The Conservative Cave
The Bar => Sports => Topic started by: BlueStateSaint on June 18, 2008, 04:54:07 PM
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This guy rewrote all of the rules for closers. Even though he was a Yankee, I loved the guy.
Gossage anticipating Hall induction
06/18/2008 3:20 PM ET
Legendary closer excited, not nervous, about July ceremony
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- The long summer had come down to this: First and third, two out, ninth inning, a one-run lead and the storybook ending walking to the plate, prepared and equipped to undo all the Yankees had done in the previous 2 1/2 months.
If Rich Gossage had been seated, he would have squirmed in his seat. Instead, he was standing on the rubber at Fenway Park as Carl Yastrzemski brought peril to the batter's box. Gossage's brain squirmed instead; then it transported him from urban New England to rural Colorado. And the Yankees closer had a heart-to-heart with his wobbly knees.
"I starting asking myself, 'Why are you so nervous? This is supposed to be fun. What's the worst thing that can happen? If you lose, you'll be back home in Colorado tomorrow, hunting elk.'"
The elk didn't see Gossage for another month. The worst never happened. Yaz popped up.
The rest of the story is at:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080618&content_id=2954764&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
I wish closers of this day and age would be more like Goose.
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Did I ever mention Mr Flame's brother played High School ball with Goose? He DESERVES the HoF!