In 34 starts, Gibson received an average of 3.03 runs per game. In 18 of those games, the Cardinals scored two or fewer runs for Gibson. Of his nine losses, two were by 1-0 scores and another by 3-0. In three of his wins, he had to pitch 10 or more innings and in one of his three no-decisions, he pitched 11 innings.

“When we got into the World Series, “ Gibson said, “Denny McLain (who won 31 games), was there with the (Detroit) Tigers and they were scoring six, seven runs a game for him. I thought about that. How many games could I have won if I had gotten that kind of support?

“It sure as hell would have been a lot easier. Maybe I wouldn’t have got that thing. . . I think they called it a peptic stomach.”

Asked how he treated that, Gibson, replied with a chuckle, “A glass of wine. I didn’t check with the doctors that much.”

Gibson also had revealed he had had a heart issue at about this time in his career.

“We were in Houston and I had cramps in the top of my stomach that hurt so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t know what it was and it lasted half a day. It would start in the front and go all the way to the back. I thought it was indigestion.