waiting for the opportunity to leave. The conversation during coffee is no less interesting than the conversation during the salad, but it is, by then, certainly less interesting to you.
That's the way of Sixty Feet, Six Inches. The last few chapters were as interesting as the first but by then I was certainly less interested in them. And that's my fault, not Gibson's or Jackson's or their ghost writer, Lonnie Wheeler's. When I didn't want to read the book anymore, I should have put it down and waited for later. But, for some strange reason, I'm compelled to finish a book that I start before starting another one. And, so I did this time to my own detriment.
Take my advice, if you read this book (and baseball fans should) read it a little at a time. And if you're retired uncle invites you to a single lunch to tell you everything he knows about life . . . suggest a series of coffees instead.
March 27, 2023
As an unabashed baseball fan, this book was a delight to read. While I didn't have the opportunity to see Bob Gibson pitch (either in person or on TV - I was a wee bit too young), I was fortunate enough to see Reggie Jackson play in person, as well as on TV. I remember so well sitting in the living room when I was 12, watching Reggie Jackson hit those 3 straight homers in Yankee Stadium (each time off the first pitch) in the 1977 World Series. I groaned with despair because I was rooting for the Dodgers!
As a reader, you learn about the heart and soul of baseball from the perspective of a star pitcher (Gibson) and hitter (Jackson). Both men share their experiences and perspectives on major league baseball, the great players they played with or against (e.g., Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Willie MacCovey, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, "Catfish" Hunter, Juan Marichal, Roberto Clemente, Willie "Pops" Stargell, Nolan Ryan, Carl Yastrzemski, and Al Kaline) as well as the struggles that both endured as African American players in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Even if you, the reader, are not a baseball fan, but enjoy reading stories about people displaying courage, heart, and endurance in the face of overwhelming odds, this is the book for you.
As a reader, you learn about the heart and soul of baseball from the perspective of a star pitcher (Gibson) and hitter (Jackson). Both men share their experiences and perspectives on major league baseball, the great players they played with or against (e.g., Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Willie MacCovey, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, "Catfish" Hunter, Juan Marichal, Roberto Clemente, Willie "Pops" Stargell, Nolan Ryan, Carl Yastrzemski, and Al Kaline) as well as the struggles that both endured as African American players in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Even if you, the reader, are not a baseball fan, but enjoy reading stories about people displaying courage, heart, and endurance in the face of overwhelming odds, this is the book for you.
March 20, 2025
A fun book that may be closer to a 3.5 since they repeat themselves quite a bit. However, it is still a solid read. Two HOFs just shooting the shit about the game and their careers. From getting started to what they thought about the game decades after they retired.
Highly recommended, again, it's repetitive at times, but the book is nicely put together and an easy informative read.
Highly recommended, again, it's repetitive at times, but the book is nicely put together and an easy informative read.
April 20, 2021
Bob Gibson is one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game and Reggie Jackson is one of the greatest homerun hitters of all time and possibly the best October hitter ever: but that doesn’t make for a consistently desirable conversation.
This book is a dialogue between Gibson and Jackson about all things baseball. When I picked it up, I wanted more stories, more about the players they interacted with, more about the series that they played in. I got some of that, but I also felt bored reading chapters about their opinions on mechanics, pitch count, etc.
The most interesting parts of the book for me, come in the second half. The one killer for me in the book, is these guys need to learn some humility. Jackson, more than Gibson. They were both terrific players, but it got old reading them just bragging the entire book. Gibson’s ‘68 season alone, and his career in general merit the bragging - but Jackson not as much to me.
The old head arguments at the end basically insinuate that the game isn’t what it once was and isn’t difficult. Things change, leave it up to the reader to decide if it is for the better or the worse.
Not a bad read, but a lot of filler. Some great stories from two all time greats.
5/10
This book is a dialogue between Gibson and Jackson about all things baseball. When I picked it up, I wanted more stories, more about the players they interacted with, more about the series that they played in. I got some of that, but I also felt bored reading chapters about their opinions on mechanics, pitch count, etc.
The most interesting parts of the book for me, come in the second half. The one killer for me in the book, is these guys need to learn some humility. Jackson, more than Gibson. They were both terrific players, but it got old reading them just bragging the entire book. Gibson’s ‘68 season alone, and his career in general merit the bragging - but Jackson not as much to me.
The old head arguments at the end basically insinuate that the game isn’t what it once was and isn’t difficult. Things change, leave it up to the reader to decide if it is for the better or the worse.
Not a bad read, but a lot of filler. Some great stories from two all time greats.
5/10
May 8, 2010
oddly, this one took me a while to get through, even though it is a quick reading. guess that shows the problem. the concept of the book is great, capturing the words (almost verbatim) of two baseball legends as they discuss many different aspects of the game. both pitcher Bob Gibson and hitter Reggie xxxx are Hall of Famers and eminently quotable. so what's the problem? well, even though there are many nuggets of interesting baseball history, trivia and such, the guys don't seem to cover a wide enough range, so they revisit the same ground over and over again. Reggie in particular is very focussed on the issues he had growing up black in a white man's sport, which is interesting because he was really about a 3rd generation black player. Gibson who was closer to 2nd generation (Jackie Robinson is 1st, of course), seems to deal with the prejudice and segregation much more matter-of-factly...not that it does not bother him, he just did not let it define him and his career. in any case, i am very glad i read the book and i highly recommend it for big fans of the game, just can't help thinking it could have been even better, if the writer had taken a more active hand.
November 20, 2016
I loved it! It is by far the best baseball book I've read. Two baseball legends from a bygone era, Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson (1967-1987) and Bob "Hoot" Gibson (1959-1975), deliver an engaging and entertaining conversation about the past and present of baseball. It's a casual conversation, and yet very frank at times. You truly feel like a "fly on the wall" as these two great athletes talk shop. It is not strained at all, it feels completely authentic. Even though I wouldn't underestimate Jackson's observations, it was especially interesting to hear Gibson's frank opinion's on the current state of pitching.
June 7, 2023
Eavesdropping on conversations has always been a thrill for me since I was five years old sitting in the dark on the stairs listening to the adults discuss things. This book has that flavor. Two baseball greats, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson, compare notes and memories as old friends are wont to do.
Would a baseball fan born after 1981 enjoy this? I doubt it — or maybe only parts of it. I particularly enjoyed the many stories from the 1968 World Series where Gibson's Cardinals lost to the Detroit Tigers. After my mom died in May of 1968, I spent considerable time that summer with friends in Detroit. And, for that season, I became a diehard Detroit Tigers fan. I made a notebook with a page for each player. All that to say, I tracked Gibson's commentary closely and smiled remembering Mickey Lolich, Norm Cash, Mickey Stanley, Willie Horton, and Al Kaline.*
I also relished the talk about the brushback pitch, of which Gibson is renowned. Not to dominate this review with anecdotes: I once had boss who used to be a sportswriter. We both loved to talk baseball. I told him that my husband had been a great pitcher in his day.
Oh yeah? Did he throw some "chin music"?
What's that?
High and inside! Used to scare the batter.
A look of horror washed over my face. NO! My Curt would *never* do that.
Hmmm. You said he was great? Won games? OK, go home for lunch and ask him.
My boss was waiting for my return from lunch. His eyebrows asked the question.
I studied the floor. Yeah, he threw chin music. He said every good pitcher throws chin music.
I can't believe the kind man I married would have done that.......
His face couldn't encompass the grin he was wearing.
*When I returned to my home in the Chicago, I once again was a passionate Cubs fan.
Would a baseball fan born after 1981 enjoy this? I doubt it — or maybe only parts of it. I particularly enjoyed the many stories from the 1968 World Series where Gibson's Cardinals lost to the Detroit Tigers. After my mom died in May of 1968, I spent considerable time that summer with friends in Detroit. And, for that season, I became a diehard Detroit Tigers fan. I made a notebook with a page for each player. All that to say, I tracked Gibson's commentary closely and smiled remembering Mickey Lolich, Norm Cash, Mickey Stanley, Willie Horton, and Al Kaline.*
I also relished the talk about the brushback pitch, of which Gibson is renowned. Not to dominate this review with anecdotes: I once had boss who used to be a sportswriter. We both loved to talk baseball. I told him that my husband had been a great pitcher in his day.
Oh yeah? Did he throw some "chin music"?
What's that?
High and inside! Used to scare the batter.
A look of horror washed over my face. NO! My Curt would *never* do that.
Hmmm. You said he was great? Won games? OK, go home for lunch and ask him.
My boss was waiting for my return from lunch. His eyebrows asked the question.
I studied the floor. Yeah, he threw chin music. He said every good pitcher throws chin music.
I can't believe the kind man I married would have done that.......
His face couldn't encompass the grin he was wearing.
*When I returned to my home in the Chicago, I once again was a passionate Cubs fan.
July 28, 2017
I really enjoyed the book. The book is geared mainly for baseball fans. The book is written in dialogue format between two of the great players of the late 60s and early 70s; Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson. They discuss a myriad of topics such as race in the 1960s, free agency in the 70s, steroid use in the 90s. I listened to the book on audio which I felt enhanced the book since it seemed like I was listening in on the round table of two the iconic baseball players in modern baseball history. Highly recommended for baseball fans of that era.
August 30, 2017
A great book, every literate baseball fan should read this. Great takes on the game, the people who play it, and life in general. Wit, wisdom, and humor abound. Easy to pick up and read a few pages, then put back down. I read it over several sittings and have a two year old, makes me think it would be a great book for busy parents, airplane rides, or lunch break.
December 23, 2021
Was blowing through books this year, then stalled hard on this one. It’s not that it was a long book, and the reading was pretty quick. It just struggled to hold my interest. It picked up steam in the second half of the book. Worth the read if you love baseball history, but temper your expectations a tad.
November 6, 2024
Fantastic book written on an interview form of Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson. These two phenomenal players offer their view of the different issues that pitchers and hitters face. Fantastic insight into the mind of two HOFers. One incredibly competitive and proud, and the other as competitive but kind of needy and craving for attention.
July 19, 2023
A fun read if you love baseball stories. This is laid out like a back and forth dialogue between these two studs. Very different personalities in a good way. Bob Gibson in particular is a classic tough man who I wish I could have seen play. Great book
July 22, 2018
Possibly my favorite book I read last summer! I couldn’t get enough of this fascinating, educational, funny exchange between two baseball legends.
August 12, 2018
Absolutely incredible book. A first rate read all the way.
September 6, 2018
I found this book to be very amusing and interesting. The personal opinions and instances are a great addition to an otherwise mundane tale.
August 21, 2020
Fun inside look at the game from then to now, from both sides of the plate
January 20, 2024
I love baseball and baseball strategy and this book had this
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2024
This was fun to read with two hall of famers giving their insights about the game. It’s a bit dated with it being published in 2009 but still fascinating to read.
December 19, 2023
The baseball world never had the fortune of seeing "Mr. October," one of the hardest hitting sluggers ever to play the game, face "Hoot," one of the fiercest hurlers ever to take the mound, but the two share stories and opinions and give a bit of insight into what an at bat might look like if the two were ever able to do so. In Sixty Feet, Six Inches, Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson, two larger than life legends of the game, open up in fascinating detail about the game they love and how it was, is, and should be played. Jackson and Gibson were both known for their outspoken opinions, for their fierce competitive drive, and for not backing down from a fight. Reading this book is like sitting in on a conversation between the two legendary ballplayers. The two share stories that recall a veritable who's who of baseball nobility. It's a fascinating, albeit somewhat slow read. This is a wonderful baseball history by two of its most influential superstars.
June 9, 2013
Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson give their views on the history of baseball over the last 50 years, how the game was played, how it ought to be played, and how it has changed over the years.
Both of these players excelled in their own ways. Gibson's aggression channeled itself into getting hitters out, especially in clutch situations and games. Remember that he once won seven straight World Series games over three Series and almost singlehandedly won the 1967 Series for the Cardinals, winning all three of his starts and dominating the favored Red Sox.
Jackson's flamboyance drove him to perform at his best on the same stage. He won five World Series rings with the A's and Yankees. The 1977 series showed Reggie at his best. Despite a season of highs (signing a 5 year contract paying $600,000 per year - then the gold standard of baseball contracts) and lows (a virtual year-long feud with Yankee manager Billy Martin and owner George Steinbrenner), Jackson hit five home runs in six games against the Dodgers, including three in the decisive sixth game. In that Series, Jackson's final four SWINGS resulted in Yankee home runs.
I really enjoyed this book because a) it gives the reader an insight into the mindset of two of its all-time greats and b) it brought back a lot of memories into the game of my youth. I highly recommend this book for any baseball player or fan.
Both of these players excelled in their own ways. Gibson's aggression channeled itself into getting hitters out, especially in clutch situations and games. Remember that he once won seven straight World Series games over three Series and almost singlehandedly won the 1967 Series for the Cardinals, winning all three of his starts and dominating the favored Red Sox.
Jackson's flamboyance drove him to perform at his best on the same stage. He won five World Series rings with the A's and Yankees. The 1977 series showed Reggie at his best. Despite a season of highs (signing a 5 year contract paying $600,000 per year - then the gold standard of baseball contracts) and lows (a virtual year-long feud with Yankee manager Billy Martin and owner George Steinbrenner), Jackson hit five home runs in six games against the Dodgers, including three in the decisive sixth game. In that Series, Jackson's final four SWINGS resulted in Yankee home runs.
I really enjoyed this book because a) it gives the reader an insight into the mindset of two of its all-time greats and b) it brought back a lot of memories into the game of my youth. I highly recommend this book for any baseball player or fan.
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January 18, 20121/4/12
I just started reading this book yesterday. I already know i will like it, it is a non fiction book by Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson. Its a baseball book its pretty interesting. Bob Gibson is a Hall of fame pitcher and Reggie Jackson is a hall of fame hitter and they both have turns about talking about how the game of baseball is played, Jackson has so far talked about how he try's to mess with the pitchers rhythm and mess it up by taking timeouts. And Bob talks about how he doesn't let the batter mess with the rhythm of his pitches and he try's to keep the pitches more consistent.
1/18/12
this book has gotten a lot more interesting, i am really starting to like it more. Reggie Jackson is starting to give his tips on hitting and like when to hit the ball and more precise about what skills you need to be a successful hitter in the MLB. and Bob Gibson is giving all of his pitching tips on how to be a successful pitcher in the MLB, these tips are pretty interesting i don't think i ever would have actually realized them until now that i have read about them they sound like they help a lot of people in the MLB and everyone that is in it uses them. but overall this chapter has been pretty good and i'm really starting to learn a lot more about the game and the most important things to be successful.
I just started reading this book yesterday. I already know i will like it, it is a non fiction book by Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson. Its a baseball book its pretty interesting. Bob Gibson is a Hall of fame pitcher and Reggie Jackson is a hall of fame hitter and they both have turns about talking about how the game of baseball is played, Jackson has so far talked about how he try's to mess with the pitchers rhythm and mess it up by taking timeouts. And Bob talks about how he doesn't let the batter mess with the rhythm of his pitches and he try's to keep the pitches more consistent.
1/18/12
this book has gotten a lot more interesting, i am really starting to like it more. Reggie Jackson is starting to give his tips on hitting and like when to hit the ball and more precise about what skills you need to be a successful hitter in the MLB. and Bob Gibson is giving all of his pitching tips on how to be a successful pitcher in the MLB, these tips are pretty interesting i don't think i ever would have actually realized them until now that i have read about them they sound like they help a lot of people in the MLB and everyone that is in it uses them. but overall this chapter has been pretty good and i'm really starting to learn a lot more about the game and the most important things to be successful.
January 10, 2010
This is pretty good insight into the heads of two of the greatest who ever played the game. After reading this book I should say "played the game as it was played back then" "although back then" really isn't that long ago.
Obviously edited heavily, the dialogue between Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson transcends any baseball interview that I've read heretofore. The two Hall of Famers play off each other on a wide variety of baseball subjects. While Jackson's insights into hitting and Gibson's pitching views are mostly based on personal experience, the opposite (Gibson's view on hitting, etc.) are just as interesting and deep. The topics range from pitching strategies, hitting strategies, situational strategies, bean balls, spit balls, owners, managers, umpires, the history of African Americans in the game, and much more.
There's a historical perspective too. The game has changed. Money, steroids and specialization has changed the game. (Maybe is't just the money; the other two are just results of the money.) However not all the discussion of the changes comes off as lamenting. Some things are just different, not better or worse. For me, I love the game both past and present. And I can't wait for Opening Day.
Obviously edited heavily, the dialogue between Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson transcends any baseball interview that I've read heretofore. The two Hall of Famers play off each other on a wide variety of baseball subjects. While Jackson's insights into hitting and Gibson's pitching views are mostly based on personal experience, the opposite (Gibson's view on hitting, etc.) are just as interesting and deep. The topics range from pitching strategies, hitting strategies, situational strategies, bean balls, spit balls, owners, managers, umpires, the history of African Americans in the game, and much more.
There's a historical perspective too. The game has changed. Money, steroids and specialization has changed the game. (Maybe is't just the money; the other two are just results of the money.) However not all the discussion of the changes comes off as lamenting. Some things are just different, not better or worse. For me, I love the game both past and present. And I can't wait for Opening Day.
Currently reading
January 19, 20111/12- I just started reading this book and so far its a good start. Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson are the writers and they were the best players of their era. Its interesting to read the stories about what the players back then and know what was happening.
1/19- I am almost half way done with this book and so far its been going really good. I finally found a book i enjoy its just to bad it happened at the end of the semester. Reggie Jackson knows so much about the game it just surprises me. If i am not done with this book by the end of the semester i will probably finish it outside of class. Baseball was so much different when Reggie and Gibson were playing, and it sounded a lot more interesting because baseball now gets really boring sometimes and it seems like something big was always happening back then in baseball.
1/19- I liked this class and i could have finished my five book goal but I couldnt find any books that i could enjoy and thats why i could not finish the first two books fast enough. For now on if i am going to read a book it has to be about sports, because any other books dont interst me.
1/19- I am almost half way done with this book and so far its been going really good. I finally found a book i enjoy its just to bad it happened at the end of the semester. Reggie Jackson knows so much about the game it just surprises me. If i am not done with this book by the end of the semester i will probably finish it outside of class. Baseball was so much different when Reggie and Gibson were playing, and it sounded a lot more interesting because baseball now gets really boring sometimes and it seems like something big was always happening back then in baseball.
1/19- I liked this class and i could have finished my five book goal but I couldnt find any books that i could enjoy and thats why i could not finish the first two books fast enough. For now on if i am going to read a book it has to be about sports, because any other books dont interst me.
July 31, 2014
We're lucky to be able to have a book like this in print--two of the greatest players of the last half-century discussing what they do best. The biggest issue I had with the book is that it didn't seem like Lonnie Wheeler did a very good job trimming the fat. There is a lot of repetition in the book, which leads me to feel that the editor just sat down with the two players and asked questions, then transcribed his recording verbatim. While normally this would be fine, it led to both men giving the same anecdotes or advice several times throughout the book, which just gets tiring after a while. It's a good book, and holds fascinating advice and insights into both sides of the pitcher/batter duel, but ultimately suffers from being a little too padded in spots. Very good book, but you can also tell that the interviewees were tired of the process by the end, so a lot of the content toward the latter part of the book is less interesting. It would have been good if the final chapter--Forty Years of Change--could have been longer, because that was really interesting, but I guess we'll just have to wait for volume two, right?
December 8, 2012
Read this on lunch breaks at work and was hard to put it down! Wonderful antidotes on how Bob and Reggie played in the Major Leagues. Reminded me of Dick Allen's autobiography 'Crash', when he answered his own question of if he ever got high before a game. He wrote, I'm paraphrasing, "Are you kidding? Try facing a Bob Gibson fastball aimed at your head if you're high."
A great story Gibson tells is one time in the 1960s and their playing the Dodgers. Gibsonh got a single and is on 1st base with the chatty and humorous Dodger 1st Baseman Ron Fairly, who always hit Gibson pretty well and had just gotten a hit earlier in the game. Gibson never, ever talked to opposing players, but that didn't stop Fairly. "Hey Gibby," Fairly began, "You're such a great pitcher! I don't know how ANYONE can hit you!" Gibson just steamed. The next inning Ron Fairly had to come up to bat. He turned to the Cardinal's catcher Tim McCarver and said, "I'm not going to enjoy this at bat, am I?" McCarver shook his head.
A great story Gibson tells is one time in the 1960s and their playing the Dodgers. Gibsonh got a single and is on 1st base with the chatty and humorous Dodger 1st Baseman Ron Fairly, who always hit Gibson pretty well and had just gotten a hit earlier in the game. Gibson never, ever talked to opposing players, but that didn't stop Fairly. "Hey Gibby," Fairly began, "You're such a great pitcher! I don't know how ANYONE can hit you!" Gibson just steamed. The next inning Ron Fairly had to come up to bat. He turned to the Cardinal's catcher Tim McCarver and said, "I'm not going to enjoy this at bat, am I?" McCarver shook his head.
August 5, 2017
The first half of the book I enjoyed as much as any baseball book I've ever read. I'm not sure if I got tired of the similar refrains -- there are only so many times you can read that Bob Gibson was a big admirer of Mays, McCovey and especially Aaron -- or if it was the subject matter moving on to topics that had less to do with balls and strikes, but the second half of the book faded for me. Reggie explaining how it was the media's fault he was considered too arrogant and had a hard time settling into NY was frankly fairly pathetic.
He is one of the game's biggest windbags and -- having read at least two Gibson autobiographies before this I was ready for it -- "Hoot" has never quite gotten over feeling resentful for little slights to his honor. So they're not the two players I would most like to read doing this exercise, but they're both among the most talented and opinionated, so it's rarely dull until they stray into areas where they sound like any two old farts whom the game has passed by.
Worth reading for the back-and-forth about pitcher v. hitter.
He is one of the game's biggest windbags and -- having read at least two Gibson autobiographies before this I was ready for it -- "Hoot" has never quite gotten over feeling resentful for little slights to his honor. So they're not the two players I would most like to read doing this exercise, but they're both among the most talented and opinionated, so it's rarely dull until they stray into areas where they sound like any two old farts whom the game has passed by.
Worth reading for the back-and-forth about pitcher v. hitter.
July 30, 2014
In the audio version, at least, the actors reading the parts of Gibson and Jackson come off as two different versions of grandpas. Gibson is the hardass, talking about pitching with a broken leg, not worrying much about hitting other guys with 90+ mile-per-hour fastballs, and generally being dominating and intimidating. Jackson, on the other hand, enjoys telling a story, whether it be about hitting a lot of home runs or coping with striking out all the time.
The book is also a good representation of its time. Gibson and Jackson have some quite eye-opening stories about growing up and playing ball as black players from the 50s through the 70s (well, Jackson played in the 1980s, though he doesn't talk about that much), as well as generally espousing the conventional strategy and wisdom of baseball in that time, before advanced statsdorks realized that striking out isn't a huge problem for hitters and that the Yankees shouldn't have ditched their sluggers for guys who are fast.
Enjoyable, at least as I drove across much of eastern Oregon.
The book is also a good representation of its time. Gibson and Jackson have some quite eye-opening stories about growing up and playing ball as black players from the 50s through the 70s (well, Jackson played in the 1980s, though he doesn't talk about that much), as well as generally espousing the conventional strategy and wisdom of baseball in that time, before advanced statsdorks realized that striking out isn't a huge problem for hitters and that the Yankees shouldn't have ditched their sluggers for guys who are fast.
Enjoyable, at least as I drove across much of eastern Oregon.
January 2, 2010
Love Bob Gibson, never really understood Reggie Jackson or his era.
This book puts the two together and there are a lot of surprises - whoda thunk Gibson would be the more progressive baseball thinker and Reggie the more conservative.
Joe Torre reviews the book by saying it's like something you'd hear at a Hall of Fame induction at Cooperstown. I can't vouch for that, but the feel is very conversational.
While the stories are great (especially about some big personalities like Mays, McCovery, Musial and Steinbrenner) I appreciated these two things the most: 1.) Both these guys took on tough issues and were blunt and honest (steroids, umpires, the DH, etc.), 2.) I learned a lot about the battle between pitcher and hitter - especially the mental game.
You could slap these two guys on a book cover and sell it, but this was put together with a lot of thought and consideration. More than just another sports book, and probably a must for baseball fans.
This book puts the two together and there are a lot of surprises - whoda thunk Gibson would be the more progressive baseball thinker and Reggie the more conservative.
Joe Torre reviews the book by saying it's like something you'd hear at a Hall of Fame induction at Cooperstown. I can't vouch for that, but the feel is very conversational.
While the stories are great (especially about some big personalities like Mays, McCovery, Musial and Steinbrenner) I appreciated these two things the most: 1.) Both these guys took on tough issues and were blunt and honest (steroids, umpires, the DH, etc.), 2.) I learned a lot about the battle between pitcher and hitter - especially the mental game.
You could slap these two guys on a book cover and sell it, but this was put together with a lot of thought and consideration. More than just another sports book, and probably a must for baseball fans.
December 1, 2010
11/11-- I am reading this book, and its about Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson, and they explain how their fight and love for the game. it is really interesting to see how life is as the pitcher and the hitter.
11/17--I am getting into the book pretty good now, the story between the baseball hitter and the baseball pitcher. they are two completely different worlds but living the same experiences. so far it talks about how you get in control of the game and how you can over come your fears and mistakes to become the best you can be.
12/1--I just finished my bok yesterday and i thought it was a great book. if you are a baseball fan then this book is for you the main thing the book talks about is about the picher and the hitters. the book is a descusion between 2 of the the best players back in the day, its Bob Gibson as a pitcher and Reggie Jackson as the hitter. those to really break baseball down and pulls you right into the story of the life on the field.
11/17--I am getting into the book pretty good now, the story between the baseball hitter and the baseball pitcher. they are two completely different worlds but living the same experiences. so far it talks about how you get in control of the game and how you can over come your fears and mistakes to become the best you can be.
12/1--I just finished my bok yesterday and i thought it was a great book. if you are a baseball fan then this book is for you the main thing the book talks about is about the picher and the hitters. the book is a descusion between 2 of the the best players back in the day, its Bob Gibson as a pitcher and Reggie Jackson as the hitter. those to really break baseball down and pulls you right into the story of the life on the field.
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