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This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.

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This is Keith Morris of Sports Illustrated. My guest is Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Bob, when a pitcher has a winning streak like 15 or 16 games, do you feel that a certain amount of luck is involved?

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Oh, you definitely have to have luck. You can pitch one hit ball as I did before and I lost a ballgame.

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So you have to be lucky, your team has to be hitting and you of course have to have good stuff.

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Some people feel that this year's Cards are one of the strongest teams of all times. How do you see it?

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I think we definitely have one of the best teams in the league.

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Of all times I couldn't compare with anybody because I've never seen any of those old clubs they used to have.

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But I can't imagine those teams being any better than the team that we have now.

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Bob Gibson, do you think that the atmosphere around your club with everybody seeming to get along has helped the Cards make success or has success made everybody get along?

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I think the way the players are is definitely a plus as far as having a good ball team.

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We've been down before and we had the same guys, we have the same attitude that we have now.

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And I think when you stick together there is a certain amount of togetherness that you feel when you're out on the field that is comparable to something that a family has.

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And this is the type of ball team that we have.

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With such a big lead so late in the season, is there a tendency for your team not to put out quite so much?

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I don't think so. Our team right now is not playing real good baseball, but we're a little tired.

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We've been playing straight through since July 11th, haven't had an off day.

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And the grind is going to make anybody tired.

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And when you lose a few games the first thing they say is that you're not putting out or you're getting complacent.

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But I don't think that's the point at all.

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Another runaway penner for the Cards should mean some bigger salaries next year.

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Do you think that a team with so many people on such high salary tends to let up?

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I don't think so. And as far as the salary is concerned, that's not my problem.

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You have to talk with the general manager about that.

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But when you make a little bit of money and you have a good year, there's always a little bit more money to make.

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And we play baseball for our living.

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It's not one of those deals where it's a raw, raw thing, you know.

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And so I'm quite sure the players are aware that if they do a better job, they're going to make better money.

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And it's not a thing of complacency.

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Well, I see that Prentice Hall has put Bob Gibson's life story into book form, From Ghetto to Glory.

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And what is this about mainly?

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It's a book about my life from the time I was a kid through the present day.

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And I think it's a fairly good book. It explains how I grew up, the things that I did, the schools that I went to, and how I became a professional baseball player.

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It should be good reading. Bob Gibson, good luck to you and the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Thank you.

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This is Keith Morris of Sports Illustrated.