Good place to close
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Even after his induction was complete and the crowd had wandered off, Rich "Goose" Gossage was still trying to come to grips with his new status as a Hall of Famer.
"I still have to pinch myself to realize that I've had the type of career I've had," said Gossage, after becoming just the fifth reliever enshrined at Cooperstown.
"My whole career is kind of a storybook. If I had to write a script, I wouldn't change a thing," said Gossage, who spent 22 years as one of baseball's most menacing and dominating relief pitchers.
Gossage was inducted Sunday, along with Dick Williams — one of Gossage's former managers — who managed six teams in a 21-year career, winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973. He also won league pennants with the Boston Red Sox in 1967 and San Diego Padres in 1984.
But the crowd of 14,000 was decidedly New York Yankees fans, cheering Gossage with choruses of "Goooooose!
"I'm like a kid going on his first ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years," Gossage said during his acceptance speech.
Gossage had to pause twice to collect his thoughts — including once when he was moved to tears talking about now dead teammates Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer.
Gossage was elected in January on his ninth try, almost unimaginable given his pioneering place in the evolution of today's relief pitcher.
Gossage —entering the hall wearing a New York Yankees hat — finished his career in 1994 with a 124-107 record, 1,502 strikeouts and 3.01 ERA in 1,002 games. He ranks third in both wins in relief (115) and innings pitched in relief (1,556).
Of his 310 career saves, Gossage worked more than two innings 52 times. By comparison, prior to the 2008 season, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had done that just once in 443 saves and San Diego's Trevor Hoffman, the career saves leader, has never done it.
In 125 of his saves, Gossage recorded at least six outs.
The 57-year-old Gossage, a nine-time All-Star, joins Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, and Dennis Eckersley as relievers enshrined in Cooperstown.
Gossage signed with the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Chicago manager Chuck Tanner made a special trip to Class-A Appleton of the Midwest League in 1971 to teach Gossage to throw a changeup. Gossage finished the season 18-2, was selected league player of the year.
In Gossage's rookie year, roommate Tom Bradley dubbed him "Goose," saying Gossage looked like a goose when he leaned over on the mound to get the catcher's sign. And at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds with a 99-mph fastball, Fu Manchu mustache and menacing stare, "Goose" became one of the era's most intimidating pitchers.
Gossage told the crowd he developed his unorthodox pitching form as a teen throwing in the backyard with his older brother, who call him a sissy and challenge him to throw harder.
"That's where that wild flailing came from, all arms and legs coming right at you," Gossage said.
Williams, known for his no-nonsense approach, credited the late Branch Rickey and former manager Bobby Bragan with having the greatest influence on him as a manager. Williams also spent 13 years as a utility player.
"It's hard to believe that at age 79, this has to be one of my most memomorable times," said Williams, whose 1,571 wins are 17th all-time.
Others inducted Sunday were former Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, former Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, former commissioner Bowie Kuhn, and former manager Billy Southworth, all deceased. Along with Williams, they were voted in by the revamped Veterans Committee.
Also honored were the late Larry Whiteside, a pioneering black journalist, who received the J.G. Taylor Spink Award; and Ford C. Frick Award winner Dave Niehaus.
