BRIEF: Gossage Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Jan 08, 06:41 PM

By Sam Mellinger, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Jan. 8--As had been speculated, relief pitcher Goose Gossage was the only man selected today to be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Gossage was picked on 466 of the 543 (85.8 percent) ballots cast in his ninth year of eligibility. Last year, he missed induction by just 21 votes.

Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice missed induction by just 16 votes, gaining 72.2 percent. Next was Andre Dawson (65.9 percent), Bert Blyleven (61.9 percent), Lee Smith (43.3 percent), and Jack Morris (42.9 percent).

Gossage was a nine-time All-Star and one of the pioneers of the modern closers role, known for a fastball and attitude that matched his wild Fu Manchu. He saved 310 games and was the closer for the 1978 World Series champion Yankees.

Mark McGwire, who received 23.5 percent in his first year of eligibility last year, didn't get much of a bump, getting 23.6 percent.

See Wednesday's Star for more on the Hall of Fame.

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