Happy birthday to the Hall of Famin', Harlem Globetrottin' Bob Gibson

Today is Bob Gibson's 78th birthday. In honor of one of the fiercest competitors baseball has ever seen, let's review some of his career accomplishments.

Gibby spent 17 years (1959-1975) as a St. Louis Cardinal, winning two Cy Youngs, two World Series MVPs, nine Gold Gloves and nine All-Star selections. He was more or less the reason why 1968 was dubbed "The Year of the Pitcher," posting a 22-9 record, a 1.12 ERA, 13 shutouts, 268 strikeouts and this memorable performance in Game 1 of the World Series:

Along with being an incredible pitcher and fielder, Gibson could also hit. The righty compiled a .206 career batting average with 24 homers and 144 RBIs. And yes, he could do it in the clutch:

While he ended up being a Hall of Fame baseball player with 251 wins and a lifetime 2.91 ERA, Gibson's first bout of success actually came on the hardwood. The Nebraska native was accepted to Creighton on a basketball scholarship, averaging 22 points per game over a four-year stint. And before signing with the Cards in the late-1950s, Gibson played one season as "Bullet" for a little semi-pro team up in Harlem:

Happy birthday, Mr. Gibson. Here's to many more.