MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2019 By
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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2019 By: Senator(s) Burton, Carmichael, DeBar, To: Rules Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jordan SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 608 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE 2 LEGISLATURE TO THE SURVIVING FAMILY OF JOE GIBBON OF NEWTON, 3 MISSISSIPPI, AND RECOGNIZING HIS LASTING SPORTS LEGACY AS ONE OF 4 THE STATE'S GREATEST TWO-SPORT ATHLETES. 5 WHEREAS, in 1957, Joe Gibbon scored more points than college 6 contemporaries Wilt Chamberlain and Elin Baylor. Three years 7 later, Gibbon helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win baseball's 8 championship, defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series. 9 Joe Gibbon, one of the greatest multisport athletes in Mississippi 10 history, passed away on February 20, 2019; he was 83 years old; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, Joe Gibbon, born in Newton County in the Town of 13 Hickory, was an All-American Basketball Player and an All-SEC 14 Baseball Pitcher for Ole Miss in the mid-1950s. Later, he played 15 13 seasons in the Major Leagues and, as a Rookie in 1960, was a 16 contributor to the World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates; and 17 WHEREAS, at Ole Miss Gibbon was better known for his 18 basketball skills. Joe Gibbon, a 6-foot-4 Forward, finished 19 second in the nation in scoring in 1957 with 30.2 points per-game S. C. R. No. 608 *SS02/R1356* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 19/SS02/R1356 PAGE 1 (tb\rc) 20 average. Gibbon averaged a whopping 14 rebounds a game that same 21 season. Grady Nelson of South Carolina led the nation at 31.2 22 points per game. Here's what is more impressive: Elgin Baylor 23 was next among the nation's scoring leaders at 29.7, followed by 24 Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas at 29.6. Gibbon was ahead of both 25 Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain! That's rare company; and 26 WHEREAS, Gibbon also played against rare company in the Ole 27 Miss-Mississippi State rivalry when he went against the great 28 All-American Bailey Howell in 1957, who remembered that "Joe could 29 shoot the lights out of the gym. "He was left-handed and was a 30 really good athlete. I saw Joe pitch against the Mississippi 31 State Baseball Team and remember he hit one of the longest home 32 runs I had ever seen that day. We played against him twice my 33 sophomore year," Howell said. I was in the Top 10 and my 34 teammate, Jim Ashmore, was in the Top 10, as well. It was amazing 35 that three of the Top-10 scorers in the nation were on the floor 36 at the same time in Mississippi"; and 37 WHEREAS, Gibbon was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 38 basketball, despite his insistence beforehand that he planned to 39 play professional baseball. As a rookie pitching as a starter and 40 in relief, Gibbon had a 4-2 record for the World Champion Pirates. 41 His World Series check for $8,400.00 was more than his rookie 42 salary of $7,500.00. In 1961, his second season, he achieved a 43 13-10 record that included a career-high three shutouts. Over 13 44 seasons with the Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds S. C. R. No. 608 *SS02/R1356* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 19/SS02/R1356 PAGE 2 (tb\rc) 45 and Houston Astros, Gibbon won 61 games, lost 65 and saved 32 46 more. His lifetime earned run average was a nifty 3.52. In the 47 Major Leagues, he was often called "Hickory Joe" Gibbon; and 48 WHEREAS, Joe Gibbon was inducted into the Mississippi Sports 49 Hall of Fame in 1979, and the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 50 1988. On February 21, 2009, he was honored as a member of the Ole 51 Miss Men's All-Century Basketball Team; and 52 WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Price 53 Gibbon. Survivors include his children, Joe Gibbon, Jr., David 54 Gibbon (Kristi), Jennifer Gibbon Seal, Luke Gibbon (Dawn) and Dan 55 Gibbon; and 56 WHEREAS, Joe Gibbon leaves an unparalleled legacy as a 57 Mississippi sports legend and will be missed by all who were 58 fortunate enough to have witnessed his special talent: 59 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 60 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 61 we do hereby express the condolences of the Legislature to the 62 surviving family of Joe Gibbon of Newton, Mississippi, and 63 recognize his lasting sports legacy as one of the state's greatest 64 two-sport athletes. 65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 66 the surviving family of Joe Gibbon, forwarded to the Mississippi 67 Sports Hall of Fame, and made available to the Capitol Press 68 Corps. S. C. R. No. 608 *SS02/R1356* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 19/SS02/R1356 ST: Express condolences of the Legislature on PAGE 3 (tb\rc) the loss of Joe Gibbon of Newton, acclaimed two- sport Mississippi athlete. .