Gossage Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Rich "Goose" Gossage, the former Yankees reliever who also pitched with eight other teams, gave a 17-minute acceptance speech as the only player honored this year in Cooperstown. A preeminent fireman reliever of his time, Gossage was the man who ended the epic one-game playoff between the Yankees and the Red Sox in 1978 by getting Carl Yastrzemski to pop out to third base. His plaque will forever show a Yankees cap, though he also made a name for himself with the San Diego Padres. Gossage said the induction was "the most amazing thing, outside of the birth of my three boys, that I've ever been through." He pitched 22 seasons, posting a 3.01 ERA and recording 301 saves, but his workload was most impressive: In that famous 1978 season, when the Yankees came from 14 1/2 games back to beat the Red Sox, he threw 134 innings, all in relief.