On the whole, 1968 was not a year of compassion. It was a year that saw both Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. gunned down by assassins. Riots broke out in many of the country's major cities, the Zodiac Killer was at large, and the Vietnam War wasn't doing anybody any favors. Unfortunately, the year 1968 will forever go down in world history as a year full of unrest and turmoil.

On a lighter note, the year 1968 is also known amongst baseball circles as "The Year of the Pitcher." See, after Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle treated America to a summer of excitement in 1961 with their chase for Babe Ruth's single season home run record (which Maris would eventually claim with 61 long balls), Major League Baseball decided something had to be done to tame this kind of offensive productivity. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ended up widening the strike zone, and though this did have the effect on the sport that he aimed for, all in all the ramifications of the move were harmful to the sport. Offense went way down for a number of years, and attendance ended up shrinking thanks to that as well.

This all came to a head in 1968, where the numbers pitchers posted were so off-the-charts ridiculous, the League had to do away with the changes it made to the strike zone the following season. In addition to shrinking the strike zone, the pitchers mound was also lowered from 15 inches down to 10 inches. Baseball has thus never again seen such a statistical disparity between pitching and hitting since that year. It was a year like no other, for reasons both good and bad. But let's stick with the good, and highlight some of the incredible feats that were accomplished in baseball during the 1968 campaign.

1. Bob Gibson's 1968 Season - If we had to designate a poster child for the Year of the Pitcher, it would be have to be the Cardinals pitcher nicknamed "Hoot," Bob Gibson. He was at his best all season long, and in a career full of accolades and achievements, Gibson's 1968 season may be his magnum opus. The numbers simply speak for themselves. Gibson finished second in the National League wins with 22 (Juan Marichal led the Senior Circuit with 26), but led the league in shutouts, WHIP, hits per nine innings, and strikeouts. However none of those numbers have become as heralded as the 1.12 ERA Gibson posted that season, which set the live-ball era record, and is the fourth lowest of all-time. He also had a 47 and two-thirds scoreless inning streak that season. Gibson's utter dominance during the regular season netted him not only the National League Cy Young, but the NL MVP Award as well. Gibson's powerful pitching continued on in the World Series, where his St. Louis squad took on the Detroit Tigers. In Game 1, Gibson tossed a complete game shutout, with 17 strikeouts, another record that still stands today. Game 4 was another complete game victory for Gibson, and everyone figured the Cardinals had the Series in the bag when Hoot toed the rubber for the deciding Game 7. However, despite tossing his third complete game of that World Series, a famous misplay by centerfielder Curt Flood helped bring about the Cardinals' downfall in that game, and the Tigers wound up winning it all. Regardless, Gibson put on an absolute clinic all year long whenever he took the 15 inch-high mound,  and his 1968 season is one we'll probably never see replicated ever again. 

2. Denny McLain's 1968 Season - While Denny McLain's (then of the Detroit Tigers) 1968 season wasn't quite on par with the sheer dominance Bob Gibson had, his year is not to be forgotten either. McLain's 1968 is best remembered for his Major league-leading 31 victories. He was the first pitcher since Dizzy Dean in 1934 to eclipse the 30-win marker, and is the last pitcher to achieve the feat. In addition to his 31 wins, McLain also led of all of baseball in innings pitched (336) and starts (41). McLain was always prone to the long ball all throughout his career, and ended up leading baseball in home runs allowed too, serving up 31. Nonetheless, McLain's regular season was still something to behold (he was 16-2 at the All Star break!) and he ended up taking home both the American League Cy Young and MVP awards, just like his National League counterpart Gibson did. This marked the only season ever where a pitcher won the MVP award in both leagues. McLain's World Series performance however left a lot to be desired, and it was up to a teammate of his to bail the Tigers out.

3. Mickey Lolich's World Series - Detroit Tiger Mickey Lolich had a nice season in 1968. He went 17-9 and with a respectable 3.19 ERA. However, pitching  in the same rotation as Denny McLain, it's easy to get overshadowed. McLain would anchor the 1968 Tigers staff, winning Cy Young and MVP hardware along the way, while Lolich would be a complementary piece of the Detroit rotation. This goes without mentioning how contrasting the personalities of the two men were. McLain was the type of guy who would command the limelight and the attention no matter where he went. Lolich on the other hand was easily lost in the crowd with his quiet demeanor. However, Lolich made sure his name was not to be forgotten once the '68 World Series ended, a Fall Classic which etched his name into the history books. Down 1 game to none, Lolich tossed a complete game victory in Game 2. Down 3 games to 1, Lolich tossed another complete game victory. Then arrived Game 7. On 2 days rest, Detroit manager Mayo Smith handed the ball to Lolich for the Series finale, and he did not disappoint. Lolich matched zeroes with Cards starter Bob Gibson through 6 frames before the Tigers finally were able to break through in the 7th, taking a lead they would never relinquish en route to the title. Lolich became the 12th pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series, (Randy Johnson made 13 in 2001), and his heroics ended up earning him the World Series MVP award. 

4. Catfish Hunter's Perfect Game - Prior to May 8, 1968, you had to go back to Game 5 of the 1956 World Series to find the last perfect game pitched in the American League, that one authored by Don Larsen. As for the regular season, you'd have to go back even further to 1922 when Charlie Roberston of the White Sox sat down 27 consecutive batters one afternoon against the Tigers. The National League had a pair of perfectos in that span by Jim Bunning and Sandy Koufax, but the AL went without. That all changed one Wednesday evening in 1968. Jim "Catfish" Hunter of the Oakland Athletics opposed Dave Boswell of the Minnesota Twins, and the end result was all Hunter. Catfish had himself quite the day not only on the mound but with the bat as well, driving in 3 of the 4 Athletic runs en route to his 4-0 perfect game. With this perfecto, the 9th in baseball history, Hunter also became—and remains—the youngest pitcher to toss a modern-era perfect game at 22 years and 30 days old.

5. Don Drysdale's Scoreless Innings Streak - Though this has since been broken by another (Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers during the 1988 campaign), that should not take away from what Don Drysdale accomplished during the Year of the Pitcher. He threw up 58 and 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run, a stretch that included six straight shutouts, a record that does still stand today. The streak lasted from May 14 to June 8 of '68. There were some quirky side stories that came about as the streak was alive. One, the man who snapped the streak with a sacrifice fly, a Philadelphia Phillie outfielder named Howie Bedell, had only 3 runs batted in his career. Now you all know which ribby is the one that everyone ought to know. Another interesting moment happened during the fifth start of the scoreless innings streak. Drysdale was facing the San Francisco Giants, and in a bases loaded situation, Giants catcher Dick Dietz strode to the plate. Dietz ends up getting hit by a pitch, which should have forced in a run breaking the streak right? Wrong! Umpire Harry Wendelstadt made the gutsiest of calls, and declared Dietz made no effort to get out of the way of Drysdale's pitch, and thus the at-bat would continue. Drysdale wound up escaping the jam with the streak still alive. Drysdale may have done all of the heavy lifting, but Wendelstadt at least deserves an assist during the remarkable scoreless sequence.

To read more about the Year of the Pitcher and its great hurlers, like "Sudden" Sam McDowell, Luis Tiant, and Dave McNally, check out Tim Wendel's book!