Rich Gossage

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Goose Gossage
Relief pitcher
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 16, 1972 for the Chicago White Sox
Final game
August 8, 1994 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics
Record     124-107
ERA     3.01
Saves     310
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951, in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played 21 seasons for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, before retiring in 1994. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Goose Gossage was one of the earliest manifestations of the dominating closer, with wild facial hair and a gruff demeanor to go along with his blistering fastball. He now works in broadcasting.

Contents

[edit] Pioneer of the closer role

The New York Yankees of the late 1970s and early 1980s arguably pioneered the set-up/closer configuration, which is used by most of the better teams today. The most effective pairing was Ron Davis and Gossage, with Davis typically entering the game in the 7th or 8th innings and Gossage finishing up. During one stretch with that pairing, the Yankees won 77 of 79 games in which they led after six innings.

One difference between Gossage and more recent closers is that Gossage often pitched as many as three innings to finish a game, while modern closers typically pitch the ninth inning only.

Gossage served up three of the more memorable and majestic home runs in major-league history. On Oct. 10, 1980, Kansas City's George Brett hit a tide-turning three-run homer off Gossage into Yankee Stadium's right-field upper deck to lead the Royals to a three-game sweep in the American League Championship Series. Almost three years later during the regular season, Brett got to the Goose again in the Bronx, blasting a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the ninth in a game memorialized as the "Pine Tar Game." Brett had already rounded the bases and reached his dugout when New York manager Billy Martin contended that Brett had used a bat that had pine tar (a sticky, smelly substance used by batters to aid their grips) too far up the bat handle (exceeding 18 inches, per rule). Home-plate umpire Tim McClelland measured the bat (using the 17-inch-wide home plate as a "yardstick") and agreed, much to the dismay of Brett, who made one of the maddest dashes ever out of a dugout in protest, and the Yankees won 4-3. Later, American League President Lee McPhail overruled the umpire's decision, and the game was resumed on a day the following month (the Royals winning 5-4). A year later as a member of the Padres, Gossage, disdaining an intentional walk with first base open, yielded Kirk Gibson's three-run blast into the third deck at Tiger Stadium, which capped off the Detroit Tigers' 8-4 win in the fifth and deciding game of the 1984 World Series.

[edit] Record

During his career, Gossage pitched in 1,002 games and finished 681 of them, earned 310 saves. Per every nine innings pitched, Gossage averaged 7.45 hits allowed and 7.47 strikeouts. He also made nine All-Star appearances and pitched in three World Series.

He led the American League in saves in 1975 (26), 1978 (27) and 1980 (33).

He holds the New York Yankees career record for ERA (2.14) and hits per nine innings (6.59).

In eight of his first first 10 seasons as a closer, Gossage's ERA was less than 2.27.[1] Over his career, right-handed hitters hit a minuscule .211 against him.

[edit] Hall of Fame candidacy

Gossage has campaigned openly for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was first eligible for induction in the 2000 balloting, and received less than 32% of the votes of the BBWAA (75% are required for induction). His support has steadily increased, with his showing in the 2007 balloting of 71.2% his best yet. No previous candidate has ever received that high a percentage of votes without being inducted on a subsequent ballot.

Gossage's failure to be elected thus far is often attributed to a lack of appreciation of the role of closer, a relatively recent innovation in baseball strategy[citation needed]. The induction of Bruce Sutter in 2006 made Sutter only the third closer in the Hall (after Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley), and Gossage is widely seen as next in line. Still, Gossage publicly voiced his displeasure at the decision of the writers to enshrine Sutter, at the exclusion of himself.

[edit] Retirement

Gossage lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is active in the community promoting and sponsoring youth sports. In 1995, the City of Colorado Springs dedicated the Rich "Goose" Gossage Youth Sports Complex, which features five fields for youth baseball and softball competition.

He has written an autobiography, released in 2000, entitled The Goose is Loose (Ballantine: New York).

[edit] External links

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