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Gossage — a closer before the term existed — proud to be Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, waves while being introduced before the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium on July 15. As Rich "Goose" Gossage tells the story, a running joke around the 1992-93 Oakland Athletics involved coach and noted quipster Rene Lachemann calling Gossage "a real reliever" — as in one who sometimes had thrown two or three innings to earn a save. Always within earshot of Lachemann's words was then A's closer Dennis Eckersley, who was in the midst of mounting Hall of Fame numbers as one of the game’s first one-inning closers. Different eras, different roles, touche', Lach. Eckersley shot through to Cooperstown on the first ballot in 2004, and rightfully so, with almost 200 victories — most coming... [read full story]
