| Kirk Gibson | |
|---|---|
 Gibson in 2017 | |
| Outfielder /Manager | |
| Born: (1957-05-28)May 28, 1957 (age 67) Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 8, 1979, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 10, 1995, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .268 |
| Home runs | 255 |
| Runs batted in | 870 |
| Managerial record | 353–375 |
| Winning % | .485 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professionalbaseballoutfielder andmanager. He is currently a special assistant for the Tigers. Gibson spent most of his career with theDetroit Tigers, but also played for theLos Angeles Dodgers,Kansas City Royals, andPittsburgh Pirates. He batted and threw left-handed.
While with the Dodgers, Gibson was named theNational LeagueMVP in1988. During his career, he hit two dramatic home runs in theWorld Series, each one coming against an eventualHall of Fame relief pitcher. With theTigers in1984, he clinched the title in Game 5 with a three-run homer offGoose Gossage, who had refused to walk him with a base open. With theDodgers in1988, Gibson faced closerDennis Eckersley in the ninth inning of the first game and hit a pinch-hitwalk-off home run—often described as one of the most exciting moments in World Series history.[1] He was named to the All-Star team twice as a reserve, in 1985 and 1988, but declined the invitation both times.[2]
Following his retirement as a player, he spent five seasons as a television analyst in Detroit and then became acoach for the Tigers in 2003. He became the Diamondbacks' bench coach in 2007 and was promoted to interim manager in 2010 following the mid-season dismissal ofA. J. Hinch. On October 4, 2010, the Diamondbacks removed the "interim" label, naming Gibson their manager for the 2011 season.[3] He served as the Diamondbacks' manager until September 26, 2014.[4] Gibson returned to the broadcast booth in 2015 as a part-time commentator for Tigers TV broadcasts, and was named a regular television analyst for the Tigers in 2019.[5]
Gibson was born inPontiac, Michigan, on May 28, 1957,[6] and grew up in nearbyWaterford. Gibson graduated fromWaterford Kettering High School in 1975, and attendedMichigan State University, where he was anAll-Americanwide receiver for theMichigan State Spartans football team. Gibson led the Spartans to a tie for theBig Ten Conference title, setting school and conference receiving records, starring in theHula Bowl andSenior Bowl, and making several All-America teams. For his accomplishments on the football field, Gibson was elected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in January 2017.[7]
At the suggestion of Spartan football coachDarryl Rogers, Gibson playedcollege baseball for theMichigan State Spartans baseball team.[8] Gibson played only one year of college baseball, andbatted .390 with 16home runs and 52runs batted in (RBIs) in 48 games.[9]
TheDetroit Tigers selected Gibson in the first round of the1978 Major League Baseball draft[10] and theSt. Louis Cardinals selected him in the seventh round of the1979 NFL draft. He chose to sign with his hometown Tigers.
Gibson made his major league debut in 1979 and played as the regularright fielder for the Tigers from 1983 to 1987. He helped theTigers win the1984 World Series. He became afree agent after the 1985 season but received no significant offers because of what was later determined to becollusion among the owners of MLB teams. He re-signed with theTigers and in 1987, helped them to win theAmerican League East by two games over theBlue Jays in an enthraling divisional race. However, Detroit lost the1987 American League Championship Series to the eventualWorld ChampionTwins.
Early in his career, Gibson was proclaimed by managerSparky Anderson to be the nextMickey Mantle. Anderson later apologized and said that probably put too much pressure on a young and inexperienced Gibson. Nevertheless, Gibson was considered a versatile power/speed player in the 1980s who was able to hithome runs as well assteal bases.[11] He finished in the top 10 in home runs 3 times in his career and ranked in the top 10 in stolen bases four times. He fell one home run short of becoming the first Tiger in the30–30 club in 1985.
Gibson was known for hitting clutch home runs. In the eighth inning of Game 5 of the1984 World Series between the Tigers andPadres, he facedGoose Gossage, one of the game's premier relievers, with Detroit up 5–4 and runners on second and third with one out. An intentional (or at least semi-intentional) walk seemed to be in order, especially because Gibson had already homered earlier in the game. However, Gossage told San Diego managerDick Williams he thought he could strike him out. Indeed, Gossage had struck out Gibson in his very first Major League at-bat in 1979 on three pitches, and Kirk had only managed one bunt-single against Gossage in 10 previous plate appearances.[12] When asked about Gibson, Gossage later said he had told teammateTim Lollar in the second inning, "I own him."[13] If the Padres could hold the Tigers and score a couple runs in the ninth, they would force the Series back to San Diego and maybe turn the tide. In theSounds of the Game video, Detroit managerSparky Anderson was seen yelling at Gibson from the dugout, "He don't want to walk you!", showing four fingers and then making a bat-swinging motion, the universal baseball gesture for "swing away." Gibson got the message and launched Gossage's 1–0 fastball deep intoTiger Stadium's right field upper deck for a three-run homer, icing the game and the Series for the Tigers.
During his 2008 Hall of Fame induction speech, Gossage turned to Williams and said with a smile, "I should have walked Gibson." In theESPN interview that aired after the induction ceremony, Williams took responsibility for the situation, as he allowed Gossage to talk him into pitching to Gibson. At the same time, Williams ribbed Gossage that Gibson's home run damaged several seats "in consecutive rows".
In 1988, an arbitrator ruled that baseball team owners hadcolluded against the players in an effort to stem free agency. He granted several players, including Gibson, immediate free agency. Gibson signed with theLos Angeles Dodgers.[14]
Gibson joined theDodgers in 1988, and immediately brought a winning attitude after a publicized blow-up when pitcherJesse Orosco put shoe black in his cap during a spring training prank. Gibson openly criticized the team, which had finished fourth in theNL West the previous season, for its unprofessionalism. He became the team'sde facto leader, and won a controversial NL MVP award after batting .290 with 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, 106 runs, and 31 stolen bases. While he didn't lead the league in any major category, the intensity and leadership he brought to an increasingly successful team likely won him the award over players with more impressive statistics.[9] (MVP runner-upDarryl Strawberry of theNew York Mets, for example, led the NL with 39 home runs that season.)
In the1988 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, Gibson made an improbable catch in left field at a rain-soakedShea Stadium in Game 3. Racing back, he slipped on the wet grass and, while on his way down with his knees on the ground and the rest of his body suspended, reached out and made a full extension catch to save a potentialMookie Wilson double; however, the Dodgers lost the game 8–4. In Game 4, his solo home run in the top of the 12th proved to be the winning hit. In Game 5, he hit a two-out three-run homer in the fifth; the Dodgers ended up winning the game 7–4. Nonetheless, his LCS heroics served as but a prelude to the career-defining moment that awaited him in the subsequent World Series.
Gibson is perhaps best known for his one and only plate appearance in the1988 World Series against theOakland Athletics. Having injured both legs during the NLCS, Gibson was not expected to play at all. In Game 1, however, with the Dodgers trailing by a score of 4–3,Mike Davis on first base, and two out in the ninth inning, managerTommy Lasorda unexpectedly inserted his hobbled league MVP as apinch hitter. Gibson, limping back and forth between a pulled left hamstring and a swollen right knee, made his way to the plate to face Oakland's futureHall of FamecloserDennis Eckersley. Gibson quickly got behind in the count 0–2, but laid off of a pair of outside pitches that were called balls. He then kept the count at 2–2 byfouling off a pitch. On the seventh pitch of his at-bat, a ball, Davis stole second. With an awkward, almost casual swing, Gibson used pure upper-body strength—and according to Gibson, advanced scouting-based knowledge of what the pitcher would likely throw with that count—to smack a 3–2backdoorslider over the right-field fence. He hobbled around the bases and pumped his right fist as his jubilant teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4, and won the World Series, four games to one.
In 1991, Gibson signed as afree agent with theKansas City Royals, and then in 1992 he was traded to thePittsburgh Pirates forNeal Heaton. He retired from baseball temporarily, after being released by the Pirates on May 5, 1992. A month later, Gibson got an offer to return to Detroit—not with the Tigers, but to play football again, with theArena Football League'sDetroit Drive; he declined the offer.[15] The following spring,Sparky Anderson convinced him to return to baseball. He spent the final three years of his career (1993–1995) back with the Tigers, including a renaissance season in 1994 when he hit 23 home runs in 98 games before thestrike ended the season.
In 1,635 games over 17 seasons, Gibson posted a .268batting average (1,553 for 5,798) with 985runs, 260doubles, 54triples, 255home runs, 870RBI, 284stolen bases, 718bases on balls, a .352on-base percentage and a .463slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .976fielding percentage while playing at all three outfield positions. In 21 postseason games, he batted .282 (22 for 78) with 13 runs, two doubles, seven home runs, 21 RBI, nine stolen bases and 12 walks.[16]
Gibson was aDetroit Tigers television analyst onFSN Detroit for five seasons, from 1998 to 2002.
On February 10, 2015, it was announced that Gibson would return as a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers onFox Sports Detroit, along with former teammateJack Morris.[17]
On January 28, 2019, Gibson was named a special assistant for the Detroit Tigers.[18]
In 2003, he was named the Tigers'bench coach by new Tigers manager and former Tigers teammateAlan Trammell. He served in that position until the midway point of the 2005 season when he was moved from bench coach to hitting coach, swapping positions withBruce Fields. As of the start of the2007 Major League Baseball season, Gibson became the newArizona Diamondbacks bench coach.
Gibson had worn #23 as a player in both football at Michigan State and baseball throughout his career. However, while coaching for the Tigers, he wore #22 after #23 was retired forWillie Horton. Gibson wore #23 as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On July 1, 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks firedA. J. Hinch as manager and promoted Gibson from his position as bench coach to interim manager.[19] Shortly after the season, Gibson was named permanent manager and given a two-year contract.[20] In his first full year as manager, Gibson led the Diamondbacks to their first N.L. West title since 2007, when most sports writers expected them to be in last place for the third time in a row. He was namedNL Manager of the Year on November 16, 2011. On September 26, 2014, theArizona Diamondbacks fired Gibson, ending his four-year tenure with the team.[21] He finished his Diamondbacks career with a 353–375 regular season and 2–3 post–season record.[22]
| Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | Win % | W | L | Win % | |||
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 2010 | 2014 | 353 | 375 | .485 | 2 | 3 | .400 |
| Total | 353 | 375 | .485 | 2 | 3 | .400 | ||
| Reference:[22] | ||||||||
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Gibson married JoAnn Sklarski on December 22, 1985, in a double ceremony where Tiger pitcherDave Rozema married JoAnn's sister Sandy. They were married atGrosse Pointe Memorial Church inGrosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The Gibsons reside inGrosse Pointe, Michigan, and have four children: Colleen, Cam, Kirk, and Kevin.[23] Gibson's son Cam was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round, 160th overall, in the2015 Major League Baseball draft.[24] His son Kevin is a defenseman for theFort Wayne Komets in the ECHL.
Gibson set an aviation record in 1987.[25] He flew aCessna 206 to a height of 25,200 feet inLakeland, Florida.[26] The record was certified by theNational Aeronautic Association.[27]
He was nominated for induction into theCollege Football Hall of Fame multiple times before being elected in 2017.[7][28][29]
Gibson is an avid deer hunter. He and former teammateDavid Wells, along with former MLB pitcherJake Peavy, own a 1,300-acre hunting ranch nearMillersburg, Michigan, which they named the "Buck Falls Ranch".[30]
On April 28, 2015, it was announced that Gibson had been diagnosed withParkinson's disease.[31][32]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Detroit Tigers hitting coach 2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach 2007–2010 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
