Get the Goose

So, when exactly does Goose Gossage get in the Hall of Fame? Really, Goose (pictured in AP photo from MLB.com) was the dominant closer, helping to create the position, winning two rings in the process. Mariano Rivera, the best of all time, has four rings — so let the big guy in, already. (And this is from a confirmed Yankee hater.)

Gossage logged his first save in 1972 and No. 310 in 1994. In the 22 intervening seasons — he was out of the game in 1990 — he excelled as a workhorse closer for three franchises — the White Sox, Yankees and Padres.

Gossage also had shorter stints with six other teams later in his career, and this vagabond exit may have weakened his Hall of Fame stature in the eyes of some voters.

However, his platform includes an extra dimension that separates him from the glut of closers who have faced an apparent electorate bias, just as did two relievers elected recently. Dennis Eckersley (2004) had re-invention going for him, having been a successful starting pitcher before embarking on a second career as a closer. Bruce Sutter (2006) and his split-fingered fastball pioneered the modern role of closers.

Gossage was the last of a breed, a fireman whose hose was ready any time and for any length and for whom saves were an incidental reward, not the sole objective. He mixed his saves with 114 relief wins, a total out of the reach of today’s ninth-inning specialists.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet