World Series Records: Gibson’s 17 Strikeouts
In honor of the Fall Classic that begins today, we will examine some of the more elite records that have been set in the World Series. On every gameday of the World Series, another record will be featured and discussed as to whether or not it could be broken this year. One of the most astonishing records that we’ll look at first is Bob Gibson’s 17 strikeouts in one game.
It was the 1968 World Series that saw the St. Louis Cardinals pitted against the Detroit Tigers. Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson, the 1964 and ’67 World Series MVP was on a roll all season long, posting a microscopic ERA of 1.12 to go with a 22-9 record. He rode that momentum right into the World Series where Gibson would pitch complete games in game 1, 4 and 7.
But it was game 1 that Gibson delivered a record setting performance.
It was Wednesday, October 2, 1968 and Gibson pitched a nine inning, five hit shutout. But his most astonishing stat that night was his 17 strikeouts, a record that still stands today.
Gibson would pass the previous record of 15 strikeouts set by Sandy Koufax of the LA Dodgers in the 1963 World Series. The Cardinals star pitcher struck out two batters in the first and had fanned seven after three innings. He would retire the final three batters of the game by the way of the K, en route to the record and a 4-0 Cardinals win.
Another startling stat is that Gibson beat the Tigers 31 game winner, Denny McLain, twice that series in game 1 and game 4. Gibson ran into a hot Tigers pitcher, Mickey Lolich in game 7, that the Tigers would win and securing their first World Series title in over 20 years. In the end, Gibson recorded 35 punch outs in the seven game series, also a World series record.
But it’s the single game record that is so remarkable. Gibson would fan 17 out of the 27 batters he faced. The closest pitcher to come even remotely close in the last thirty years was Yankees, Orlando Hernandez when he struck out 12 against the cross city rival New York Mets in the 2000 World Series.
The 2011 Fall Classic does feature some great pitchers on both clubs. Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals is probably the best of the bunch, but I don’t see him striking out anymore than 9 batters in any given game. Consider that he only struck out 3 Phillies in game 5 of the NLDS earlier this postseason, it’s evident that Carpenter relies on the ground ball to help record outs.
The Rangers have some good pitching, but that’s exactly what it is; good. It’s not blow me away great. C.J. Wilson hasn’t looked very good at all in his starts so far this October and Derek Holland and Colby Lewis have been up and down on the mound. Throw in the way that both clubs hammer the ball and I don’t see this series as a pitcher’s duel in too many games.
It’s safe to say that Gibson’s record of 17 strikeouts is safe for this year during the World Series.
Just an FYI – the most strikeouts by a Red Sox pitcher in a World Series game is 11 set by Joe Wood in game one of the 1912 World Series against the Giants.
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