From the S&S archives: Gibson: Having a black manager in majors 'way overdue'

WIESBADEN — It can never be said that Bob Gibson has ever tried to fool the public or the press. The only people he makes fools of are the batters.

Gibson is as straight forward as his fast ball is fast. He puts things in their proper perspective and if he veers to the right or left he makes his point with subtle logic.

Gibson's name is as synonymous with St. Louis as is the Cardinal insignia. Here to assist at the 1972 USAFE Baseball Clinic, Gibson opened up on such subjects as: black managers, the Cardinal pennant chances, his retirement, the Hall of Fame and life in general.

Gibson is no militant, but he didn't say he was or wasn't because he wasn't asked. Unlike many ball players of yore, Gibson is articulate. His conversation isn't constantly minced with abusive language.

Never before has Gibson ever been asked to expound on the pros and cons of a black man managing a major league team. Actually, pros and cons shouldn't come into it at all.

Gibson is in complete affirmative that the black man should be given a chance, but he pities the first man that lands the job.

"Having a black manager in the majors — it is way overdue," says Gibson. "When it will come about, who knows?

"I can only surmise a bunch of things, and they will not necessarily come true.

"Whenever it happens, the person who gets the job is going to have to take a lot of abuse, he will be criticized heavily and he must produce a winner quickly or he will be fired."

What about Gibson managing?

"I would like to try my hand at managing, but I don't know if I could take all the abuse that comes with it," says Gibson. "I have all the ideas about what is right and wrong, but if they can't accept me at all, then I am not their man."

"If I become a manager I want it to be with a major league team," he continued. "I don't want to have to go to the minors for three years as an apprentice."

"It's funny how they talk about a black man managing, but nothing is ever done about it.

"And the men they talk about are Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Banks, you know, the superstars. Why don't they get blacks who are not superstars. There are white managers who get to the majors who you never heard of." Gibson was talking about Baltimore's Earl Weaver, Milwaukee's Dave Bristol and even Los Angeles' Walter Alston.

''They can't expect a superstar to go to the minors for three or four years as a manager and earn $10,000 to $15,000 a year after he earned $100,000 as a player.

"And who says a superstar will make a good manager?" Gibson asked. "A black man should be given a chance now to manage in the majors, and I don't care who he is."

What about Los Angeles coach Junior Gilliam?

"You'll have to ask him," said Gibson. "I don't know him. I have heard that (Maury) Wills wants to manage. But you'll have to ask him, too."

Cleveland passed up a chance to hire a black manager this past season and people nowadays speculate when and where about the first one. Many say Chicago will pick Ernie Banks after this season. Gibson doesn't like to — won't speculate.

Gibson said that if he had come along at the same time as Jackie Robinson did that he (Gibson) couldn't have taken the abuse Robinson took. "I admire him for what he did and the first black manager will have to go through the same sort of treatment."

"I have no goal in life or a major goal, for that matter," says Gibson.

Told about National League umpire Bill Gorman, who is also at the USAFE clinic, saying that he was a cinch for the Hall of Fame, Gibson said: "If I make it, OK, if I don't, I won't be disappointed."

"My only concern is winning 20 games every year as long as I play."

Gibson took exception to a recent article that mentioned that he had a so-so season with a 16-13 record and a 3.04 earned-run average last year. "Man, I had a hell of a year. Remember, I was out a month with a groin injury and a 3.04 ERA in the National League is damn good."

"I led the team in every statistic except in the win column," Gibson countered.

What about this year's National League race?

"We are going to win the pennant," Gibson said flatly, confident as if he were Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder.

"We are the same club as we were last year," said Gibby. "No new faces."

Questioned about how many remain from the 1968 world's champion club, Gibson reeled off four names, "Javier, Maxvill, Brock and myself."

How does he feel about breakup of a championship team? "That is the way it goes. I like those guys, but I am more concerned with me and baseball is my living. I have to make it (money) while I can."

How long will he continue to play, to 43 like Warren Spahn or 48 like Hoyt Wilhelm? "No, never.

"I could play until 43, but I am not going to," said the 36-year-old native of Omaha, Neb. "I only want to go a couple of more years and then I want to take my money, invest it, and sit on my ... "

"Baseball's not fun, it's a job. I have been doing it for 15 years and it gets to be a drag. Overall I have been playing it every year for 26 years."

Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst said during the clinic last year that Gibson was the hardest worker on the team.

On Schoendienst's statement, the 6-1 Gibson didn't nod. "I work hard," he said simply. "I am 192 pounds now and my playing weight during the season is 199."

How does he feel at 36? "You don't get stronger at this age. My peak year for strength was 32."

Gibson wouldn't discuss if he was a $100,000 player again. "I never discuss my salary with anyone. How would you like me to ask how much you make?" he asked. Gibson was told it would be embarrassing.

Gibson is never concerned with records or the like. "I never intend to try to break any because I don't keep track of them," he said. What about the 17 strikeouts in the 1968 Series?

"I didn't know about it until the crowd started yelling and (Tim) McCarver pointed to the scoreboard," Gibson said.

Gibson's future is in broadcasting. Remember, he teamed with Los Angeles Dodger announcer Vin Scully on the National League playoffs last year and received national acclaim for his poise, candid appraisal and technical knowledge put in layman's terms.

Gibson admits he is not ready to do play-by-play. He would like to work with Scully, whom he says is the best, again.

"That's too far in the future. I don't know what I want to do tomorrow."

Presently Gibson is doing color for the New York Nets every Sunday over New York station WPIX, teaming with Marty Glickman, whom he worked with for two years on college basketball over the same station in 1969 and 1970.

"The Nets play all of their Sunday games on the road," he said.

This is Gibson's sixth year of broadcasting and he likes it.

Nine hours short of receiving a degree from Creighton University, where he played basketball from 1954-1957, Gibson says he'll never get it. "It's not important anymore."

"My family comes first. I have two daughters. There's Renee, she's 14; Annette, she's 12, and my wife, Charline, she's 21," he said, laughingly.

His entire 12 years in the majors have been spent with the Cards. "They are No. 1 to me. I can't imagine an organization being as nice to me as they have."

When he tossed a no-hitter last year, St. Louis sports writer Jack Herman wrote that Gibson will receive the standard $2,500 given for such a feat. The Cardinal fans flooded the front office with letters demanding something different.

Gibson wears it on his finger, a gold ring studded with 26 diamonds in the form of 45, the number of his jersey. His wife was given a matching brooch, but only bigger.

The ring is flashy and stunning, but Gibson would prefer another 20-win season.

After an 18-minute chat with Bob Gibson, you leave knowing that he will win 20 in 1972.