Gibby and Rick
Going through my flickr(tm) pics, I came across this one.
Michigan native Kirk Gibson burst upon the scene in Detroit in late '79. He was a raw rookie, but the Tigers manager (Sparky Anderson) was high on him -- comparing him to Mickey Mantle at times.
Gibby had an up-and-down career. He had a memorable home run off of Rich "Goose" Gossage that solidified the '84 World Series Championship for the Tigers (from here on out referred to as "Swing 1.")
Four years later, as a Dodger (ouch!), Gibby had one at bat, one hit, and one home run in the Series for the Champion Dodgers. His pinch hit home run off of ace releiver Dennis Eckersley ("Swing 2") helped motivate and propel the Los Angeles baseball club the the Championship.
He played sparingly for the Pirates and Royals before returning to Detroit in '93. His Pirate and Kansas City experiences were not positives for him. I remember hearing about his weathered relationship with Royal manager Hal McRae. Gibson later coached for the Tigers and broadcast some games for Fox Sports Net.
Gibby is a local sports icon in Michigan. He was a high school star at Waterford Kettering, a football star for Michigan State Univeristy, and a hero to many kids after his homers in the '84 Series.
Meeting him was quite an experience!
Michigan native Kirk Gibson burst upon the scene in Detroit in late '79. He was a raw rookie, but the Tigers manager (Sparky Anderson) was high on him -- comparing him to Mickey Mantle at times.
Gibby had an up-and-down career. He had a memorable home run off of Rich "Goose" Gossage that solidified the '84 World Series Championship for the Tigers (from here on out referred to as "Swing 1.")
Four years later, as a Dodger (ouch!), Gibby had one at bat, one hit, and one home run in the Series for the Champion Dodgers. His pinch hit home run off of ace releiver Dennis Eckersley ("Swing 2") helped motivate and propel the Los Angeles baseball club the the Championship.
He played sparingly for the Pirates and Royals before returning to Detroit in '93. His Pirate and Kansas City experiences were not positives for him. I remember hearing about his weathered relationship with Royal manager Hal McRae. Gibson later coached for the Tigers and broadcast some games for Fox Sports Net.
Gibby is a local sports icon in Michigan. He was a high school star at Waterford Kettering, a football star for Michigan State Univeristy, and a hero to many kids after his homers in the '84 Series.
Meeting him was quite an experience!
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