Gossage shows soft side at Hall

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- For more than two decades, Rich “Goose” Gossage unnerved batters as one of baseball’s most menacing and dominating relief pitchers. On Sunday, it was his turn for the jitters.

“This experience is overwhelming, over the top. I can’t put in words what this means,” Gossage told a decidedly pro-New York Yankees crowd during the National Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony that capped his 22-year career.

Gossage had to pause twice to collect his thoughts -- including once when he was moved to tears talking about now-dead teammates Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer.

“I’m like a kid going on his first ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years,” said Gossage, whose speech was interspersed with choruses of “Goose” from the crowd.

Dick Williams -- one of Gossage’s former managers -- also was inducted Sunday. Williams managed six teams during a 21-year career, winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973. He also won league pennants with the Boston Red Sox in 1967 and with the San Diego Padres in 1984.

“It’s hard to believe that at age 79, this has to be one of my most memorable times,” said Williams, whose 1,571 managerial wins are good for 17th place all-time.

More than 14,000 people watched the ceremony, including a record 56 of the 64 living Hall of Famers.

Gossage was elected in January on his ninth try. He finished his career in 1994 with a 124-107 record, 1,502 strikeouts and 3.01 earned-run average in 1,002 games. He ranks third in both wins in relief (115) and innings pitched in relief (1,556).

Of his 310 career saves, Gossage worked more than two innings 52 times.

By comparison, before to the 2008 season, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had done that only once in 443 saves and San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman, the career saves leader, has never done it.

In 125 of his saves, Gossage recorded at least six outs.

The 57-year-old Gossage, a nine-time All-Star, joins Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley as relievers enshrined in Cooperstown.

Others inducted Sunday were former Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, former Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, former commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former manager Billy Southworth, all deceased. Along with Williams, they were voted in by the revamped Veterans Committee.

Also honored were the late Larry Whiteside, a pioneering black journalist, who received the J.G. Taylor Spink Award; and Ford C. Frick Award winner Dave Niehaus.