Not To Take Anything Away From Mariano Rivera...



...but Goose Gossage, in town for Old Timer's Day, takes something away from the Yankees' closer, as told to the NY Post's Andrew Marchand :

Sounding more annoyed than bitter, Goose Gossage said no one should compare him to Mariano Rivera, because it's "apples and oranges."





"I never started the ninth inning with nobody on," said the 53-year-old Gossage, who had 310 saves in 22 seasons. "I always came in in the seventh inning with the bases loaded or two men on and there was absolutely no room for error. To compare me and Mariano is apples and oranges. It's not even the same job. They have forgotten. I don't want to take anything away from these current guys. The streak that Gagne had was incredible, but I can tell you this: That would have never happened when we were playing. It was impossible. That's how it has changed.

"You hear about the greatest relievers. Do what I did and then compare us. Do what we used to do, then compare us. Do what [Bruce] Sutter, [Rollie] Fingers and me did, that's the comparison. What I get upset [about] is, they don't even think about us."

While Gossage wouldn't say he belongs in the Hall of Fame, he said that if Fingers and Dennis Eckersley are in, then he maybe he should be. One thing he was certain about, he couldn't play today because pitchers aren't allowed to throw inside.

"I couldn't have pitched today," Gossage said. "It is a soft game. They want to play home run derby. They should take the pitcher off the mound and put up a tee because that's basically what they're playing, tee-ball.

"They wanted to put more offense in the game, but they have gone completely out of their minds, overboard. Maybe the fans do love it. But there is no comparison to Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds in my opinion. Barry Bonds doesn't get thrown at. Hank Aaron used to get thrown at. The first thing that the guy walking to the plate yesterday was thinking, I might get hit by this pitch. I have to be able to duck and get out of the way because that first pitch might be at my head. Today, that's the last thing they think about."

Posted: Sun - July 11, 2004 at 12:08 PM      

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