Jim Bibby

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jim Bibby

|image=Jim Bibby 1974.jpg

|caption=Bibby in 1974

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1944|10|29}}

|birth_place=Franklinton, North Carolina, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2010|02|16|1944|10|29}}

|death_place=Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 4

|debutyear=1972

|debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 26

|finalyear=1984

|finalteam=Texas Rangers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=111–101

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.76

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=1,079

|teams=

St. Louis Cardinals ({{Baseball year|1972}}–{{Baseball year|1973}})
Texas Rangers ({{Baseball year|1973}}–{{Baseball year|1975}})
Cleveland Indians ({{Baseball year|1975}}–{{Baseball year|1977}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{Baseball year|1978}}–{{Baseball year|1981}}, {{Baseball year|1983}})
Texas Rangers ({{Baseball year|1984}})

|highlights=

All-Star (1980)
World Series champion ({{wsy|1979}})
Pitched a no-hitter on July 30, 1973

}}

James Blair Bibby (October 29, 1944 – February 16, 2010)Morris, Chris [http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/former_major_league_pitcher_jim_bibby_dies_at_65/24181/ "Former Major League pitcher Jim Bibby dies at 65"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20100219112756/http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/former_major_league_pitcher_jim_bibby_dies_at_65/24181/ |date=2010-02-19 }} The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Virginia), Wednesday, February 17, 2010 was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972 to 1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series champions. In 1973, Bibby pitched a no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics. Also, in 1981, as a member of the Pirates, he missed out on a perfect game by just one hit, allowing a lead off single, before retiring the next 26 batters he faced.

Playing career

=New York Mets organization=

Bibby attended Fayetteville State University on a basketball scholarship,Telander, Rick [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604100643/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124257/index.htm "He's Not Hot Stuff, He's My Brother"] Sports Illustrated, March 2, 1981 and also pitched for its varsity baseball team.Batten, Sammy [http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2010/02/17/977143 "Former FSU, major-league pitcher Bibby dies at 65"] The Fayetteville (NC) Observer, Thursday, February 18, 2010 His professional career began when he was signed by the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent after his junior year on July 19, 1965.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bibbyji01.shtml Jim Bibby (statistics & history)] Baseball-Reference.com With Fayetteville State having discontinued its baseball program in the late-1970s, he was the only player from the university to reach the major leagues.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/schools/fayetvilst.shtml Fayetteville State University Baseball Players in the Major Leagues] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604105453/http://www.baseball-reference.com/schools/fayetvilst.shtml |date=2011-06-04 }} Baseball-Reference.com

After appearing in thirteen games and posting a 2–3 record with an 11.25 ERA with the Marion Mets in 1965,[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=bibby-001jam Jim Bibby (minor league statistics & history)] Baseball-Reference.com he spent the next two years on active duty with the United States Army as a truck driver in Vietnam.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604101145/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082540/index.htm Blount Jr., Roy. "Guess Who's Coming Up Now!" Sports Illustrated, June 23, 1969.][https://archive.today/20130129164305/http://trsullivan.mlblogs.com/archives/2006/09/sunday_remembra_1.html Sullivan, T.R. "Sunday Remembrance of Rangers Past...Jim Bibby", Postcards from Elysian Fields (MLBlogs Network), Saturday, September 16, 2006.] On his return to baseball, Bibby moved up the organization's minor league system, first with the Raleigh-Durham Mets in 1968 before splitting time with the Memphis Blues and Tidewater Tides in 1969. His progress was interrupted again in 1970 when a back injury which required a spinal fusion of the first and second vertebrae sidelined him for the entire season and put his career in doubt. Bibby rebounded in 1971 by having his best campaign in the minors, as he led all Tides pitchers with a 15–6 mark.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=34921 1971 Tidewater Tides] Baseball-Reference.com

=St. Louis Cardinals=

Bibby never got to pitch for New York because he was part of an eight-player transaction on October 18, 1971, when he, Art Shamsky, Rich Folkers and Charlie Hudson were sent to St. Louis for Chuck Taylor, Chip Coulter and two players who would help the Mets capture the National League pennant in {{Baseball year|1973}}, Jim Beauchamp and Harry Parker.[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/19/archives/shamsky-traded-by-mets-to-cards-in-8player-deal-1969-hero-plagued.html "Shamsky Traded by Mets to Cards in 8-Player Deal," The New York Times, Tuesday, October 19, 1971.] Retrieved October 21, 2020 Bibby earned a promotion to the Cardinals late in {{Baseball year|1972}} as the Tulsa Oilers' top hurler at 13–9, with a 3.09 ERA, 13 complete games and 208 strikeouts.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=35783 1972 Tulsa Oilers] Baseball-Reference.com He made his major-league debut at age 27 as the starter in the second game of a Labor Day doubleheader at Busch Memorial Stadium on September 4. Despite surrendering four runs in {{frac|6|1|3}} innings, Bibby picked up the win in the 8–7 triumph over the Montreal Expos.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/B09042SLN1972.htm St. Louis Cardinals 8, Montreal Expos 7 (Game 2 of DH); Monday, September 4, 1972 (D) at Busch Memorial Stadium] Retrosheet He made five more starts to finish the season, but lost three of them.

=Texas Rangers=

After beginning {{Baseball year|1973}} at 0–2 with a 9.56 ERA, Bibby was acquired by Texas on June 6, 1973, in exchange for Mike Nagy and John Wockenfuss.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19730607&id=r5ZMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d_oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6486,1861315&hl=en "Cardinals Get 2 For 1"] Associated Press, Thursday, June 7, 1973 The trade was made at the urging of Whitey Herzog who, prior to becoming the Rangers manager, was the Mets director of player development. Herzog explained, "Bibby throws harder than anybody in this league except Nolan Ryan when he's on top of his game."Rothenberg, Fred [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19730630&id=7worAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NZoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5433,5506381&hl=en "Bibby Pitches 1-Hitter"] Associated Press, Saturday, June 30, 1973

On July 30, Bibby no-hit the defending and eventual repeat World Champion Oakland Athletics 6–0 at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, the first no-hitter in the franchise's history.Wilson, Jeff [http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02/17/1977264/jim-bibby-who-threw-texas-rangers.html "Jim Bibby, who threw Texas Rangers' first no-hitter, dies at 65"] Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Despite issuing six walks and relying almost exclusively on his fastball, he still registered thirteen strikeouts and outdueled Vida Blue—himself a no-hit pitcher in 1970.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B07300OAK1973.htm Texas Rangers 6, Oakland Athletics 0; Monday, July 30, 1973 (N) at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum] Retrosheet After he fanned in the ninth inning, Oakland's Reggie Jackson commented on the strike three pitch, "That's the fastest ball I ever saw. Actually I didn't see it. I just heard it." Bibby, whose salary was $15,000 that year, earned a $5,000 raise from team owner Bob Short as a result of the achievement.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2211&dat=19730811&id=ejAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ef4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181,706543&hl=en "No-hitter brings fat bonus for Rangers' Jim Bibby"] The Afro-American (Baltimore, Maryland), August 11, 1973

On a ballclub that finished with the worst record in the majors at 57–105 and fired Herzog with 24 games remaining in the campaign, Bibby was its winningest pitcher despite a 9–10 record.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TEX/1973.shtml 1973 Texas Rangers (batting, pitching & fielding statistics)] Baseball-Reference.com When the Billy Martin-managed Rangers became the surprise team of {{Baseball year|1974}} by going 84–76 and vaulting into second place in the American League Western Division, Bibby (19–19) and the newly acquired Ferguson Jenkins (25–12) each made a club-record 41 starts to anchor the pitching staff.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TEX/1974.shtml 1974 Texas Rangers (batting, pitching & fielding statistics)] Baseball-Reference.com The nineteen losses, however, are also a club record.

=Cleveland Indians=

Bibby's inconsistency with his control plagued him again early in {{Baseball year|1975}} when he went 2–6 with a 5.00 ERA. He was traded along with Jackie Brown, Rick Waits and $100,000 to Cleveland for future Hall-of-Famer Gaylord Perry on June 13, 1975.[http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/02/former_cleveland_indians_pitch_2.html "Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Jim Bibby dead at 65"] The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), Wednesday, February 17, 2010 The deal was actually the result of a feud between Perry and Indians manager Frank Robinson.Torry, Jack. Endless Summers: The Fall and Rise of the Cleveland Indians. South Bend, Indiana: Diamond Communications, Inc., 1996. Bibby compiled a 30–29 record with a 3.36 ERA in his {{frac|2|1|2}} years in Cleveland. More importantly, with the help of pitching coach Harvey Haddix, he worked on improving his delivery to home plate and also added the curveball, slider and changeup to his repertoire.

During spring training on March 6, 1978, an arbitrator ruled that Bibby be declared a free agent. The reason was indicative of the financially strapped and inept Indians management at the time. Bibby's {{Baseball year|1977}} contract included a $10,000 bonus if he made at least thirty starts. He started exactly thirty of the 37 contests in which he appeared, but the Indians failed to make the payment by the deadline stated in the terms of the contract.

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

Bibby signed with Pittsburgh on March 15, 1978.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19780317&id=C-YRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4u0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6782,534000&hl=en "Vida Blue To Giants; Pirates Buy Jim Bibby"] Associated Press, Friday, March 17, 1978 He was originally expected to be the new closer, replacing Goose Gossage, who had left for the New York Yankees in the offseason. Instead, Bibby became a starter in the five-man rotation and had his most productive years with the Pirates, going 50–32 with a 3.53 ERA in five seasons.Finder, Chuck [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10049/1036756-63.stm "Obituary: Jim Bibby / Pirates pitcher, started twice in 1979 Series"] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Thursday, February 18, 2010

His only postseason experience was when he helped the Pirates capture the 1979 World Series Championship. Despite not getting a decision in any of his three starts, Bibby pitched effectively with a 2.08 ERA and 15 strikeouts in {{frac|17|1|3}} innings. In the 3–2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Riverfront Stadium, he pitched seven innings and left the game with a 2–1 lead.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B10030CIN1979.htm Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Cincinnati Reds 2; National League Championship Series Game 2; Wednesday, October 3, 1979 (D) at Riverfront Stadium] Retrosheet Bibby went {{frac|6|1|3}} innings and departed Game 4 of the Fall Classic with a 6–3 advantage in the 9–6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Three Rivers Stadium.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B10130PIT1979.htm Baltimore Orioles 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 6; World Series Game 4; Saturday, October 13, 1979 (D) at Three Rivers Stadium] Retrosheet When the Pirates clinched the series with a 4–1 win in Game 7 at Memorial Stadium, he lasted four innings, with his only mistake being Rich Dauer's home run to lead off the Orioles' third.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B10170BAL1979.htm Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Baltimore Orioles 1; World Series Game 7; Wednesday, October 17, 1979 (N) at Memorial Stadium] Retrosheet

Bibby's best year in the majors was in {{Baseball year|1980}}, when he posted a 19–6 record and a league-best .760 win–loss percentage. He also made his only appearance in an All-Star Game that season at Dodger Stadium on July 8. Bibby entered the game in relief of Jerry Reuss and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. After Robin Yount flied out to right field, Bibby surrendered a single to center to Willie Randolph, who was retired when Cecil Cooper grounded to the shortstop for a double play.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1980/B07080NLS1980.htm National League 4, American League 2; Major League Baseball All-Star Game; Tuesday, July 8, 1980 (N) at Dodger Stadium] Retrosheet

On May 19, 1981, Bibby began a start against the Atlanta Braves by allowing a leadoff single to right to Terry Harper. From that point on, Bibby hurled the equivalent of a perfect game (but actually a one-hit game) by retiring the next 27 batters in a 5–0 victory. Bibby also excelled at the plate that night by hitting a pair of doubles (to center off Phil Niekro in the fifth, to left off Rick Mahler in the sixth), driving in a run and scoring another.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B05190PIT1981.htm Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Atlanta Braves 0; Tuesday, May 19, 1981 (N) at Three Rivers Stadium] Retrosheet

After missing all of {{Baseball year|1982}} with a shoulder injury,Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M. & Neft, Michael L. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball. 20th ed. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2000. Bibby spent one more season with the Pirates as a spot starter/long reliever. He was granted free agency on November 7, 1983.

=Retirement=

Bibby returned to the Rangers on February 7, 1984, but lasted only two months into the regular season as he pitched in eight games out of the bullpen without a decision. His final major league appearance was in a 5–1 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Arlington Stadium on May 26, 1984. After replacing Dave Tobik to start the ninth inning, Bibby allowed a single to Joel Skinner, a double to Rudy Law and an intentional walk to Jerry Hairston, Sr. to load the bases with one out. Bibby managed to not surrender any runs by getting a groundout from Mike Squires and a flyout from Greg Walker.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1984/B05260TEX1984.htm Chicago White Sox 5, Texas Rangers 1; Saturday, May 26, 1984 (N) at Arlington Stadium] Retrosheet Bibby was released on June 1.

He was picked up by St. Louis again on June 9. Bibby only appeared in two contests, without a decision, for the Louisville Redbirds, the Cardinals' Triple-A farm team at the time. His career as an active player came to an end when he was released on July 1.

Coaching career

Bibby earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Lynchburg College in 1980. His first coaching job was with the Durham Bulls immediately after the conclusion of his playing career in 1984.[http://www.durhambulls.com/team/press_release.html?id=1181 "Remembering Former Durham Bull Jim Bibby", Durham Bulls press release, Thursday, February 18, 2010.] Bibby was the pitching coach for the Carolina League's Lynchburg, Virginia, ballclub from 1985 to 1999. He served the franchise beginning when it was affiliated with the Mets and through parent club/name changes in 1988 (Red Sox both) and 1995 (Pirates/Hillcats). Bibby was honored by the Hillcats in 2002, when his uniform number (26) was the first one retired in the city's baseball history.[https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-8086010 "Lynchburg Legend Jim Bibby Dies at 65"], Lynchburg Hillcats, Wednesday, February 17, 2010 He spent the 2000 minor league season in the same capacity with the Nashville Sounds, but retired from coaching after his contract was not renewed.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110605025500/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100217&content_id=8084930&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c__id=pit Gonzalez, Alden. "Former All-Star hurler Bibby passes away"], MLB.com, Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Personal

Bibby was an older brother of former NBA players Henry Bibby and uncle of Mike Bibby.

He was married to Jacqueline Ann (Jordan) Bibby and had two daughters, Tamara Bibby of Washington, D.C., and Tanya Bibby (McClain) of Charlotte, North Carolina.

He died in Central Lynchburg General Hospital on February 16, 2010, due to bone cancer.