It is that time of year again when Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage sounds off on his feelings about the game of baseball and, as usual, he did not hold anything back.
The 70-year-old former pitcher, who played 22 seasons in the majors, addressed a number of topics in a recent interview with Audacy MLB insider Bob Nightengale for USA Today, dissing Rob Manfred, Brian Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner, David Ortiz and the general way baseball has changed over the years.
On Manfred:
“I hate that mother (expletive). You know how much I hate him? I called (Hall of Fame chairman) Jane Forbes Clark before the induction last year and said, ‘Jane, I don’t know who where you stand with this guy, but I may punch Rob Manfred right in the (expletive) nose and spatter his (expletive) nose all over his (expletive) face right in the lobby of your hotel.”
On David Ortiz and steroid users getting into HOF:
“If we start letting guys in that used steroids, you’re saying it’s ok for our kids to do it then because the stars did it. That’s why Congress got involved in the first place because baseball wasn’t policing it. We never should let [Barry] Bonds or [Roger] Clemens in, either.”
Gossage said he may not even attend the Hall of Fame ceremony this summer as a means to protest the induction of Ortiz, who was reportedly among those on the anonymous 2003 test.
“These guys have already been rewarded monetarily. They’re laughing all the way to the bank on something that enhanced their performance. Come on, you don’t break the greatest record of all time [Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs] having the best years of your career when you’re in your 40s. They’re all phonies to me.”
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On Yankees GM Brian Cashman:
Gossage, who used to be a guest instructor at Yankees spring training before he was no longer invited a few years ago, took aim at Brian Cashman’s reliance on analytics.
“I was going to pick him up one day in the clubhouse, and throw him head-first in a trash can. All you would have seen was his feet. And there’s nothing he could have done about it.”
On Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner:
In addition to no longer being invited to spring training, Gossage is also no longer welcome to Yankees’ Old-Timer’s Day and had some thoughts about the team’s owner.
“Hal ought to sell the Yankees. He doesn’t want to be there.
“I swear to God on my dad’s grave, I couldn’t care less if I ever see Yankee Stadium again. … They were playing in the greatest cathedral of them all, and they tore it down. It was a shrine. It ain’t the same field. It ain’t where the boys played. I used to walk into that stadium and the hair on my neck would stand up. You could feel the spirits in there. Now, it’s just a place for these corporate mother (expletives)."
On analytics and the role of managers:
“They have no idea about the human element. Just look at the scouting. They’re getting rid of all the scouts and are relying on computers. The old executives were smart baseball men because they learned the game from those guys. And these coaches now, they’re not coaching. All they do is babysit. They’re glorified babysitters with a pension.
“And you have a nerd in the manager’s position because it doesn’t take anything to manage. You can get an idiot off the street to manage. It’s all numbers. They get the lineup card from the front office, bring in seven or eight relievers in, and the game comes to a grinding halt.”
On gambling and Pete Rose:
“Hell, if baseball [embraces legalized gambling], might as well let Pete Rose in. That’s the only thing that would ever bring the game to its knees if they thought it was being manipulated by gambling. Well, there’s more of a chance now than ever. It just opens the door.”
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