Goose!!It's always great when an old Sox player makes it into the Hall of Fame, and yesterdays raising of Rich Gossage into the Hall was well deserved. Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, he and another Chicago icon Bruce Sutter were the two most mind blowing closers in the game. Since the advent of a position of "The Closer" on teams seemed to gain full steam during these players careers, I have always felt that these two did more than any other to popularize that spot.
Although it is funny to think now, also was a starter. Coming up in the White Sox system, he won his first seven games a long reliever. He became the Sox's closer in 1975. On a terrible team, he was the All Star: 9-8 record, 26 saves, and a 1.84 ERA.
He made the All Star team again in 1976- the only player to ever make it in consecutive years as both a reliever one year and a starter the next- but he had a rough year. He had a decent ERA, but on a miserable team he went 9-17. Ouch.
What will seem familier to Sox fans, he was traded the next year for richie Zisk's one year run in the South Side Hit Men. Most of Gossage's career stats were achieved after leaving Chicago. However, one of my favourite Goose moments came back in Chicago as a Texas Ranger in 1991. He was 40yo and nearing the end of his career- well, he had a few more years- but still being called into games with the outcome in doubt. In July of that year, the Sox were losing 8-6 when they loaded the bases against Goose in the bottom of the ninth. Now remember, I love any old Sox player and I'm not rejoicing in this particular defeat of the Goose- but this game I remember for more reasons than baseball (the girl @ the time, the context, that nite), and so it's always stuck in my mind. The Sox loaded the bases, and Robin Ventura hit one of his near record career grand slams to win in the ninth.
Thanks, Goose, for it all. That fastball. That facial hair. The pitching style. The effect he had on the closer position. And for conjuring up that context. On many levels, I rejoice in the Goose making it to this stage.
Well done.
