Auto writer ‘ threw curve’ at baseball great Gibson
The death last week of Bob Gibson brought back memories of a column I wrote 20 years ago after a conversation with the famed fireballing pitcher. I met him at a ‘ waxing’ of his hand in preparation for a bronze sculpture by Denver artist Raelee Frazier in September 2000. Excerpts: While waiting to talk with him,
I wondered, ‘ What shall I ask of
Bob Gibson?’
Gibson, of course, is considered, along with Bob Feller, as the greatest righthanded pitcher ever. He was the most feared pitcher in baseball in the 1960s with the
St. Louis Cardinals.
The Hall of Famer was at The Yard Baseball Academy in Englewood for the beginning tasks of the eventual sculpting of his right hand , with a baseball, into a bronze casting by local sculptor Raelee Frazier. Everyone who was visiting with Gibson, it seemed, was asking him something about baseball. I trusted my instincts from many years in newspapering to avoid asking him something he’d already answered. I saw an opening, walked up to the great athlete, and said, “So, Bob, what kind of car do you drive?” He smiled at the deviation, and said he drives a Suburban.
Told that I was a Denver automotive reviewer, Gibson said,
“I’ve always been interested in cars.
I own a ’ 56 Thunderbird and a ’ 72 BMW, and have bought and sold lots of classic cars.
“My last four personal- use cars have been Suburbans, both Chevy and GMC; I like them because I can haul a 4- by- 8 sheet of plywood in the back, and I do lots of improvements around my place,” at Bellevue near Omaha.
I’ll remember baseballer Gibson for his talk about cars. That, and the baseball he autographed for me.
Camry, RAV4, F- series and Pacifica lead sales
U. S. auto sales showed improved indications in September of rebounding from the coronavirus shutdowns in the spring. Sales declined 9.5 percent in the third quarter, while for the year through September are down 18 percent.
The 2020 Toyota Camry TRD model.
Bud Wells points to waxed hand of Bob Gibson in September 2000 photo.
Following are best- sellers for the first nine months of 2020:
CARS
Toyota Camry Honda Civic Toyota Corolla Honda Accord Tesla Model 3 Nissan Altima Ford Fusion Hyundai Elantra Chev Malibu Nissan Sentra ( Bud Wells photo)
204,945 200,941 166,213 145,291 128,000 97,082 90,664 75,103 73,339 69,873
Toyota RAV4
Honda CR- V
Chev Equinox
Nissan Rogue
Ford Explorer
Jeep Grand Cherokee Jeep Wrangler
Toyota Highlander Subaru Forester Subaru Outback Mazda CX- 5
TRUCKS
Ford F- series Chev Silverado Ram
GMC Sierra Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tundra Ford Ranger Chev Colorado
MINIVANS
Chrysler Pacifica Honda Odyssey Dodge Grand Caravan Toyota Sienna
Kia Sedona
302,574 237,334 191,727 167,401 160,209 152,856 150,202 141,301 134,802 106,346 104,277