Goose Gossage Biography

Richard Michael Goose Gossage was born on July 5, 1951, and played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1994. Goose Gossage played for nine teams in his MLB career, with his most productive seasons occurring while with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. Gossage recorded the final out in a division, league, or World Series title-clinching game on seven occasions. In 2008, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Satchel Paige and Hoyt Wilhelm as the only Hall-of-Fame pitchers to have played for nine franchises. His 1975 season ranks as the most valuable by a relief pitcher in MLB history, with 8.2 wins above replacement, surpassing John Hiller's previous record of 7.9. After the 1976 season, the Chicago White Sox traded Gossage along with Terry Forster to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Silvio Martinez and Richie Zisk. Gossage became a free agent following the 1977 season and signed with the New York Yankees, agreeing to a contract worth $3.6 million over six years.