1981 DRAKES BIG PITCHERS: RICH GOSSAGE

Good day everyone!

On the blog today, a spotlight on another card from my 1981 "Drake's Big Pitchers" custom set released late last year, this one of Hall of Fame reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage:

After spending his first five Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Gossge found himself with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1977 season, performing very well as he would go 11-9 over 72 appearances, with 26 saves and a sparkling 1.62 earned run average over 133 innings, striking out 151 batters.

He parlayed that season in the new Free Agent world, signing with the New York Yankees, where he would star for the next six years, gaining tons of fans, me included.

Gossage was a true character of the game. He was all legs and arms whipping near-100 mile-per-hour fastballs while sporting that trademark 'stache, closing out games for those "Bronx Zoo" teams I loved so much.

He spent six years in the Bronx, and never had an E.R.A. over 2.62, even sporting a microscopic 0.77 in 1981!

He also led the league in saves twice while wearing pinstripes, as well as getting named to three all-star teams.

In 1978, 1980 and 1981 he'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting, in addition to getting some M.V.P. attention.

Around the school-yard I literally spent most of my childhood in, the nickname "Goose" was taken by so many kids it was ridiculous. We all loved that "crazy dude" who looked as mean as any biker.

By the time he was done, Gossage put in a 22 year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008.

He was also given a plaque out in Yankee Stadium this year (to which I am a bit puzzled by), cementing his Yankee legend for all to look back on.

The "Goose", a real wild-man of a closer…

 

GIMMIE A DO-OVER: 1978 RICH GOSSAGE

Up on the blog today, a card I actually printed up for an early WTHBALLS set years ago, my 1978 do-over for Rich "Goose" Gossage:

While Topps originally had him airbrushed into a New York Yankee uniform for their original card, I went ahead and created a Pittsburgh Pirates version, showing him with the team he suited up for the previous year.

After spending his first five Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Gossge found himself with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1977 season, performing very well as he would go 11-9 over 72 appearances, with 26 saves and a sparkling 1.62 earned run average over 133 innings, striking out 151 batters.

He parlayed that season in the new Free Agent world, signing with the New York Yankees, where he would star for the next six years, gaining tons of fans, me included.

Gossage was a true character of the game. He was all legs and arms whipping near-100 mile-per-hour fastballs while sporting that trademark 'stache, closing out games for those "Bronx Zoo" teams I loved so much.

He spent six years in the Bronx, and never had an E.R.A. over 2.62, even sporting a microscopic 0.77 in 1981!

He also led the league in saves twice while wearing pinstripes, as well as getting named to three all-star teams.

In 1978, 1980 and 1981 he'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting, in addition to getting some M.V.P. attention.

Around the school-yard I literally spent most of my childhood in, the nickname "Goose" was taken by so many kids it was ridiculous. We all loved that "crazy dude" who looked as mean as any biker.

By the time he was done, Gossage put in a 22 year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008.

He was also given a plaque out in Yankee Stadium this year (to which I am a bit puzzled by), cementing his Yankee legend for all to look back on.

The "Goose", a real wild-man of a closer…

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1979 A.L. FIREMEN

Ok!

After many months, we have come to the final “expanded league leader” card in my fun thread expanded on Topps popular sub-set through the 1970’s, with the American League’s top three relievers of the 1978 season:

 

We begin with the New York Yankees Rich “goose” Gossage, who led the A.L. with his 37 “points”, with 10 wins and a league-leading 27 saves for the World Champions.

Gossage had an excellent first season with his new team after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates, posting and earned run average of 2.01 over 63 appearances and 134.1 innings of work, striking out 155 batters.

Of course we all know now that the man wasn’t nearly done, as he would continue to mow batters down through the 1994 season, appearing in 1002 games while saving 310, putting in 22 seasons in the Majors, getting elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Just behind Gossage with 35 points, the California Angels Dave LaRoche, who posted his best season in the Majors, winning 10 games while saving 25, with a very nice 2.82 ERA over 95.2 innings, even getting some MVP consideration for his efforts.

Just three years later he’d join the Yankees himself, where he’d pith the last three years of his 14-year career, and entertain us NYC kids with his “La Lob” eephus pitch.

All told, LaRoche finished with a record of 65-58 over 647 games, with a 3.53 ERA and 126 saves between 1970 and 1983.

In third place with 31 points, no stranger to dominating relief seasons, former Cy Young winner Mike Marshall of the Minnesota Twins, who took his talents back to the American League, winning 10 games and saving 21 games.

The man was amazing, as he would follow this up with 42 points the following season, winning 10 games while saving a league-leading 32 while appearing in 90 games, the third time in his career reaching that mark, including a ridiculous 106 games in 1974, still the Big League record some 50 years later.

By the time he retired after the 1981 season, he appeared in 724 games, saving 188 and winning 97, taking home that 1974 Cy Young Award and making two All-Star teams.

Well, this was a FUN thread, and perhaps I’ll keep going into the 1980’s. We shall see!

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 N.L. FIREMEN

On the blog today, an awesome card to create featuring three future Hall of Fame members, an “expanded league leader” 1978 card featuring the National League’s top three firemen of 1977:

 

 

 

We start off with the great Rollie Fingers, who had a wonderful first season in the Senior League, racking up 43 “points” in 1977 as a Free Agent signing for the San Diego Padres.

Fingers led the N.L. with his 35 saves, in addition to his 8 wins, giving him the 43 point total, while also posting a 2.99 earned run average with 113 strikeouts over 132.1 innings of work.

The man was a machine coming out of the bullpen for all three franchises he suited up for: Oakland A’s, Padres and Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he took home a Cy Young Award and MVP in 1981.

In second place with 38 points, a man who was just announcing himself and his future greatness to the Big League world, Chicago Cub reliever Bruce Sutter.

In his second season as a Major Leaguer, Sutter absolutely dominated batter, posting a ridiculous ERA of 1.34 over 107.1 innings, while saving 31 games and winning seven more in 62 appearances.

An absolute beast as a reliever, Sutter would go on to take home a Cy Young Award in 1979 when he saved 37 games while posting a 2.22 ERA over 62 games, striking out 110 batters in 101.1 innings.

In third place, with 37 points, yet another future Hall of Famer, the “Goose” Rich Gossage, who put in one great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates after coming over from the Chicago White Sox, saving 26 games while winning 11 more over 72 appearances, striking out 151 batters over 133 innings while finishing up with a brilliant 1.62 ERA.

He would parlay that performance by signing with the New York Yankees as a Free Agent before the 1978 season, helping them win their second World Series in a row and become a fan favorite through the early-80’s before heading off to the San Diego Padres.

Three studs out of the bullpen who were easily three of the best in the game during that and any other era!

A NICE AIRBRUSHING JOB- 1978 RICH GOSSAGE

Today I’d like to focus on a very nice airbrushing job Topps put out there, the 1978 Rich Gossage card, getting him as a New York Yankee after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Gossage was a huge pick up for the reliever-rich Yanks, as they already had former Cy Young winner Sparky Lyle, leading to one of my favorite baseball-quips of all-time: “You went from Cy Young to sayonara”, uttered by the jokester Graig Nettles to Lyle, as the writing was on the wall.

By the time the 1979 season opened Lyle was a Texas Ranger, and Gossage was closing in the Bronx straight through the 1983 season, becoming one of the best closers in Yankee history.

As for the card, Topps really did do a nice job getting the uniform as realistic as possible in this action shot, about as smooth a job as I can recollect. It had me fooled as a kid when I ripped the card out of a pack for the first time.

It’s definitely on-par with cards like the 1978 Elliot Maddox or 1976 Nelson Briles cards, even the 1977 Doyle Alexander and 1973 Davey Johnson.

NICKNAMES OF THE '70'S #4: "GOOSE" GOSSAGE

Here's a nickname I grew up with being a Yankee fan in the late-70's/early 80's, "Goose" for  Yankee reliever Rich Gossage, one of my favorite players as a kid.

Check out my card:

I designed his nickname-card in the style of a 1979 Topps card since he really started making a name for himself in '78/'79, especially as the wild reliever who "took over" for recent Cy Young winner Sparky Lyle, leading to one of baseball's best quips of the time: "You went from Cy Young to sayonara", voiced by third baseman Graig Nettles.

Gossage was a true character of the game. He was all legs and arms whipping near-100 mile-per-hour fastballs while sporting that trademark 'stache, closing out games for those "Bronx Zoo" teams I loved so much.

He spent six years in the Bronx, and never had an E.R.A. over 2.62, even sporting a microscopic 0.77 in 1981!

He also led the league in saves twice while wearing pinstripes, as well as getting named to three all-star teams.

In 1978, 1980 and 1981 he'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting, in addition to getting some M.V.P. attention.

Around the school-yard I literally spent most of my childhood in, the nickname "Goose" was taken by so many kids it was ridiculous. We all loved that "crazy dude" who looked as mean as any biker.

By the time he was done, Gossage put in a 22 year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2008.

He was also given a plaque out in Yankee Stadium this year (to which I am a bit puzzled by), cementing his Yankee legend for all to look back on.

The "Goose", a real wild-man of a closer…

HALL OF FAME LEADERS XVIII: 1979 LEADING FIREMEN

Today we come to the final Topps "League Leader" card of the 1970's that (at the moment) features solely Hall of Famers: 1979 Leading Firemen (#8) with "Goose" Gossage and Rollie Fingers.

Take a look at the card first:

For Gossage, it was a successful first year in the Bronx in 1978, as he lead the American League in saves with 27 to go along with a 10-11 record and 2.01 earned run average.

He was already entrenched as a "beast" out of the bullpen, firing 100-mile-an-hour fastballs out of a wind-up that was all arms and legs.

I used to LOVE seeing this guy pitch when I was a kid! He just looked like a mad-man to me.

Then I got the chance to meet him years later and he was just about the coolest, nicest person you could ask for, with that no-nonsense approach to talking to people that immediately made you comfortable.

Gossage would end up fifth in Cy Young Award voting that year, as well as 13th in M.V.P. voting, while also becoming a catalyst in one of my favorite stories about the crazy "Bronx Zoo" days.

In 1977 Sparky Lyle, the Yankees relief whiz, went on to win the Cy Young and seemed to be THE Yankee closer with no end in sight.

Then the Yankees go out and get Gossage as a free agent, leading to a CLASSIC quote by Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles, telling Lyle that he went, "from Cy Young to Sayonara".

It turned out to be true, as Lyle was gone, getting traded to the Texas Rangers in November of 1978.

Gossage on the other hand went on to be the Yankee closer for six years, never posting an E.R.A. over 2.62 in any of those seasons, with an incredible low of 0.77 during the strike season of 1981.

He'd also finish in the top-5 in Cy Young voting three times, with a high of third-place in 1980 when he went 6-2 with a league-leading 33 saves and a 2.27 earned run average.

He hung around the Majors for 22 years, retiring after the 1994 season with the Mariners at the age of 42, eventually getting the Hall of Fame nod in 2008.

As for Rollie Fingers, one of the all-time classic characters of the 1970's baseball era, 1978 was an excellent year for the veteran, as he lead the Majors with 37 saves to go with a 6-13 record and 2.52 E.R.A.

It was his second straight year leading the league in saves, and his third year getting into the top-10 in Cy Young voting, finishing in 8th-place.

As we all know, his best season was still ahead of him, as 1981 saw him win not only a Cy Young Award, but also an M.V.P., as he went 6-3 with a league-leading 28 saves and microscopic 1.04 E.R.A. for the Milwaukee Brewers during the strike year, as the "Brew Crew" were on the verge of some solid seasons with guys like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper and Gorman Thomas powering them to the World Series the following year.

1983 saw Fingers suffer some arm problems, rapidly ending his Major League career after the 1985 season at the age of 38.

But the numbers were already there, and Fingers found himself voted into Cooperstown as the first pitcher whose career was solely as a relief pitcher in 1992.

Of course he also left us with the trademark "Rollie" mustache, about as cool a souvenir from the 1970's as you can get, initially grown as a member of the awesome Oakland A's dynasty of the mid-70's.

It's been a nice little "sub-set" of sorts to focus in on for a little while.

Hope you enjoyed it as well…

THE "GOOSE" THAT DIDN'T QUITE SAVE PITTSBURGH- 1977 RICH GOSSAGE

Today I'm going to go ahead and make a little "fix" regarding Rich Gossage and his one season pitching in Pittsburgh, 1977.

His regular 1977 Topps card (#319) still had him as a Chicago White Sox player, even though he was traded for Richie Zisk in December of 1976.

But by the time the 1978 cards were being produced, Topps had enough time to go ahead and airbrush Gossage into a New York Yankees uniform (giving us a nice card I might add).

So as you have it, except for I believe a 1977 Hostess card, there was never a Rich Gossage card showing him as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kind of like Reggie Jackson and his one year in Baltimore, also in 1976.

So here below is my design for a 1977 Rich Gossage card, Pittsburgh Pirates version:

 

The "Goose" is loose in Pittsburgh!

 

Man, I miss the "Goose"!

He was just hilariously intimidating when he came into pitch during his years on the Yanks, and was a perfect fit for the Bronx in the late-70's/early-80's.

We used to always try chatting with him at the stadium when he was in the bullpen.

We were annoying delinquents in the bleachers (when the bleachers were grimy and pretty much a free for all!) and he'd always crack a little smirk when we'd be screaming at the top of our lungs, throwing out any vulgar phrase of praise in devotion.

We would just watch him "POP!!" every single warm-up pitch into the catcher's mitt, looking like some biker at some roadside bar in the middle of nowhere.

We loved that "brawler" persona more than anything!

When he left the Yanks via free agency after the 1983 season it truly was a dark day for us bleacher bums. 

Really glad he made it into the Hall of Fame in 2008 after waiting for so long…