The hard-throwing right-hander and future Hall of Famer becomes just the second pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts
On July 17th, 1974, St. Louis Cardinals Ace Bob Gibson became just the second MLB pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in a career. He whiffed Cincinnati Reds outfielder Cesar Geronimo to achieve that mark, in what turned out to be a 6-4 loss for the Redbirds.
Only the Washington Senators’ Walter Johnson had ever fanned that many batters in Major League Baseball history, so Gibson was in rare air as he chugged towards the end of his Hall of Fame career. Considered one of the most feared pitchers of all time, Bob Gibson would also notch a 251-174 record, with a 2.91 ERA. He would be enshrined in Cooperstown in 1981.
Bob Gibson continued to be involved with the Cardinals organization for years after his retirement, often participating in reunion events and Opening Day ceremonies.
The legendary pitcher passed away on October 2, 2020, from pancreatic cancer. He was 84 years old at the time of his passing.
