I agree with the other posters on differentiating between the player and his rookie cards. Also, Topps didn't do Gibby any favors putting him with a pink background 
Gibson and Carlton are remarkably close stats wise, but I can see Carlton being considered slightly better. Longevity didn't help Carlton, it hurt him, bad, at least as far as his legacy carrying a tag of hanger-on. If you just look at his stats through 17 seasons--the number of seasons Gibson pitched--Carlton's numbers are slightly better. He has a few more wins and Ks than Gibson during that time, and his ERA is comparable but slightly higher (I think 2.99 -2.91). Throw in the fact that Carlton lost 1/3 of a great season to a labor strike and that Gibson pitched half his career with a pitcher-benefiting higher mound (Carlton had use of that only one full season) and I think a case can be made that Lefty was the better pitcher. Not by much though, and I wouldn't strongly oppose the counterargument.
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Last edited by nolemmings; 05-30-2012 at 09:56 AM.
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