Goose Gossage isn’t done complaining.
The Hall of Fame reliever blasted Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista and the “nerds” working in high positions across Major League Baseball last week in an expletive-laden rant for the ages. Gossage since has continued his assault on the state of baseball, even taking a shot at Carolina Panthers quarterback/reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton amid his most recent takedown.
“It’s a shame, it breaks my heart to see the direction this game is going,” Gossage told the New York Post on Tuesday. “What, do we want a bunch of Cam Newtons running around?
“So, if no one keeps it in check, which there is no one keeping it in check, first of all, no one wants to bite the hand that fed them or the hand that feeds them today. The only liaison we had was Joe Torre. It’s like Washington D.C. Everybody starts out with good intentions. You can’t beat them, join ‘em.’’
The Panthers had a little fun with Gossage’s comments.
Gossage has no plans to “join ’em,” though. The 64-year-old isn’t a fan of instant replay in baseball, the showboating of certain players or the increased emphasis on advanced analytics. And he’s not afraid to show it, even if his opinions are unpopular among younger generations.
“Let me tell you, you can’t control this game no matter how hard you try,” Gossage said, per the Post, of the use of advanced metrics in baseball. “We gave up a long time ago of trying to figure this (crap) out. It has a mind of its own, it has a character of its own. And they are taking that character out of the game.
“It breaks my heart,’’ he added. “I see the lack of fundamentals. Kids are not being taught how to play the game. It’s all about offense. It all just breaks my heart.”
So, does Gossage have a point? Or is he just a bitter ex-major leaguer who’s too caught up in how things used to be?
“They can say all they want to about ‘old school’ and the game has passed me by,” Gossage told the Post. “Let me tell you something: The game has not passed me by.”
Thus, the Goose crusade continues.
Thumbnail photo via Jonathan Dyer/USA TODAY Sports Images
