Snubbed Gossage Rips Hall of Fame Voters

[-Slap-]

I don't care if some people want to call this sour grapes, the man is absolutely correct. I appreciate his candor.

Snubbed Gossage rips Hall of Fame voters

FOXSports.com

Former closer Rich "Goose" Gossage isn't too happy that he failed to win election into baseball's Hall of Fame, according to a report in the New York Post.

Gossage received 336 votes, which is short of the 390 needed for election. The former right-hander finished behind fellow closer Bruce Sutter, who won election by getting 400 votes, and former slugger Jim Rice who got 337 votes.


Rich 'Goose' Gossage came up
54 votes short of induction into
baseball's Hall of Fame.
(File photo / Associated Press)

"I just don't get it," a frustrated Gossage told The Post from Colorado on Tuesday. "I'm at a loss for words."

Gossage, a former Yankees' fireballer, seems angry that he failed to get into the Hall of Fame despite the fact that he has, among other things, more career saves, victories, and strikeouts (948) than Sutter.

"I just can't believe Sutter got in before me," Gossage added."He deserved it. I was hoping Sutter and I could go in together. ... I don't know if I ever will make it."

"You know what, I never hear from these guys who don't vote for me," Gossage said. "But I'll take on any writer, anywhere, on any show, and I will bury him."

Gossage also feels badly for peers such as Rice, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven — all of whom were left on the outside looking in.

The "Goose's" feelings concerning Rice's snub were particularly strong as he called it a "joke" that the Twins' Kirby Puckett was elected on the first ballot. Rice meanwhile is now 0-for-12 in Hall entry attempts.

"If Jim Rice had played in the Metrodome, he would have torn the place down, and that's nothing against Kirby Puckett, that's just the way it is," Gossage said.

What's more, Gossage often pitched two or three innings to earn his saves, and he says comparing him to current closers such as Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera is like comparing apples to oranges.

"The job is so easy because they're only pitching one inning," Gossage said. "Writers have forgotten how the role has changed."

And don't get him started on Barry Bonds and other allegedly drug-enhanced sluggers we watch now.

"Hitting in a game is no different than hitting in a home run contest," Gossage said. "It [ticks] me off to say Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter. He's playing in a wussy era. The game is soft. You never get thrown at today. Last thing a hitter has to worry about today is getting hit. The first thing Hank Aaron had to worry about is: Am I going to survive this at-bat because I'm black."

[Clockwork Orange]

Amen.

Nice to see someone has the balls to stand up and call these voters out for the farce they've turned this into. I mentioned this on another thread somewhere, but it still blows me away that a dozen of the voters returned their ballots blank. It's should be an honor to have a say in who is elected to the HOF and these jerkoffs apparently couldn't find time in their busy schedules to make an informed judgement and fill in their ballots.

[-Slap-]

Actually those jagovs feel they're making a stand for "Hall integrity". By returning a blank ballot they increase the raw number of votes necessary to reach the 75% required for enshrinement. 12 blank ballots mean that each candidate this year needed nine more votes to make the cut. Nobody came close enough to be affected, but I would still like to see that gutless dirty dozen get skulled like Cey in the World Series.

[Clockwork Orange]

Yes, I'm sure that "Hall Integrity" will be priority number 1 when those same assbags all vote B*nds in on the first ballot.

I guess guys like Gossage, Rice and Dawson should have juiced up. Why not? It's gonna get McGwire, B*nds and Sosa into the Hall and it got Canseco a ****load more money and attention than he ever deserved for not only being a cheater, but also for being the "Sammy The Bull" of baseball.

[Bronco LB 59]

The "fireman" is extinct these days in baseball. Gossage is absolutely right. Today's closers generally enter the game with a lead and nobody on-base. Sutter racked over 100 IP in five separate seasons. Gossage did it 4 times out of the pen which included a 141.2 IP season in 1975 for the White Sox!

What baffles me about this year's vote is Sutter lacks the longevity of success that many everyday players and starting pitchers get hammered for by the same writers!

[-Slap-]

Sutter is enshrined primarily because he popularized the pitch that became the split fingered fastball. That deserved an exhibit, not enshrinement. Besides, how many young pitchers ruined their arms trying to throw that damn thing? When Roger Craig was the pitching coach in Frisco, he had every pitcher in the organization throwing splitters. They led the league in elbow surgeries.

[Rascal]

Actually met Goose in Colorado about four years ago. Still had that dominating presence about him, but was a solid guy though from what I could tell.

This is just another reason why baseball has gone down the ****ter and why I refuse to watch.

[Breck Bronc]

I was hoping Goose would become the first player born in Colorado to be inducted to the baseball HOF.

I think Goosage has slightly better stats than Sutter in both the regular season and postseason. He should be there in Cooperstown either along with or instead of Bruce Sutter (Is there anything more exciting than Bruce Sutter being inducted to the HOF? ).

[RaiderH8r]

"Hitting in a game is no different than hitting in a home run contest," Gossage said. "It [ticks] me off to say Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter. He's playing in a wussy era. The game is soft. You never get thrown at today. Last thing a hitter has to worry about today is getting hit. The first thing Hank Aaron had to worry about is: Am I going to survive this at-bat because I'm black."

Truth.

Barroid makes me want to puke. Aaron did it fair and square in a tougher era of baseball. He did it with the utmost class and did it while living in the south. I get so aggrivated over this. f*** barroid. Somebody needs to put one in his ear, IBB just run up pitch counts. Save the 3 pitches and put it in his ear.

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

Sutter is enshrined primarily because he popularized the pitch that became the split fingered fastball. That deserved an exhibit, not enshrinement. Besides, how many young pitchers ruined their arms trying to throw that damn thing? When Roger Craig was the pitching coach in Frisco, he had every pitcher in the organization throwing splitters. They led the league in elbow surgeries.

Although a good splitter is just wicked. Sutter is solid, it's debatable. I would have liked to see Rice and Dawson get in. Goose should have gotten in too.

[-Slap-]

Originally Posted by RaiderH8r

"Hitting in a game is no different than hitting in a home run contest," Gossage said. "It [ticks] me off to say Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter. He's playing in a wussy era. The game is soft. You never get thrown at today. Last thing a hitter has to worry about today is getting hit. The first thing Hank Aaron had to worry about is: Am I going to survive this at-bat because I'm black."

Truth.

Barroid makes me want to puke. Aaron did it fair and square in a tougher era of baseball. He did it with the utmost class and did it while living in the south. I get so aggrivated over this. f*** barroid. Somebody needs to put one in his ear, IBB just run up pitch counts. Save the 3 pitches and put it in his ear.

The Dodgers had this mean old bastard named Stan "Big Daddy" Williams. He hit Henry Aaron in the head during a game, early in both of their careers. Afterwards he called the Braves clubhouse and told Aaron he was sorry he hit him in the head. Hank said not to worry about it. Then Williams told him, "I was trying to hit you in the neck."

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

The Dodgers had this mean old bastard named Stan "Big Daddy" Williams. He hit Henry Aaron in the head during a game, early in both of their careers. Afterwards he called the Braves clubhouse and told Aaron he was sorry he hit him in the head. Hank said not to worry about it. Then Williams told him, "I was trying to hit you in the neck."

Now THAT's old time baseball. Barroid would be cowering in the clubhouse in fear should he have played in that era.