About Goose Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 and 1994. He pitched for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gossage was one of the earliest manifestations of the modern closer, with a bold mustache and a gruff demeanor to go along with his overpowering 100 mph fastball. He led the American League (AL) in saves three times and was runner-up twice; by the end of the 1987 season he ranked second in major-league career saves, trailing only Rollie Fingers, although by the end of his career his total of 310 had slipped to fourth all time. When he retired he also ranked third in major-league career games pitched (1,002), and he remains third in wins in relief (115) and innings pitched in relief (1,5562⁄3); his 1,502 strikeouts place him behind only Hoyt Wilhelm among pitchers who pitched primarily in relief. He also is the career leader in blown saves (112). From 1977 through 1983 he never recorded an earned run average over 2.62, including a mark of 0.77 in 1981, and in 1980 he finished third in AL voting for both the MVP Award and Cy Young Award as the Yankees won a division title. Respected for his impact in crucial games, Gossage recorded the final out to clinch a division, league, or World Series title seven times. His eight All-Star selections as a reliever were a record until Mariano Rivera passed him in 2008; he was also selected once as a starting pitcher. In 2008, Gossage was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; he holds the record with Satchel Paige and Hoyt Wilhelm for the most franchises played for (9) by a Hall-of-Fame pitcher. Gossage now works in broadcasting. During his first three major league seasons, he recorded a 4.93 earned run average (ERA). According to wins above replacement (WAR), Gossage's 1975 season is the most valuable by a relief pitcher in MLB history, with 8.2 WAR, surpassing John Hiller's record of 7.9 set just two years earlier with the Detroit Tigers.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.