Hall of Fame selection of Goose Gossage a welcome relief

How do you spell relief? The Yankees spelled it G-O-O-S-E from 1978 to 1983 and few did the job better. Like most Yankees I didn't like him at the time he played, but appreciated him way more after he left the squad. He earned 310 saves in a career that began as a starter. In fact, he was a reluctant reliever for the Chicago White Sox at a time when relievers were still considered the scrubs of a pitching staff.

But Goose helped change that. He became the team's closer. The fireman who came in and doused the flames of the other's team's attempted comeback. Back then, offense wasn't as prevalent as it is now and a starter could probably get to the ninth inning more than half of the time. But then there were the moments when Ron Guidry or Tommy John would run into trouble and out of gas, and out of the pen would come this bull of a man, The Goose. The Mets used to have this silly looking, but fun baseball-shaped golf cart that they'd drive the relief pitcher in with. The Yankees used a boring K-car. Now I can't remember if Goose drove in with this K-car or not, I'm hoping not. It would have hurt his entrance. He had a thick Fu-Manchu moustache and a nasty scowl and he'd scare opposing hitters with his high hard heat.

Of course, hating the Yankees as I do, my favorite Gossage moment was when he gave up a go-ahead home run to George Brett in the 1983 Pine Tar Game. As Brett crossed home plate, Billy Martin showed the umpires that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat and he was thrown out of the game and the home run was disallowed. Brett went nuts, the AL president overturned the umpire's decision and the home run stood. But it was similar to another home run Gossage gave up to Brett in the 1980 playoffs. But pointing out two times when Gossage failed is unfair compared to the rest of his body of work.

He converted 50-plus saves that were from the 7th inning on, unlike today's "closers" who only come in for the 9th inning and usually with no one on base. He also converted 81 saves with the tying run on base, unlike Mariano Rivera, who has only saved 29 such games. In a group of the greatest closers, you have to separate the players into two categories. One would start with Dennis Eckersly, the first "modern" closer, who was not brought in before the ninth inning and rarely with men on base. That would start in 1988 and before that you would have the older closers like Rollie Fingers, Gossage and Bruce Sutter. The older guys' 300 saves might be worth more than the younger guys' 500+ saves. I know John Franco had 400+ saves in the modern era and I would not take five of him over one Goose.

As for taking 9 years to finally put the Goose into the Hall of Fame, I'm not sure what the baseball writers are thinking sometimes. I understand certain players deserve to go in on the first ballot over others, like a Babe Ruth or Willie Mays, but after that, what makes you a Hall of Famer in your second year of eligibility versus your 9th year. It is these kind of shaky grounds for election that make me appreciate the Hall of Fame less and less each year. Really, any kind of event that involves voting over performance. Jim Rice should have been in long ago, now he'll have to wait for his 15th and final turn at bat.

I enjoy wrestling because you have to pin the man to win, but I don't like boxing because a "judge" votes on whether you won or lost. Point totals of how many and how hard your punches are should be the deciding factor, but they are not. That's why champions keep their titles unless they are knocked out. Figure skating has a similar bias built in. Any event that relies on voting really disinterests me.

When Keith Hernandez, a tremendous clutch hitter and the greatest defensive first baseman of all time, is no longer eligible for the Hall of Fame, then that is an organization that really does not deserve my attention.

The Freditor