"Though the Yankees have been plainly disappointed with the progress so far of Jake Gibbs, they remain patiently hopeful that his underlying talent will still emerge. Jake, bear in mind, was signed as an infielder, then spent several painful years in the minors trying to learn the techniques of catching. After sharing the job for a season and a half with Elston Howard, he was awarded full custody of it last summer when Ellie was traded away to Boston.
But Jake did not make the most of the opportunity. His work behind the plate showed improvement, but perhaps not as much as everyone hoped. His hitting should get better than the .233 he achieved last year, and he should collect more than four homers and 25 RBI's a campaign."
-Jack Zanger, Major League Baseball 1968
"How can a ball club use a former All-American quarterback to best advantage? Manager Ralph Houk pondered that for two years and came up with the perfect answer: make him a catcher. A signal-caller is a take-charge guy who can help run the ball game for the pitchers. And a man who has stood up to blitzing linebackers is a good man to have blocking the plate when a runner comes charging in.
It was a gamble - and a real shocker for Jake - when he was told to convert to catching. He had never been behind the plate. When he was signed off the campus of the University of Mississippi in 1961 for the Yankees' largest bonus, he was also an All-American infielder. In his first two years in Triple-A, Jake hit .270 and .284.
Gibbs had to concentrate so hard on learning his new trade that his hitting suffered. So did he; several times he had broken fingers.
'I was often discouraged,' he says, 'but I never thought of quitting.' It took almost three years before he felt at ease behind the plate.
'His hard work and determination have paid off,' says Houk. 'He has soaked up everything coach Jim Hegan has taught him. Never having caught before may have helped him ; he didn't have any bad habits to break.'
Jake moved into the top catching spot last year. He is a left-handed hitter. Catchers Fernandez and Rodriguez are right-handed.
But who can use a great catcher when the season is over? Answer: Ole Miss. Jake is assistant backfield coach there. Married, he makes his home in Grenada, Mississippi and is the father of two boys, Dean (5) and Monty (2)."
-The New York Yankees Official 1968 Yearbook
"Jake moved into the top spot among Yankee catchers last year in his seventh year in the Yankee organization. Originally a third baseman, he was signed off the campus of the University of Mississippi in 1961 and received the largest bonus ever given by the Yankees. He was switched to catching in 1963.
He was an All-American in two sports at Ole Miss- baseball in 1960 and 1961 and football in 1960. He was a quarterback and received many pro football offers. Gibbs still keeps his hand in football, as he serves as an assistant backfield coach at Ole Miss during the off-season.
A tough competitor, Gibbs could have his best years ahead of him."
-1968 New York Yankees Press-Radio-TV Guide
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