There are many spring training rituals: Optimism abounds from camp to camp, injuries strike key players and Goose Gossage takes shots at anybody and everybody.
The cranky Hall of Fame closer was at it again Friday, ripping a number of people around the sport in a profanity-laced interview with NJ.com, saying it is “insulting” for anyone to compare him to Mariano Rivera, blasting former commissioner Bug Selig and saying sabermetrics-inclined general managers are “creating a bunch of soft guys.”
Gossage was asked his thoughts on the Yankees bringing back closer Aroldis Chapman, and soon veered into criticism of today’s closer role, one of his favorite subjects.
“Well, they’re one-inning guys,” he said. “Yeah, it’s totally different, so don’t even compare me here. Chapman’s great. [Rivera] was great … for one inning.
“I would like to see these guys come into more jams, into tighter situations and finish the game … [come in] in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings [with runners on]. I don’t think they’re utilizing these guys to the maximum efficiency and benefit to your ball club. And I’m not taking anything away from what Mo did, but don’t compare me to him. It’s insulting. It really is.”
When it was noted the legendary Rivera occasionally got more than three outs, Gossage explodes, “Bulls–t! … That’s postseason. He never did it … very seldom in the f—ing regular season.”
Gossage also took aim at Barry Bonds, Selig and the home-run record.
“I think Bud Selig should have reinstated that damn record [of Hank Aaron],” he said. “Make a … statement! … Just be realistic and don’t poo-poo it. Don’t say that [Bonds] was a Hall of Famer. He broke the most sacred record in the books because of steroids.”
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