Originally published Monday, July 28, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Ex-Mariners Rich "Goose" Gossage, Dick Williams enter Hall of Fame

Longtime closer and ex-manager cap brilliant careers with the game's highest honor.

The Associated Press

MIKE GROLL / AP

Rich "Goose" Gossage gets teary during induction speech.

AP | Former Mariner 'Goose' Gossage inducted into Hall of Fame
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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — For more than two decades, Rich "Goose" Gossage unnerved batters as one of baseball's most menacing and dominating relief pitchers. On Sunday, it was his turn for the jitters.

"This experience is overwhelming, over the top. I can't put in words what this means," Gossage said during the National Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony that capped his 22-year career.

"I'm like a kid going on his first ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years," said Gossage, whose speech was interspersed with choruses of "Goose" from the crowd.

Dick Williams — one of Gossage's former managers — also was inducted Sunday. Williams managed six teams including the Mariners (1986-88) in a 21-year career, winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973.

Gossage was elected in January on his ninth try.

Gossage — entering the hall wearing a New York Yankees hat — finished his career in 1994 with a 124-107 record, 1,502 strikeouts and 3.01 ERA in 1,002 games.

Gossage played for nine teams, ending his career in 1994 with the Mariners, but his star shone brightest in the six years he spent in Yankee pinstripes.

Others inducted were former Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, former Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, former commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former manager Billy Southworth, all deceased. Along with Williams, they were voted in by the revamped Veterans Committee.

Also honored was the late Larry Whiteside, a pioneering black journalist.

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