Early life and collegiate career Gibson was born in
Pontiac, Michigan, on May 28, 1957, and grew up in nearby
Waterford. Gibson 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. Gibson led the Spartans to a tie for the
Big Ten Conference title, setting school and conference receiving records, starring in the
Hula Bowl and
Senior Bowl, and making several All-America teams. For his accomplishments on the football field, Gibson was elected to the
College Football Hall of Fame in January 2017. At the suggestion of Spartan football coach
Darryl Rogers, Gibson played
college baseball for the
Michigan State Spartans baseball team. Gibson played only one year of college baseball, and
batted .390 with 16
home runs and 52
runs batted in (RBIs) in 48 games.
Detroit Tigers The
Detroit Tigers selected Gibson in the first round of the
1978 Major League Baseball draft and the
St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the seventh round of the
1979 NFL 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 by two games over the
Blue Jays in an enthralling divisional race. However, Detroit lost the
1987 American League Championship Series to the eventual
World Champion Twins. Early in his career, Gibson was proclaimed by manager
Sparky Anderson to be the next
Mickey Mantle. Anderson later apologized and said that probably put too much pressure on a young and inexperienced Gibson. Nevertheless, Gibson was considered a versatile power/speed player in the 1980s who was able to hit
home runs as well as
steal bases. He finished in the top 10 in home runs 3 times in his career and ranked in the top 10 in stolen bases four times. He fell one home run short of becoming the first Tiger in the
30–30 club in 1985. 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, one of the game's premier relievers, with Detroit up 5–4 and runners on second and third with one out. An intentional (or at least semi-intentional) walk seemed to be in order, especially because Gibson had already homered earlier in the game. However, Gossage told San Diego manager
Dick Williams he thought he could strike him out. Indeed, Gossage had struck out Gibson in his very first Major League at-bat in 1979 on three pitches, and Gibson had only managed one bunt-single against Gossage in 10 previous plate appearances. When asked about Gibson, Gossage later said he had told teammate
Tim Lollar in the second inning, "I own him." If the Padres could hold the Tigers and score a couple runs in the ninth, they would force the Series back to San Diego and maybe turn the tide. In the
Sounds of the Game video, Detroit manager
Sparky Anderson was seen yelling at Gibson from the dugout, "He don't want to walk you!", showing four fingers and then making a bat-swinging motion, the universal baseball gesture for "swing away." Gibson got the message and 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. During his 2008 Hall of Fame induction speech, Gossage turned to Williams and said with a smile, "I should have walked Gibson." In the
ESPN interview that aired after the induction ceremony, Williams took responsibility for the situation, as he allowed Gossage to talk him into pitching to Gibson. At the same time, Williams ribbed Gossage that Gibson's home run damaged several seats "in consecutive rows".
Los Angeles Dodgers In 1988, an arbitrator ruled that baseball team owners had
colluded against the players in an effort to stem free agency. He granted several players, including Gibson, immediate free agency. Gibson signed with the
Los Angeles Dodgers. Gibson joined the
Dodgers in 1988, and immediately brought a winning attitude after a publicized blow-up when pitcher
Jesse Orosco put shoe black in his cap during a spring training prank. Gibson openly criticized the team, which had finished fourth in the
NL West the previous season, for its unprofessionalism. He became the team's
de facto leader, and won a controversial NL MVP award after batting .290 with 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, 106 runs, and 31 stolen bases. While he didn't lead the league in any major category, the intensity and leadership he brought to an increasingly successful team likely won him the award over players with more impressive statistics. The following spring,
Sparky Anderson convinced him to return to baseball. He spent the final three years of his career (1993–1995) back with the Tigers, including a renaissance season in 1994 when he hit 23 home runs in 98 games before the
strike ended the season.
Career statistics In 1,635 games over 17 seasons, Gibson posted a .268
batting average (1,553 for 5,798) with 985
runs, 260
doubles, 54
triples, 255
home runs, 870
RBI, 284
stolen bases, 718
bases on balls, a .352
on-base percentage and a .463
slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .976
fielding percentage while playing at all three outfield positions. In 21 postseason games, he batted .282 (22 for 78) with 13 runs, two doubles, seven home runs, 21 RBI, nine stolen bases and 12 walks.
Post-playing career Broadcasting Gibson was a
Detroit Tigers television analyst on
FSN Detroit for five seasons, from 1998 to 2002. On February 10, 2015, it was announced that Gibson would return as a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers on
Fox Sports Detroit, along with former teammate
Jack Morris. On January 28, 2019, Gibson was named a special assistant for the Detroit Tigers.
Coaching In 2003, he was named the Tigers'
bench coach by new Tigers manager and former Tigers teammate
Alan Trammell. He served in that position until the midway point of the 2005 season when he was moved from bench coach to hitting coach, swapping positions with
Bruce Fields. As of the start of the
2007 Major League Baseball season, Gibson became the new
Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach. Gibson had worn #23 as a player in both football at Michigan State and baseball throughout his career. However, while coaching for the Tigers, he wore #22 after #23 was retired for
Willie Horton. Gibson wore #23 as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Managerial career Arizona Diamondbacks On July 1, 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks fired
A. J. Hinch as manager and promoted Gibson from his position as bench coach to interim manager. Shortly after the season, Gibson was named permanent manager and given a two-year contract. In his first full year as manager, Gibson led the Diamondbacks to their first N.L. West title since 2007, when most sports writers expected them to be in last place for the third time in a row. He was named
NL Manager of the Year on November 16, 2011. On September 26, 2014, the
Arizona Diamondbacks fired Gibson, ending his four-year tenure with the team. He finished his Diamondbacks career with a 353–375 regular season and 2–3 post–season record.
Managerial record ==Personal life==