Sports Illustrated Cover of the Week

Issue dated September 23rd 1968

September 14th 1968

 Denny McLain becomes a thirty-game winner when Tigers rally for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Oakland 5-4. The Detroit right-hander, who will finish the season 31-6, is the first hurler to accomplish the feat since Dizzy Dean reached the milestone in 1934.

Bob Gibson Wins NL MVP Award

Today in 1968 Bob Gibson, Hall of Fame pitcher for the St Louis Cardinals, was named the National League MVP of the 1968 season. He just beat out Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds.

Here is a clip of Game 1 of the 1968 World Series between the Cardinals and the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Bob Gibson set a new record for strikeouts in a World Series game with 17 in this game.

A couple of thoughts on this video, first its the announcers Curt Gowdy and Harry Caray, 2 legendary voices together and Harry was the regular announcer for Cardinals games along with Jack Buck and its just great to hear how excited Harry was for Gibson to set the record.

Second, as the camera scans the crowd during ovations for Gibson I noticed almost all of the men had on dress shirts and ties and the women present were in dresses and it was all so very classy looking and truly a bygone era in sports.

Lastly, during the ovations for Gibson setting the record you could almost see the annoyance in Gibsons face as he wanted the crowd to settle so he could finish the game, not one for pomp and adulation he had a job to do and wanted to get it done.

Ernie Harwell R.I.P

Tonight the baseball world lost one its greatest people and announcers, Ernie Harwell.
Play by play voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 years passed away tonight at the age of 92.