Cardinals’ Gibson steps in for Brock at film premiere
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Lou Brock has been pulled from Saturday’s lineup, but he’s got a great reliever.
Legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson will attend the dedication of a plaque marking the inclusion of Jay Hanna “Dizzy” and Paul “Daffy” Dean in the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail at 9: 30 a. m. Saturday. He will then participate at 10 a. m. in the world premiere of “The First Boys of Spring,” a documentary film chronicling the history of Hot Springs as “The Birthplace of Spring Baseball.”
Gibson stepped up Thursday when Brock informed Visit Hot Springs that he had to step aside for a family emergency.
“Lou Brock just notified us late ( Wednesday) night that he wasn’t able to make it and he just feels terrible about it — he was so excited to be here,” said CEO of Visit Hot Springs Steve Arrison. “But he told us he had reached out to Bob ( Gibson) to fill in for him. They were great teammates, and Bob’s actually got a new book that just came out two days ago.
“Both are legendary in the sport and he’s got to be one of the top pitchers in the history of the game. We hope to have Lou down soon, but we’re glad to have another legend in his place.”
Gibson’s book, “Pitch by Pitch,” documents his historic 1968 World Series game in which he struck out 17 Detroit Tigers, and Arrison said he is sure the athlete will be glad to discuss the book during his two appearances in Hot Springs.
Gibson played 17 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959- 1975, part of that time as a teammate of Brock.
Nicknamed “Gibby” and “Hoot,” Gibson tallied 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts and a 2.91 earned run average during his career. The nine- time All- Star and twotime World Series champion won two Cy Young Awards and was the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player.
In 1981, Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Cardinals retired his uniform No. 45 in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Nothing about the day will change, we’re just substituting one great Cardinal for another,” Arrison said. “I don’t think anyone in Cardinal Nation will be upset about it.”
The plaque dedication will be attended by all of the baseball historians who helped create the Baseball Trail — Bill Jenkinson, Tim Reid, Don Duren, Mike Dugan and Mark Blaeuer. In addition to Gibson, other special guests will be Sandy Dean and Dorothy Patrick, the son and daughter of Paul “Daffy” Dean.
Immediately following the plaque dedication, those attending can adjourn to the Hot Springs Convention Center to attend the world premiere of the documentary by Emmy Award- winning filmmaker Foley that details the history of baseball spring training in Hot Springs. There will be a panel discussion immediately following the premiere showing featuring Jenkinson, Reid, Duren, Dugan and Blaeuer, moderated by Foley.