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Just as the 2007 New England Patriots were so close to being the undisputable greatest team in NFL history, Pack Robert Gibson was close to being the unquestioned king of the World Series in 1968.

Allow me to take you back in baseball history. The time was the afternoon of October 10th, 1968, and the place was Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The event was Game seven of the World Series between St. Louis and Detroit. The inning was the top of the seventh.

You see, as we take a look at the situation that was about to unfold, we must understand that up to that point in World Series history, post 1955, no pitcher had been as dominant as Bob Gibson. As Jim Northrup is about to step into the batter's box, Gibson had total control over his World Series opponents.

Just as the Patriots had an unblemished season prior to their fall from Valhalla, Gibson's numbers in World Series play were awesome. Over the last two years, Bob Gibson had pitched in five World Series games and won all five, giving up 0, 0, 1, 1 and 2 runs - each a complete game. His combined pitching line:

WinsLossesIPBatters FacedHitsBBStrikeoutsEarned RunsERAWHIP50451632485340.800.71

I can't come up with any pitcher since the World Series MVP era who even comes close to those numbers. Now back to Game seven.

At the end of three innings, the score was 0-0. Gibby was perfect through the first three innings, with five strikeouts. In the fourth, he got another strikeout, but also gave up his first hit. The fifth and sixth innings were both one-two-three down go the Tigers.

Unfortunately for Gibby and the Cardinals, they were facing Mickey Lolich. The Mickster had dominated the Cardinals in the Series, throwing two complete game victories. And he was being just as stingy that afternoon as Gibson.

I can't help but wonder what fans were thinking. Cardinal fans surely were thinking, "come on Gibby, nine more outs and we'll scratch a run home, and we'll be repeat champs." And the Tiger fans, who had not been in a World Series since 1945, were likely thinking, "what do we have to do to get anything off of this guy?" Adding his performance in Game seven up to the seventh inning, here were his combined World Series numbers in 1967 and 1968:

WinsLossesIPBatters FacedHitsBBStrikeoutsEarned RunsERAWHIP50511822585840.710.65

But as fate would have it, everything changed in a blink of an eye. In the Tiger seventh, with none on and two out, up stepped Norm Cash. Cash to this point in the Series had faced Gibson ten times and managed only one hit, and had four strikeouts. Cash singled to right, and then Willie Horton singled to left. The Tigers had two men on base for the first time in the game. (The Tigers had two men on base against Gibson just three times in the entire series.)

And then the pivotal play of the game - and of the 1968 Series. Jim Northrup took his turn at the plate. If the Tigers were going to break through, this was their chance. Northrup was one of just two players who hit a home run against Gibson in the 1967 or 1968 World Series, having hit one in Game four. The other was Gibson's opposing pitcher Jose Santiago in Game one of the 1967 Series.

Northrup hit a long fly ball to center field that, according to many who were there, could have been caught if center fielder Curt Flood had taken the proper route to the ball. However, Flood's route was not accurate, and the ball sailed over his head. Both Cash and Horton raced home to change baseball history. Northrup had struck a mighty blow, and Gibson's air of invincibility was gone. Tiger catcher Bill Freehan followed with an RBI double, and the Tigers were on their way to winning that game 4-1 and taking home their first championship in 23 years.

As I look back at the significance of the Series and what Bob Gibson was able to accomplish, I can't help but wonder, what if? What if Flood caught that ball? Would Gibby have corrected himself and pulled out yet another spectacular performance? I know we'll never know, but that's what's great about baseball. There is always room to reminisce and dream, "what if".

By John Spinato of www.DugoutCentral.com