COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The private party in the plaque room Saturday night was drawing to a close. Rich “Goose” Gossage stood near the back, with Bob Feller over his left shoulder and Yogi Berra within arm’s reach, when the question floored him.
“Has it hit me?” Gossage said. “Are you freakin’ kidding me? It’s just all so overwhelming.”
Before an estimated 14,000 fans at the Clark Sports Center on Sunday, Gossage continued struggling to wrap his mind around the accomplishment. He is the first Colorado-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and only the fifth reliever, his immortality forever etched in Cooperstown on a plaque featuring him wearing a Yankees cap and vintage Fu Manchu mustache.
“Everywhere I turned this weekend, I had to pinch myself,” Gossage said. “I had high expectations of what this would be like, and it totally blew them away.”
In the days leading up to his induction, Gossage rehearsed his acceptance speech roughly 100 times, a calisthenic nearly as trying as his 310 saves.
He slept surprisingly well Saturday, asleep by midnight, before waking up for breakfast and one more dry run. Former Yankees manager Gene Michaels suggested that Gossage reconsider the beginning, replacing heartfelt thanks with the quizzical “What took you guys so long?”
Gossage was not elected to the Hall until his ninth year on the ballot, a slight that created anger and disappointment. Both emotions were noticeably absent as Gossage read the words one last time at the Otesaga Resort. Knowing he was nervous, his wife, Corna, couldn’t resist a little levity.
” ‘Aren’t you supposed to be on the bus by 11:45?’ ” she said. “He panicked. He thought he was late. He was still in his underwear.”
After playing 22 years, and waiting 14 years to get the Hall’s call, Gossage gladly sat for three hours on stage for his turn to address the fans, the majority of whom were wearing Yankees gear. At 2:29 MDT, Gossage held up his plaque as the crowd showered him with chants of “Goooooossse!”
Several former teammates, including Ron “Gator” Guidry, Graig Nettles and Jim Beattie, were there, as were Jenny Steinbrenner, daughter of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
“Yeah, we’re fighting for a playoff spot, but there are more important things at hand,” Cashman said. “And that’s watching a true Yankee get his Hall of Fame ring. We are all really proud of him.”
Gossage focused on family early in his 10-minute speech, staring admiringly down at Corna and his three grown sons: Jeff, Keith and Todd.
His voice cracked a bit when talking of his late parents, Jake and Sue. And again when he spoke of deceased teammates Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer.
It was Jake who inspired Goose, constantly telling him he would reach the big leagues. The idea seemed far-fetched, with Gossage admitting that the Yankees he grew up loving — Mickey Mantle was his favorite — were like fictional characters.
“But my dad really believed Rick would make it,” said Paula, Gossage’s sister. “To be here and see him with Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford — this is surreal.”
Gossage figured his baseball career was over before it started when he had a poor senior outing for Wasson High School in front of scouts. He accepted a job coaching Little Leaguers and was prepared to go to college when the White Sox selected him in the ninth round of the 1970 draft.
“Their scout, Bill Kimble, offered me $5,000. I settled for $8,000. That was the first time I knew that I needed help negotiating contracts,” he said to laughter.
Gossage spent much of his time thanking teammates, coaches and managers who impacted his career. Men like Ray Berres, Johnny Sain, Chuck Tanner, fellow inductee Dick Williams and White Sox slugger Dick Allen. The idea that Tanner, fresh off serious surgery, and Allen would drive to Cooperstown to spend 30 minutes with him Saturday left Gossage floored. “I was bawling when I saw them,” Gossage said.
Gossage, known for his intensity, on Sunday revealed his passion for the game. He retired by default in 1994 because no one offered him a job, not because he wanted to leave. Gossage played for nine different teams but is most remembered as a Yankee. He helped revolutionize the closer’s role, creating the template for predecessors.
“You have heard me say that my career was like a kid getting on his favorite ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years,” Gossage said.
Gossage closed Sunday on the dais with 56 other legends flanking him, the largest gathering ever of Hall of Famers. He finished where he started, centering on his family.
“My mom and dad have passed away, but I feel their presence here today,” Gossage said. “They were my greatest fans, and together with my brothers and my sisters, my wife and sons, have all supported me. This experience has been overwhelming, over the top. I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here today.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
