I have no idea why…I didn’t change a thing…but your comments are working for me again. You were right — a week seems to be the magic number.

Hey, we were almost neighbors…I grew up in OH.

AH, I remember this SO well……..

Love ya’

MOM

Actual review of Kirk Gibson’s autobiography, “Bottom of the Ninth” on Amazon.com:

http://tinyurl.com/d85xu

A terrible book by a HUGE egomaniac, January 7, 1999

This is easily one of the worst baseball books I have ever read. Gibson’s arrogance is cleverly kept from the reader by his ghostwriter. Trust me, I have met Gibson several times and he is not the person he would like you to think he is. In fact Gibson is the total opposite, and the decision to make the book oversized was probably his so he could cheat whatever fans he has out of a few extra dollars.

Not nearly as heartbreaking, but when I was about 7 I wrote a long, hearfelt letter to the Oakland A’s Ricky Henderson telling how he was my hero, how much I looked up to him, how I wanted to grow up to be a great baseball player just like him etc., etc. Never heard back. Not even a form letter.

Aw, that sucks. What brought this to mind?

I was reading an article about baseball and just thought of Gibson. What an asshole.

What a punk!!!

Wow, that sucks. What a dickweed. I was a Tigers fan too and got his autograph on a baseball at a function (where he was most likely paid), but after hearing that story, I’m now not so bummed out that I ended up losing that ball.

He sounds like a real asshole, and I’ve also heard that he’s quite the racist too. Idiot.

Yeah! Another Detroit ex-pat with Tiger memories. Remember the iron-on patch that they gave away in the Free Press? Loved it. Sorry about Gibson…something similar happened to me with Kim “Tootie” Fields when I was 8. I will never be able to watch Facts of Life again.

I had the exact same thing happen, sort of, (the same, but different!) with Reggie Jackson, my boyhood idol.

Oddly, my dad had had an unpleasant experience with him a number of years earlier. So I was able to cheer myself up by calling Dad right from the car and saying, “Hey, Dad. I met Reggie. Jackson! And you’re right. He *is* an asshole!”

I watched then-Detroit-Tiger Kirk Gibson shagging fly balls while on a visit to the Fenway back in ‘86. Yup, kids were asking him for an autograph and he wasn’t even so much as turning their way. I too thought, “what a jerk” but you know what? I’m a Dodger fan, or I was until they traded away Mike Piazza to the Marlins. Anyway, Kirk is largely responsible for the greatest memory in my sports life– the Dodgers winning the ‘88 World Title. My other two favorite teams? The Buffalo Bills (football) and the Buffalo Sabres (hockey) who are a combined 0-6 in World Title matches.

I look at Kirk as I looked at the Dodgers that year– part of a team, and though I never really cared for him as a person, he was a heck of a talent to have on the team I rooted for.

I wouldn’t hate anyone based on their arrogance– rather I would hate myself for glamourizing and idolizing a normal everyday person off the field, expecting him to be some sort of knight in shining armor, because that is what we all do. And really now, if he was such a totally bad guy his teammates would have hated him and rebelled against him (like Barry Bonds) but no, he was a important member of TWO World Title teams and his intensity rubbed off on many mediocre players and rwasied their games to amazing heights. Take a look at the Dodgers starting 9 in game 5 of the ‘88 series. Everone but two guys were journeymen or guys who dropped off the face of the earth a few years later.

Anyway, my grandfaher used to worship Humphrey Bogart and his “look” until the day he saw a picture of him on his yacht, shirt off, caved-in chest bare, bald and with crooked and discolored teeth. Casablanca was never viewed the same again….

Yup, reality can be a real pisser sometimes.

I grew up in Toledo Ohio watching the Mud Hens the AAA farm team for the Detroit Tigers. Back in the day the Mud Hens and Tigers(and i wish they still did) played a friendly game for the fans each year. I was a lil squirt at the time. I saw Gibson standing signing autographs surrounded by a swarm of fans. I thought no way im gonna make my way throught all those grown ups. So what i did, got my Gibson card and pen got on my hands and knees and cralled untill i saw cleats. I rose up to see my all time baseball idol Kirk Gibson. I looked at him smiled he gave me a smirk and sign my card without hessatation. So I say ya know what not every sought after baseball player can sign everyones card. I just said maybe next year i’ll get his. And ya know what i always did. Damn its good to see the Tigers back!

That sucks. It make me sad that sports stars are held in such high esteem and then we hear they are @$$#013$, or do drugs, or cheat on their wives and girlfriends, or gamble.

When I was in elementary school our teacher encouraged us to write letters to our favorite authors. I wrote to Judy Blume and Stephen King (yes Stephen King in 4th grade!) I received a pre-printed Judy Blume booklet that she sent in response to all fan mail. King’s responsed was similar, only in postcard form. Both had the typical “Thanks for being a fan… unfortunately I cannot answer all my mail, otherwise I could never write any more books, etc.” But King’s had a typed P.S. saying “For a kid of only 9, you seem to be reading a lot of books. Thanks for making them mine!”

I wish I could find that goddamned postcard!

Oh, and fuck Kirk Gibson!

Whatever you think of the man, he was author of one of the most exciting moments in sports ever. Read about it in my poem.

I recently heard from a player who played against him in the ‘88 Series. He said that that among the players of his day, Gibson was roundly disliked. Gibson never had a nice thing to say to anyone; he wouldn’t even acknowledge other players. While the other players were really competitive, they respected each other and appreciated that they were playing in the greatest game there was and is, the Show. They were also for the most part true sportsmen and generally really good guys. I was told Gibson was mean-spirited and combative to the point that no one wanted to be around him. In that way, he was embarrassment to the game. It’s really a shame that he was part of a magical moment in baseball lore. He didn’t deserve it!

I knew gibby in high school. Punk asshole.
His father was my driver ed teacher. Just an asshole.
gibby was a cokehead with the Tigers.

Certainly not a hero, just a fuckin zero.

I had to smile when I read this.. brings back memories… I loved Bob Probert of the RedWings and one night at the Joe my dad took me to meet him and get his autograph… he looked me straight in the eye and said no… I was a 13 yr old girl.

He was not the last man to disapoint me… but I was not a fan of his after that!

Kirk Gibson is known for his rude bitterness toward humans. (and some small animals I am sure)