(Updated July 17, 2020)
For Bob Gibson, a win was more important than a record.
Gibson became the first National League pitcher to achieve 3,000 career strikeouts. On July 17, 1974, the Cardinals ace struck out the Reds’ Cesar Geronimo to become the second big-league pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters.
Walter Johnson of the American League Senators struck out 3,509 from 1907-1927.
Gibson, 38, achieved his milestone by getting Geronimo to strike out on a high fastball to end the second inning. The crowd of 28,743 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis gave Gibson a lengthy standing ovation. As he neared the Cardinals dugout, he doffed his cap to the appreciative fans.
Before the game, quite aware Gibson was approaching the milestone, Reds first baseman Tony Perez ranked which teammates would be most likely to be Gibson’s 3,000th strikeout victim and he correctly predicted it would Geronimo, according to Bob Hertzel of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
With Tim McCarver catching on that Wednesday night, Gibson recorded three more strikeouts, including Johnny Bench and Geronimo again, before being lifted for pinch-hitter Luis Melendez in the seventh with the score tied at 4-4. The Reds won, 6-4, in 12 innings.
Pensive occasion
Afterward, reporters discovered Gibson departed the clubhouse quickly and wasn’t available to talk about his achievement.
In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said, “It wasn’t a grand occasion. I was taken out in the (seventh) for a pinch-hitter and we lost the game.”
Gibson yielded four runs and 10 hits, walking two.
“I thought he was getting a little tired,” Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst said to the Associated Press in explaining why he removed Gibson. “He was also leading off the (seventh) inning and I thought we might get a run.” Boxscore
Adding to a pensive atmosphere, despite the milestone strikeout, was the news Dizzy Dean, 64, had died that day. The Hall of Fame pitcher held the Cardinals’ record for career strikeouts (1,095) until Gibson surpassed the mark. Gibson finished his Cardinals career with a franchise-leading 3,117 strikeouts.
Geronimo struck out nine times in 21 career at-bats versus Gibson.
Big-name victims
The players who struck out the most against Gibson:
_ Willie Stargell, 41 strikeouts
_ Donn Clendenon, 37 strikeouts
_ Ron Santo, 35 strikeouts
_ Hank Aaron, 32 strikeouts
_ Roberto Clemente, 32 strikeouts
_ Tony Taylor, 32 strikeouts
The first big-league batter Gibson struck out was Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones of the Reds on July 30, 1959. Boxscore
Jim Pagliaroni of the Pirates was the 1,000th batter to strike out against Gibson and Clemente was the 2,000th batter to do so.
In 2020, Gibson ranks 14th on the all-time strikeout list, one ahead of Curt Schilling (3,116) and 37 behind the pitcher just ahead of him, Pedro Martinez (3,154).
Join the club
Ever since Gibson joined Walter Johnson as the only pitchers to have 3,000 strikeouts, 16 others have achieved the feat. Here is the list of pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts:
_ Nolan Ryan, 5,714
_ Randy Johnson, 4,875
_ Roger Clemens, 4,672
_ Steve Carlton, 4,136
_ Bert Blyleven, 3,701
_ Tom Seaver, 3,640
_ Don Sutton, 3,574
_ Gaylord Perry, 3,534
_ Walter Johnson, 3,509
_ Greg Maddux, 3,371
_ Phil Niekro, 3,342
_ Ferguson Jenkins, 3,192
_ Pedro Martinez, 3,154
_ Bob Gibson, 3,117
_ Curt Schilling, 3,116
_ CC Sabathia, 3,093
_ John Smoltz, 3,084
_ Justin Verlander, 3,006
Previously: Slider was key to 15 wins in row for Bob Gibson in 1968
RetroSimba 
In today’s era of undisciplined hitting,how many career strikeouts would pitchers from Bob Gibson’s time register? Just as a side note, six years later Cesar Geronimo would be Nolan Ryan’s 3000th strikeout victim.
Good point. If Bob Gibson had played in today’s era, I’m certain he would have topped 4,000 career strikeouts in the same number of innings he pitched when he did play. i do believe the high increase in the number of pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts is because the batters today are less disciplined than they were in Gibson’s era.