Class of: 2008 (BBWAA, 85.8%)
Team: Yankees
Key Stats: 310 Saves, 124 Wins (115 as a reliever), 31.1 WAR
Relief pitchers are a strange beast. They play such a vital role in a team’s success, yet they are either overvalued (K-Rod got MVP votes the year he had 62 saves but a 3.22 FIP in fewer than 70 innings) or underrated (Billy Wagner is languishing on the ballot with little chance for induction right now despite being nearly as dominant as Mariano Rivera). However, the fact remains that relievers are a big part of the game and, when it comes to the Hall of Fame, the true greats should make it in. There was no better reliever (before the dawn of the closers) than Goose Gossage.
Gossage had everything a manager would want in a reliever. He had filthy strikeout pitches, an aura of dominance and the look of intimidation. He first came up with the White Sox in 1972 and produced decent results over 80 games. After a rough 1973 and mediocre 1974 seasons, Gossage began to surge in 1975 and from then until 1987 was the best reliever in the game. He put up more than 1.0 WAR each season during that stretch, including 2.0 WAR as a starter in 1976. Gossage had an ERA above 3.00 three times in that period, threw 75 or more innings nine times and struck out at least 50 batters ten times. The best part is that he went to a lot of postseasons and had a sterling 2.87 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 31 innings and won the 1978 World Series with the Yanks (may have been the MVP of that series had it not been for Reggie). Gossage did have a big moment go against him, however. While pitching for the Padres in the 1984 World Series against the Tigers, Gossage gave up a homer to Kirk Gibson to put the Tigers up by 4 in the eighth inning, and essentially seal the title.
After the 1987 season, Gossage began a long decline period. He still had some years of effectiveness, but didn’t put up more than 1 WAR in any season from 1988 until his retirement. Gossage lost the zip on his fastball and tried to keep pitching with his offspeed deliveries, but just wasn’t the same. He crossed double digits in saves only once in the last six years of his career, and threw 50 or more innings only once in that time frame. Originally out of baseball following the 1989 campaign, Gossage eventually pitched with a Japanese league team before signing back with the Rangers in 1991 and throwing 4 more seasons before completely retiring after 1994’s strike.
Gossage’s rankings at the end of his career are incredible. For relievers during his career, there were few that could match him. He had the most WAR, wins, innings and the fourth best ERA- behind two other Hall of Famers (Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith) and Dan Quisenbery (who some people think should be inducted). There was absolutely no reason why Gossage shouldn’t have been the first reliever inducted on his first ballot. But a few ideas conspired against him. One was that only few relievers should be inducted period. By the time that Gossage was on the ballot, only two relievers were in the Hall of Fame (Rollie Fingers and Hoyt Wilhelm), both of whom held the all-time saves record for a long time which helped them gain induction. Until 2013, the BBWAA seemed disinclined to vote for many candidates, hence why the 1999 class of Nolan Ryan, Dave Winfield and Robin Yount was so impressive. Save numbers were also skyrocketing after 1987 with the new closer role (began by Eckersley and perfected by Rivera), so 310 saves were not seen as extraordinary anymore. Until Sutter’s induction in 2006, relievers just weren’t much of a thought to the BBWAA for the Hall of Fame. Once Sutter was inducted, someone who several people critical of the Hall of Fame believed to be a weak choice, Gossage was someone who the populace cried out for to gain induction, and it isn’t hard to see why. Fingers, Sutter, Wilhelm and Smith can all be debated about where they fall, but they all come after Goose Gossage, the best fireman ever.
Baseball From the Outside 