Rich Gossage
Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners
Relief Pitcher
"Goose" was one of the most dominant relief pitchers of his era, shaping his position along with Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter. During his 23-year career, Gossage reached the 20-save plateau 10 times, twice saving 30 or more games for the Yankees. Playing under the pressures and lights of New York City, Gossage became one of the most feared pitchers in the game, the last man opposing teams wanted to see on the mound in the ninth inning. He was the 1975 Fireman of the Year with the White Sox and again in 1978 with the Yanks. He was named to the All-Star team 9 times in an 11-year span, and led the American League in saves twice, finishing with 310, tenth on the all-time career list. The recent surge in relief pitching as a specialized position, however, may hurt Gossage's chances for the Hall of Fame.
CAREER STATISTICS
(1976-1993)
G = 1002
IP = 1809.1
W = 124
L = 107
SV = 310
K = 1502
ERA = 3.01
GOOSE GOSSAGE LINKS