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Matheny would thrill to catch Gibson, but 'he would have hated me'

Hall of Famer Bob Gibson jokes with Cardinals manager Mike Matheny before the opening-day parade at Busch Stadium on April 7. Fifty years ago, Gibson was one of four African-American stars on the Cardinals' World Series championship team. The current Cardinals have no black players. (Chris Lee photo / Post-Dispatch)

as they wait for Opening Day festivities to begin before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, April 7, 2014, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com

JUPITER, Fla. • It’s a common question for a catcher of his reputation to field every so often, and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has a standard answer when it comes to the one pitcher, all time, that he’d like to catch.