Gossage, Dick Williams Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Even after his induction was complete and the crowd had wandered off, Rich "Goose" Gossage was still trying to come to grips with his new status as a Hall of Famer.

Rich "Goose" Gossage wipes a tear as he deliveres his induction speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., Sunday, July 27, 2008.

(Mike Groll / AP Photo)
More Photos

"I still have to pinch myself to realize that I've had the type of career I've had," said Gossage, after becoming just the fifth reliever enshrined at Cooperstown.

"My whole career is kind of a storybook. If I had to write a script, I wouldn't change a thing," said Gossage, who spent 22 years as one of baseball's most menacing and dominating relief pitchers.

Gossage was inducted Sunday, along with Dick Williams — one of Gossage's former managers — who managed six teams in a 21-year career, winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973. He also won league pennants with the Boston Red Sox in 1967 and San Diego Padres in 1984.

Related

PHOTOS: A Stash of Sports-Staches

PHOTOS: Home Run Club Shake-Up

Full Coverage at ESPN.com

But the crowd of 14,000 was decidedly New York Yankees fans, cheering Gossage with choruses of "Goooooose!

"I'm like a kid going on his first ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years," Gossage said during his acceptance speech.

Gossage had to pause twice to collect his thoughts — including once when he was moved to tears talking about now dead teammates Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer.

Gossage was elected in January on his ninth try, almost unimaginable given his pioneering place in the evolution of today's relief pitcher.

Gossage —entering the hall wearing a New York Yankees hat — finished his career in 1994 with a 124-107 record, 1,502 strikeouts and 3.01 ERA in 1,002 games. He ranks third in both wins in relief (115) and innings pitched in relief (1,556).

Of his 310 career saves, Gossage worked more than two innings 52 times. By comparison, prior to the 2008 season, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had done that just once in 443 saves and San Diego's Trevor Hoffman, the career saves leader, has never done it.

In 125 of his saves, Gossage recorded at least six outs.