Goose Gossage the Lone Player Voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Jan 08, 07:40 PM

A few hours later, he was engulfed by an avalanche of emotion.

After eight failed attempts, Gossage was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 85.8 percent of the 543 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

"It was very emotional, off the charts," said Gossage, one of the most feared late-inning relievers in the game during a 22-year career. "I can't even describe the feeling."

Gossage, 56, was the only former player on the ballot to receive the requisite 75 percent of the votes for election. In his next-to-last year on the writers' ballot, Jim Rice received 72.2 percent of the votes cast, falling a mere 16 short.

Gossage said he hoped Rice would get in next year, and also voiced support for Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven, who received 65.9 percent and 61.9 percent of the vote, respectively.

"I think Jim Rice does belong in the Hall of Fame," said Gossage, who retired with 310 career saves. "I've said all along that no hitter scared me, but Jim Rice came the closest."

Mark McGwire continued to be ostracized for his possible connection to steroid use, receiving the exact same number of votes _ 128 _ as in his first try. Because two fewer votes were cast than a year ago, McGwire's percentage rose from 23.5 percent to 23.6 percent.

Gossage empathized with voters struggling with what to do with players from the so-called "Steroid Era" and said it was time for all who cheated to come clean.

"This steroid thing is hanging over baseball," Gossage said in a conference call with baseball writers. "Maybe we can put this behind us and give you guys a defining path in how you should vote for these guys.

"I'm glad the Mitchell Report was done. I think it was something that needed to be done. The best thing they can do is come clean and `fess up, and life will go on. It is important to take care of this, because of the great history in the game that took place before these guys."

Gossage said he now considered Roger Clemens in the same category as Barry Bonds, as elite players whose accomplishments are in question because of suspected steroid use. Bonds is facing charges of lying to a grand jury about steroid use and Clemens was accused in the Mitchell Report of being injected with steroids by trainer Brian McNamee.

"I think they are on the same level now, no question about it," said Gossage. "They had some of their best years at a time when some Hall of Famers' talents were diminishing.

"If they find they did do performance-enhancing drugs and HGH, I think it needs to be dealt with. There's too much at stake with the great players that came before them. Now we've got to figure out who's telling the truth."

Gossage, who will be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 27, became the fifth relief pitcher to be elected, joining Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter. He admitted to being frustrated at failing in his previous eight attempts, noting that his mother, who died in 2006, did not get to share in the joyous occasion.

"The anticipation has been tremendous," he said. "I can't lie. There has been some frustration and disappointment. I always said I didn't have to take a back seat to anybody in the Hall of Fame that was a relief pitcher."

Gossage pitched for nine teams, including two tours of duty with the New York Yankees. He compiled a 124-107 record and 3.01 earned run average in 1,002 games, leading the American League in saves three times and earning nine all-star berths.

The fire-balling right-hander said the most memorable game of his career was the 1978 one-game showdown between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox for the AL East crown, which he saved after Bucky Dent put New York ahead with his dramatic home run.

"It was too bad there had to be a loser that day," he said. "It didn't seem like one game should determine the outcome of the season."

Gossage said the three most influential people in his career were Dick Allen, a teammate with the Chicago White Sox at the start of his career, Pittsburgh manager Chuck Tanner and pitching coach Johnny Sain. After starting for the White Sox in 1976, Gossage was converted to a relief pitcher by Tanner with the Pirates in `77.

Gossage will be reunited in Cooperstown with former manager Dick Williams, for whom he pitched in San Diego in 1984, when the Padres won the National League pennant.

"He's probably the greatest manager I ever played for," said Gossage.

Of the 11 players eligible for the first time, only Tim Raines, with 24.3 percent, received the necessary 5 percent of the votes cast to remain on the ballot.

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