Young Jonathon
Is No Bob Gibson

O.K., right off, I'll admit it. I've been a Yankee fan since Joe DiMaggio graced center field in the Bronx. Nevertheless, I rank Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, and Yaz among my pantheon of baseball icons. Further, I wish the Sox well in their pursuit of their second World Series Championship; although I do not go as far as that quisling former mayor of New York City who has actually stated he is ROOTING for the Sox.

That being said, I am compelled by history, logic, and a deep and abiding respect for The Game to offer the following:

Jonathon Papelbon in his wildest dreams, with a contingent of heavily armed Visigoth warriors backing him up, could not begin to approximate the fearsome stare of the former St. Louis Cardinal great and Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson (though your Oct. 25 editorial accords him that accolade).

All intangibles aside, there is one glaring fact favoring my argument: Gibson pitched in the National League, which means he was obliged to take bat in hand, stand at the plate, and face an opposing pitcher at whose teammates he (Gibson) had recently hurled a ball at considerable velocity and with considerable precision. Moreover, having been a starting pitcher, Gibson was assured that he would have to face the (chin) music.

As a relief pitcher, young Jonathon has the comfortable luxury of knowing he will rarely have to take a turn in the batter's box. According to the Red Sox home page, "Pap" has had zero at bats this season.

One last note may be of interest. During their playing days, Dusty Baker (N.L. outfielder and recently retired manager) asked Hank Aaron about Gibson's reputation.

"Don't dig in against Bob Gibson; he'll knock you down," said Aaron, as reported by the Boston Globe. "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. 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."

Forty years ago this week, Bob Gibson pitched nine innings to defeat the Boston Red Sox in game seven of the World Series. He was working on only three days rest after having pitched two complete game wins earlier in the series. Guess who won the Series MVP award?

Lou D'Antonio

Bethel/Randolph