When I was 10 I played Little League for the first time. My team was named the Cardinals and I pitched. Turns out the real Cardinals were playing the Yankees in the World Series and were led by a pitcher, Bob Gibson. They won and he became my guy.
Cut ahead to years later and I'm the weatherman on CBS and I would point to Omaha where he was from and say things like, "Today in Omaha, home of the best big game pitcher Bob Gibson, it's going to be sunny today." I'd say things like that all the time because, well, I could; and wondered if Bob ever heard me.
I read where he had published a new autobiography and begged my Executive Producer to let me go to Omaha to interview him and he said yes. Talk about a kid in a candy store, I was so excited. I flew there and Bob agreed to come to the hotel to pick me up and take me to his house to meet his family and have dinner.
Right out of a movie.
He arrived driving a black Mercedes with a license plate that read BG1. Very cool. We drove, he behind the wheel and me trying not to scream. I couldn't believe I was in the car with him. He was so nice. He said a friend said to him, "This weatherman talks about you all the time. You should check him out." And that's how he knew about me. I met his wife Wendy, his son Chris and even his mother in law.
And thus began our friendship.
Over the years he's been to my apartment in Manhattan and my home in Orlando. Story...you know I have twins and one of them is Miles Gibson for Bob. When I told him that my unborn son's middle name was going to be Gibson he twinkled and said with a smile, "You don't like Bob Gibson McEwen?' Too funny.
And get this, his dear friend was baseball great Joe Torre. I met Joe through him. They became great friends when Joe played with Bob. I asked him once was it tough being in New York after beating the Yankees. He said no. Walking the streets people stopped him all the time to shake his hand.
So many memories...playing in his celebrity golf tournaments, sitting with Wendy, Chris, and Bob at the main table at the big gala that evening. I met Sandy Koufax, Ed 'Too Tall' Jones, Vida Blue, Bob Costas, and many more at those functions. Watching the football Giants on the tube and Bob calling my place "a great bachelor's pad." Going out to dinner with Wendy and him. Again, trying not to scream.
Great memories.
I'm a lucky guy. I got to meet and hang with my hero. They say sometimes you meet your heroes and they are not very nice or don't live up to your expectations. They say you shouldn't meet them. In my case Bob was everything and more.
I had just woken up and began reading the paper on my iPad in bed when I saw the news. It made me stop and gasp. You know the old saying, "Father Time is undefeated." But still. You never get used to hearing it, what you get used to is never getting used to it.
My heart goes out to Wendy and Chris.
Bob Gibson. A great pitcher a great man. May he Rest In Peace.
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