Kirk Gibson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gibson was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on May 28, 1957, and grew up in nearby Waterford. He graduated from Waterford Kettering High School in 1975, and attended Michigan State University, where he was an All-American wide receiver for the Michigan State Spartans football team. At the suggestion of Spartan football coach Darryl Rogers, Gibson played college baseball for the Michigan State Spartans baseball team. He played only one year of college baseball, and batted .390 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs in 48 games. The Detroit Tigers selected Gibson in the first round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft. He chose to sign with his hometown Tigers. Gibson made his major league debut in 1979 and played as the regular right fielder for the Tigers from 1983 to 1987. He helped the Tigers win the 1984 World Series. He became a free agent after the 1985 season but received no significant offers because of what was later determined to be collusion among the owners of MLB teams. He re-signed with the Tigers and in 1987, helped them to win the American League East. However, Detroit lost the 1987 American League Championship Series to the eventual World Champion Twins. In 1988, an arbitrator ruled that baseball team owners had colluded against the players, granting Gibson immediate free agency. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gibson won the National League MVP in 1988. In 1991, Gibson signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals, and then in 1992 he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Neal Heaton. He retired from baseball temporarily, after being released by the Pirates on May 5, 1992. Following his retirement as a player, he spent five seasons as a television analyst in Detroit and then became a coach for the Tigers in 2003. He became the Diamondbacks' bench coach in 2007 and was promoted to interim manager in 2010. On October 4, 2010, the Diamondbacks named Gibson their manager for the 2011 season. He served as the Diamondbacks' manager until September 26, 2014. Gibson returned to the broadcast booth in 2015 as a part-time commentator for Tigers TV broadcasts, and was named a regular television analyst for the Tigers in 2019.

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere at Tiger Stadium shifted whenever Kirk Gibson stepped to the plate during those final years. He was no longer the fleet-footed outfielder of the 80s, but a man playing through significant pain. In 1988, he had limped around the bases after a pinch-hit walk-off against Dennis Eckersley, fueled by an 0-2 count and pure upper-body strength. That same resilience defined his return to Detroit. Fans watched with bittersweet admiration as he adjusted his helmet, knowing the knee throbbed with every step toward first base. The dugout held memories of Sparky Anderson's famous gesture—four fingers then a swing motion—urging Gibson to attack pitchers like Gossage who refused to walk him. Now, those same fans cheered for a player whose career was winding down but whose heart remained as fierce as the day he hit two dramatic World Series home runs against future Hall of Famers.

Reader's Guide

Gibson was known for hitting clutch home runs. In the eighth inning of Game 5 of the 1984 World Series between the Tigers and Padres, he faced Goose Gossage with Detroit up 5–4 and runners on second and third with one out. Gibson launched Gossage's 1–0 fastball deep into Tiger Stadium's right field upper deck for a three-run homer, icing the game and the Series for the Tigers. In the 1988 World Series, Gibson is perhaps best known for his one and only plate appearance. Having injured both legs during the NLCS, Gibson was not expected to play at all. In Game 1, with the Dodgers trailing 4–3, Mike Davis on first base, and two out in the ninth inning, manager Tommy Lasorda inserted his hobbled league MVP as a pinch hitter. Gibson faced Oakland's future Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley. On the seventh pitch, a 3–2 backdoor slider, Gibson smacked it over the right-field fence for a walk-off home run. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4, and won the World Series, four games to one.

Did You Know?

• Gibson was named to the All-Star team twice as a reserve, in 1985 and 1988, but declined the invitation both times.
• Gibson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in January 2017.
• Gibson fell one home run short of becoming the first Tiger in the 30–30 club in 1985.