If Your Birthday is July 5th...

...you share it Rich "Goose" Gossage.  Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008, the ace reliever for the White Sox, Yankees and Padres had 310 lifetime saves.  This nine-time All Star is the only pitcher to save a game in 20 different seasons.
In contrast to the closers since the 1990s, Gossage was not just a one inning worker -- 52 of his saves were for seven outs or more,  none bigger than the one-game 1978 playoff game to decide the AL East, when he worked 2-2/3 innings to seal the win.  The last batter he faced: fellow Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

Barring something unexpected, Shohei Ohtani will join the Goose in Cooperstown one day.  The dynamic two-way player is an offensive force on par with Aaron Judge; but no one since Babe Ruth has been able to excel on this level as a pitcher and everyday player.  Already with a Rookie of the Year title and two MVP's to his credit -- as well as being the runner-up to Judge in 2022 -- he's at or near the top in batting average, OPS, runs and home runs.  And next season, he expects to be back on the mound, all big factors in why the Dodgers were willing to sign him to the biggest contract ever!



 

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