NEWSWEEK: Did you develop your level of intensity or was it something you were born with?
Bob Gibson: Pretty much from the time I was a kid, I’ve been very intense. I never had peaks and valleys. I was always on the same line. I was intense, and today I’m still intense, and I don’t even play.
How does it come out now? Do you play golf?
Oh I try to play golf. Golf pisses me off. I don’t play it that much.
Were you ever satisfied with what you accomplished in the major leagues?
No, I always thought I could do better. I should’ve done better. And I don’t think you ever let it go.
Is that what that separates certain athletes from the rest?
Yes. I believe you have to be fortunate enough to have that within you. Because you’ll find a million athletes that have the same ability, but the ones that have the extra level of intensity-those are the ones who everybody calls superstars. The guy who said, “It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game”-he was full of s- -t. Winning is what it’s all about. There is a satisfaction you get from winning that you get from no other thing in life. Winning. Heck, I bet Warren Buffett feels the same way. He’s got trillions of dollars, and he always wants some more. It’s the same type of intensity.
When did you realize you had a much greater thirst for winning than the athletes around you?
When I was a junior in high school, our basketball team went to the state tournament. We had a big team, and we got beat by a team that averaged 5 foot 10. We all fouled out in the first half. I sat on the bench and cried the entire game. I had a feeling inside me that almost made me sick. And I never wanted to feel that way again.
What about intimidation? How important was that to your game?
The intimidation thing didn’t come from me. It was in the eye of the beholder. People built up all of this stuff, and they came up with this ogre-type image. Hitters thought I was an ogre. And it worked great. Because if I had known I intimidated people the way I did, I would’ve been even uglier. I swear I wasn’t that aware of it. After I retired and got older and heard all these stories, I was like, “Damn, I didn’t know they felt like that. I wish I had known.”
Did you have habits on the mound that you later found out were intimidating?
Well, I was a fast worker. That was just part of my personality. Hitters thought I was trying to rush them and that it was my intent to throw the ball before they were ready. So they were constantly stepping out [of the batter’s box], which really pissed me off. But I had no intentions of using that as an intimidating thing. Like I said, it was in the eye of the beholder. It had nothing to do with me. It was their problem. All I knew was I’d get aggravated when they’d step out. I’d think, “What the hell is wrong with him?” I didn’t realize I was rushing ’em that much. I figured if I had enough time to throw it, they’ve got enough time to get in there and hit. Staring the hitter down-that was another good one. I never tried to stare a hitter down. I was just trying to see the signs from the catcher. I wore glasses from the time I was 18 years old, and I just didn’t see the signs that well. That became me staring hitters down. Which was fine. Boy, it worked.
Were there times in your career where you knew you had a mental advantage over a hitter?
I felt like I had a mental advantage over every hitter I faced. You go out there with the idea that you’re gonna pitch a no-hitter. Then after the first hit you give up, you say, “Fine. They’re not gonna get another one.” And after the 10th hit, you say, “Fine, they’re not gonna get the 11th.” That’s the way I had to look at it.
Even if intimidation wasn’t conscious, did you feel it churning inside of you-a dislike for the other guy, a desire to scare him?
I hated hitters. I hated every hitter I ever faced. So here’s something I did make a point of doing: I would not fraternize with guys on the other team or at All-Star Games. I would just stand off by myself. Especially if they were hitters. Pitchers, I might stand and talk to a little while. But not too long. And if they were hitters, hell, I wouldn’t even talk to ’em in the shower. I’d try to get out of there as fast as I could. I believed strongly in that. People have a tendency to be leery of people they don’t know. When people get to know you, they get more comfortable with you. And then they get more comfortable against you.
People must’ve thought you were a jerk, though, and that’s got to be tough. Did you feel like be a jerk sometimes?
No, you don’t feel like it-you just are. That’s just how I’ve been all my life. Being like this is difficult. Sometimes it’s very difficult, but it’s how I am. The day I pitched, I didn’t wanna be bothered. My teammates would get out of my way and go somewhere else. They’d say, “Oh, here comes that a- -hole.” And I was. I was a total a- -hole. Because I wasn’t gonna sit and talk with ’em. I wasn’t gonna chit-chat with ’em. I was thinking about pitching. And I didn’t just do that for the World Series. I did that before every start.
What do you think about Tiger Woods?
He’s the same guy as us. He screams at himself when he misses a putt. He’s getting to the point where he realizes that he can’t win every single time, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try.
Is there anything about Tiger that reminds you of the way you were?
Intensity. He’s intense in every single thing he does on the golf course. And I was like that. Not just when I was pitching. When I hit, I was intense. I used to steal bases. That’s Tiger Woods. That’s who he is. He’s the same guy as us-the will to win.
What about the guys who are great but never managed to win the big one in the postseason?
They don’t have the same will. I’m telling you. They have the ability, but they don’t have the will. Unfortunately, everybody can’t have it. And I was fortunate enough to have it. Reggie Jackson had it. And Tiger Woods has it.
