Goose named to Hall of Fame

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January 8, 2008 - Former star reliever Goose Gossage was the only player voted into Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. Gossage, who closed World Series games for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, also pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco, Texas, Oakland and Seattle during a 22-year major-league career. The nine-time All-Star led his league in saves three times and totaled 310 in his career, which ended in 1994. Gossage, in his ninth year on the ballot, was listed on 466 ballots, 85.8 percent of the total cast by 10-year members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots cast in order to be enshrined. This year's threshold was 408 votes. Three other former Chicago players, all of whom have Rockford RiverHawks ties, were among the top 10. Former Cub Andre Dawson, at 65.9 percent, was one of only three non-elected players to be named on more than half the ballots. Former Cub Lee Smith (43.3 percent) was fifth and former White Sox outfielder and coach Tim Raines (24.3 percent) was eighth. Dawson and Smith have each appeared at the RiverHawks' annual FanFest in previous years. Raines is the brother-in-law of former Rockford ace Tanner Watson, who signed with the Cubs last month. In addition to his postseason success - he had eight playoff saves - he was also the pitcher who gave up George Brett's infamous "pine-tar" home run in 1983. Gossage will see a familiar face at the induction ceremonies July 27 in Cooperstown. Dick Williams, Gossage's manager with the 1984 champion Padres, was voted in last month by the Veterans Committee. The Padres lost the World Series to Detroit that year. Ironically, two of the stars of the World Champion Tigers, Jack Morris, the winningest pitcher of the 1980s, and World Series MVP Alan Trammell were in the top 10, but fell well short of election.

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