Kirk Gibson-Road not traveled

[7DnBrnc53]

http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2014/02 ... ll-tigers/

In case some of you have forgotten, Kirk Gibson was a football player at Michigan State before starting his MLB career, and he was going to be a high draft pick in 1979 as a receiver.

However, in 1978, after being encouraged by the MSU baseball coach and Darryl Rodgers (the MSU football coach) to give baseball a try (as well as more advice from his father), he started playing baseball again (he was a standout in high school, which is why the MSU baseball coach encouraged him to join his team), and the rest was history.

What if he didn't want to play baseball, though? How good would he have been in the NFL? Multiple Pro-Bowler? Hall of Famer? or less than that?

[BD Sullivan]

http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2014/02 ... ll-tigers/

In case some of you have forgotten, Kirk Gibson was a football player at Michigan State before starting his MLB career, and he was going to be a high draft pick in 1979 as a receiver.

However, in 1978, after being encouraged by the MSU baseball coach and Darryl Rodgers (the MSU football coach) to give baseball a try (as well as more advice from his father), he started playing baseball again (he was a standout in high school, which is why the MSU baseball coach encouraged him to join his team), and the rest was history.

What if he didn't want to play baseball, though? How good would he have been in the NFL? Multiple Pro-Bowler? Hall of Famer? or less than that?

The Cardinals (football variety) did draft him (7th Round, I think) in the event he did change his mind. Also, around the time of the Bo Jackson signing by the Raiders, Gibson indicated that Al Davis (or one of his flunkies) had inquired whether he might consider playing football.

Considering he had problems staying healthy in baseball, he might not have lasted that long in the NFL.

[Gary Najman]

Another teammate who played baseball with Gibson for the Detroit Tigers was Rick Leach, who was a left-hander quarterback for Michigan in college, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 5th round (132 overall) in the 1979 NFL Draft, 41 spots before Kirk Gibson. It would have been fun that they would also played in the NFL, but unlike in coolege, they would not have been conference or division rivals,

[BD Sullivan]

Another teammate who played baseball with Gibson for the Detroit Tigers was Rick Leach, who was a left-hander quarterback for Michigan in college, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 5th round (132 overall) in the 1979 NFL Draft, 41 spots before Kirk Gibson. It would have been fun that they would also played in the NFL, but unlike in coolege, they would not have been conference or division rivals,

Presumably the reason Leach chose baseball was because a number of teams wanted to shift him to DB, and he had said specifically he wouldn't consider playing unless it was at QB. That was opposed to the Cardinals, who would have kept Gibson at WR.

[nicefellow31]

Another teammate who played baseball with Gibson for the Detroit Tigers was Rick Leach, who was a left-hander quarterback for Michigan in college, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 5th round (132 overall) in the 1979 NFL Draft, 41 spots before Kirk Gibson. It would have been fun that they would also played in the NFL, but unlike in coolege, they would not have been conference or division rivals,

An opponent of Gibson and Leach in the 1984 World Series was ex MSU DB, Steve Garvey.

http://www.msuspartans.com/genrel/092910aak.html

[JohnTurney]

Gibson was a legit 4.4 guy, but is hands? I don;t know. And he did play hard in baseball and get hurt a lot . . .

he had the size and speed, that's pretty certin

[BD Sullivan]

I did find it amusing in 1997, when Gibson attended the frigid (for baseball) World Series game that had temperatures in the 30's--and left because it was too cold.

[SixtiesFan]

Gibson was a legit 4.4 guy, but is hands? I don;t know. And he did play hard in baseball and get hurt a lot . . .

he had the size and speed, that's pretty certin

I recall Joel Buschsbaum's scouting report on Kirk Gibson. He said Gibson had size, speed, hands, and a halfback's running instincts.