"'Don't dig in against Bob Gibson; he'll knock you down. He'd knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don't stare at him, don't smile at him, don't talk to him. He doesn't like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don't run too slow, don't run too fast.</p>
"'If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don't charge the mound, because he's a Gold Glove boxer.' I'm like, 'Damn, what about my 17-game hitting streak?' That was the night it ended."
Gibson was also a notoriously fast worker. When he and Don Drysdale (another fastworking power pitcher) squared off, the game would last about one hour.
Finally, Gibson was an accomplished hitter. It wasn't uncommon for Gibson to pinch-hit. He had 24 career homeruns.</p>