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1-11-2007 By ERIC AHLQVIST Editor Gossage, a hard throwing, intimidating relief pitcher for nine teams during his 22-year career, including the 1978 World Series champion Yankees, was the only electee to emerge from the Baseball Writers' of America vote. Gossage will be inducted into the baseball museum on Sunday, July 27, along with one of his former managers, Dick Williams, who was one of five elected by the Veterans Committee in November. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather go into the Hall of Fame with than Dick Williams," Gossage said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday afternoon from his Colorado home. "Along with Chuck Tanner, Dick Williams was the greatest manager I played for." Gossage had a career-defining game with the New York Yankees at the end of the 1978 season, when he pitched the final two and two-thirds innings of the Bombers' one game playoff win over the Boston Red Sox. Known for his multiple inning saves, Gossage said Tuesday none were more important than preserving the Yankees' 5-4 win in Boston on Oct. 2, 1978. "That's probably the biggest game I ever pitched in," Gossage said. "There was so much pressure to win, and I think we felt the playoffs and World Series were anti-climactic after winning that game." With the tying run on base, Gossage retired future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski on a pop-up to third base to end the game. Jim Rice was Boston's leftfielder in that game, and narrowly missed joining Gossage on the Induction stage in July. Rice, a one-time American League MVP, received 72.2 percent of the vote, just short of the 75 percent needed for election. "I've always said that Jim Rice belongs in the Hall of Fame," said Gossage, who received 86 percent of the vote. "No hitter scared me, but Jim Rice came the closest." In a career that spanned from 1972- 1994, Gossage recorded 310 saves. During his prime years from 1977-83, Gossage led all pitchers with a minimum of 350 innings pitched in ERA (2.00), strikeouts (9.07), hits and base runners (9.56) per nine innings. A nine-time All-Star who was a member of one championship team with the New York Yankees, Gossage never did save more than 33 games in a season. However, saves were not as common then as they are in today's game. He is the fifth reliever ever to gain entrance into the museum. "I don't think any pitcher saw the evolution of the closer like I did," said Gossage, who broke in with the Chicago White Sox in 1972. "Closers are used properly in today's game. Having a Mariano Rivera or a Trevor Hoffman waiting in the wings is a tremendous psychological advantage for teams." Besides Williams, former owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss, former commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former manager Billy Southworth, all deceased, will also be enshrined at the ceremony that will include the presentation of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing to the late Larry Whiteside. The Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting will be announced on Feb. 19. Gossage was the closer and Williams the manager on the 1984 San Diego team that won the National League pennant before losing to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. "To be on the San Diego team that was the first to make it to the World Series was quite a thrill and the fans there were tremendous," Gossage said. "It was one of the highlights of my career." Slugger Mark McGwire, who hit close to 600 career home runs, received less than 25 percent of the vote for the second straight year. Many writers suspect McGwire of steroid use after refusing to answer questions before Congress two years ago. "My advice to anyone from that era is just to come clean if you did it and get it behind you," Gossage said when asked about steroid use in baseball. "We need to know the truth in order to preserve baseball's most important aspect, its history. Just tell the truth and get it behind you." The only other players to be listed on more than half the ballots were outfielder Andre Dawson with 358 votes (65.9) and pitcher Bert Blyleven with 336 (61.9). Rounding out the top 10 were pitchers Lee Smith, Jack Morris and Tommy John; outfielder Tim Raines, McGwire and shortstop Alan Trammell. John, like Rice, also has one year remaining on the ballot. This year's election marked the 15th and final try for former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion, who received 88 votes and will eventually come under review by the Veterans Committee. Of the 11 newcomers to the ballot, only Raines received sufficient support of five percent (28 votes) or more to stay on the ballot, with 132 votes (24.3). The list included pitcher Jose Rijo, who previously appeared on the ballot in 2001 before coming out of retirement to pitch in 2001 and '02. Rijo received one vote in 2001 and none this year. Other holdovers who will remain on the ballot are Don Mattingly, Dave Parker, Dale Murphy and Harold Baines. The complete ballot vote: Rich "Goose" Gossage 466 (85.8 percent), Jim Rice 392 (72.2), Andre Dawson 358 (65.9), Bert Blyleven 336 (61.9), Lee Smith 235 (43.3), Jack Morris 233 (42.9), Tommy John 158 (29.1), Tim Raines 132 (24.3), Mark McGwire 128 (23.6), Alan Trammell 99 (18.2), Dave Concepcion 88 (16.2), Don Mattingly 86 (15.8), Dave Parker 82 (15.1), Dale Murphy 75 (13.8), Harold Baines 28 (5.2), Rod Beck 2 (0.4), Travis Fryman 2 (0.4), Robb Nen 2 (0.4), Shawon Dunston 1 (0.2), Chuck Finley 1 (0.2), David Justice 1 (0.2), Chuck Knoblauch 1 (0.2), Todd Stottlemyre 1 (0.2), Brady Anderson 0, Jose Rijo 0 |
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