Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame: Inductees #2 and 3

The old ballgame rests in the minds of youth and the hearts of the aged. The history of baseball, through the earliest moments of the 20th Century and onward, encompasses a range of memories so grand, so vividly pure, that a shrine as worthy as the hallowed grounds in Cooperstown alone cannot contain them. Baseball is, at its core, one of the last truly Romantic institutions left in a world dominated by more pressing issues in a more complicated time. The game remains a simple blend of athleticism and passion, mixed with stories of titans amongst men amidst the smells of fresh cut grass and Cracker Jacks. And while the game itself has vainly attempted to modernize in the wake of America’s modernization, it remains at heart a throwback to the age of our fathers’ fathers.

A group of men who have made covering Major League Baseball their life are charged with immortalizing baseball’s elite by inducting them into the Hall of Fame, where both young and old can revel in the history of the game, long after those history-makers have hung up their spikes. Of course, not all of baseball’s most memorable players reside in Cooperstown. With such high standards to live up to, some players find themselves on the outside looking in, for one reason or another. Because of this, we here at Tailgate Crashers want to honor their contributions to the game we love by giving them a shrine of their own until Cooperstown beckons. Thus, we have created the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Our Hall of Fame operates not unlike the real deal in Cooperstown, with a few exceptions. Only players who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame are eligible for inclusion here. If a player inducted into our Hall of Fame is inducted into Cooperstown, he will be removed in favor of another baseball great that has not yet gotten “the call”. Each year, staff writers, contributors to the site, and baseball fans alike will vote for players that they feel are deserving of induction. The criteria: each candidate must have been apart of at least one Pro Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, or else have set a Major League record. This year, our voters could not narrow the field down to six inductees – there are ten, with an eleventh “manager” induction alongside. These eleven baseball figures make up the Class of 2007 in the Baseball Hall of Fame here at Tailgate Crashers.

If you were with us on Monday, you will recall the induction of the very first member of the Tailgate Crashers Hall of Fame: “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Today, two more inductees will be announced, beginning with the second player to receive 20% (tied – highest overall) in this year’s vote. He also bares one of baseball’s most recognizable nicknames, along with some of the most impressive statistics ever put up by a relief pitcher. Ladies and gentlemen, Rich “Goose” Gossage!

Relief Pitcher / Closer
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Born 07.05.1951 / Debut 04.16.1972 / Last Game 08.08.1994

Career Statistics and Achievements
3.01 ERA / 310 Saves / 1,809.3 IP / 1,502 K

– Played in three World Series (1978 & 1981 Yankees, 1984 Padres), winning one. He also appeared in four League Championship Series.
– Won the 1978 AL Rolaids Relief Award.
– Led the American League in Saves in 1975, 1978, and 1980.
– Selected to nine All-Star teams during his Major League career.
– Gave up the infamous home run to George Brett that was originally ruled an out due to excessive pine tar on Brett’s bat. The home run was later allowed.

Rich Gossage, affectionately known as “Goose”, ranks among the likes of Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Sparky Lyle and Dennis Eckersley as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball during the 1970s and 1980s. Often pitching for more than two innings at a time, Gossage was an undeniable talent, throwing the heat that was second to few during his day. Goose was the prototypical workhorse that the closer of the 1970s was expected to symbolize – Gossage never suffered a major injury during his twenty-plus seasons, despite logging over 1,800 innings and an impressive total of 310 saves, good enough for 17th on the all time list. More than his stats would suggest, Gossage was a terribly gruff pitcher to face on the mound, with a demeanor that was as imposing as any in baseball. Oddly, a pitcher the caliber of Gossage is often remembered for his tremendous post-season success, although Gossage has surrendered several heartbreaking home runs in key postseason appearances. In 1980, George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hit a three run blast that sealed the three-game sweep of Gossage and the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. In 1984, Gossage (now a member of the San Diego Padres) would offer up another postseason home run, this time to Detroit’s Kirk Gibson to cap off the 8-4 rout in the fifth and decisive game in the World Series. Gossage is also remembered for offering up the massive blast by George Brett in what has since become known as the “Pine Tar Game”. Of course, his post-season successes are as impressive as his failures are shocking: Gossage helped propel the New York Yankees to two World Series, winning one in 1978. He also helped lead the Padres to their first of two World Series appearances in 1984. Gossage also closed the door on the Boston Red Sox during the one game 1978 Playoff, infamous for Bucky Dent’s late inning heroics.

It remains to be seen if Gossage can join Fingers, Eckersley and Sutter in the Hall of Fame. Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe that Gossage will be receiving the call by 2009 at the latest. Suffice to say, his time here in our Hall of Fame will probably be short, but damned if he isn’t deserving of the honor. Tailgate Crashers is pleased to honor “Goose” Gossage by inducted him into our Baseball Hall of Fame!

Both “Shoeless” Joe and “Goose” Gossage received an equal number of votes, which obviously earned them entry into the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame. What needs to be said is that there was actually a third player who very nearly acquired the same number of votes as our first two entries. Garnering enough support to earn his spot as the third overall inductee into our Hall, Tailgate Crashers welcomes one of the greatest sluggers to ever call the “Friendly Confines” home: Andre Dawson!

Outfielder
Miami, Florida
Born 07.10.1954 / Debut 09.11.1976 / Last Game 09.29.1996

Career Statistics and Achievements
.279 AVG; 438 HR; 314 SB; 2,774 Hits; 1,591 RBIs

– Won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1977.
– Won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award in 1987, and finished second in voting twice (1981, 1983).
– Won eight Gold Gloves, four Silver Slugger awards, and was elected to eight All Star teams during his career.
– Led the league in Hits, Home Runs, RBIs, and Total Bases in 1987.

Nicknamed “the Hawk”, Andre Dawson was probably the National League’s most prolific slugger during the 1980s, this in an era that also included the likes of Brett Butler, Dale Murphy and Tony Gwynn. Dawson was arguably a prototype for a ballplayer like Andruw Jones – an outfielder noted for good speed, a slick glove and sizeable pop in his bat. Although Dawson would only log one 40 HR Season (1987), he finished his career with 438 Home Runs, a sizeable total that looks even more impressive coming prior to the Steroid Era, during a period which was already being called a “dead ball” era prior to the explosion of steroid allegations and usage. The consummate professional, Dawson found himself battling for a job after the 1986 season, thanks in part to the MLB Collusion scandal. Coming off a successful year with the Montreal Expos, Dawson received a low-ball offer from Montreal to return, which he flat out rejected. Instead, Dawson pleaded for a chance to sign with the Chicago Cubs. Despite his reputation as one of the National League’s most gifted outfielders, his 1987 salary was half of that of his 1986 salary with the Expos. A majority of his money was locked away in performance clauses and incentives. Dawson responded by playing the season of a lifetime, coming close to winning the Triple Crown outright in 1987. Dawson led the required statistics in Home Runs (49) and RBIs (137), with the extra statistic of Total Bases (353). Only his batting average, at .287 drug him down. As it is, Dawson had to settle for the NL MVP in 1987, along with a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award. Dawson also made history in 1987 by hitting for the cycle in April of that year.

Dawson’s teammate with the Chicago Cubs, Ryne Sandberg spent a portion of his Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech campaigning for his friend, Andre Dawson. Said Sandberg, “”No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more or did it better than Andre Dawson … He’s the best I’ve ever seen.” Anyone who was lucky enough to watch “The Hawk” in his prime is sure to attest to just how good of a ballplayer Dawson was. Whether or not he will get the call to Cooperstown is debatable at this point – whether or not he belongs in the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame is not. The voters are proud to induct Andre Dawson in with the Inaugural Class of 2007!

Upcoming Tailgate Crashers Hall of Fame Schedule
January 12th: “Shoeless” Joe Jackson
January 16th: Rich “Goose” Gossage, Andre Dawson
January 19th: Inductee #4, Inductee #5
January 22nd: Inductee #6, Manager Induction
January 29th: Inductee #7, Inductee #8
February 2nd: Inductee #9
February 6th: Inductee #10, Preview of 2008

Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 2007

Inductees to the Tailgate Crashers Baseball Hall of Fame are voted on by a combination of Tailgate Crashers’ staff writers, site contributors, and fans of the old ballgame. Inducted players are chosen by tallying the six highest vote getters – in the event of a tie vote, more than six players can be inducted. The opinions behind the election of these ballplayers are that they were the best representation of Major League players not currently in the Hall of Fame.