Closers, you?re up.
By earning 85.8 percent of the vote, pioneer reliever Rich “Goose” Gossage was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday, becoming just the fifth reliever voted to the sport?s highest honor.
Gossage, chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America in his ninth year on the ballot, will be the lone player inducted July 27 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y.
“A shock wave went through my body like an anvil just fell on my head,” Gossage said. “I think having to wait makes it that much more special.”
Gossage was named on 466 of 543 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice earned 392 votes ? 16 shy of the required 408. Rice will be on the ballot next year for the 15th and final time. But he?ll face stiffer competition, as stolen- base king Rickey Henderson becomes eligible next year. Ralph Kiner, who was elected in 1975, is the last person chosen in his 15th year.
After eight years of coming up short, Gossage arguably benefited from a weakened first-year ballot. After the 2007 induction class of Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, this year?s first-year nominees was headed by former Oriole Tim Raines, who earned 24.3 percent of the vote.
One of Gossage?s former managers, Dick Williams, was elected by the Veterans Committee last month, and will be inducted alongside Gossage. Former owners Walter O?Malley and Barney Dreyfuss, commissioner Bowie Kuhn and manager Billy Southworth will be enshrined posthumously.
Four former Orioles were on the ballot ? outfielders Brady Anderson, Harold Baines and Raines, and relief pitcher Lee Smith.
Smith came 173 votes short of joining Gossage in what would have been the first class to include two relief pitchers.
Gossage is just the fifth relief pitcher elected, joining Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004) and Bruce Sutter (2006) in the Cooperstown bullpen.
In the first election after the release of last month?s Mitchell Report, slugger Mark McGwire ? whose image was tarnished by the Steroid Era despite never failing a test ? earned 23.6 percent of the ballot. He had 128 votes ? the same number as a year ago.
Don Mattingly, Dave Parker, Dale Murphy and Baines will remain on the ballot, but Rod Beck (two votes), Travis Fryman (two), Robb Nen (two), Shawon Dunston (one), Chuck Finley (one), David Justice (one), Chuck Knoblauch (one), Todd Stottlemyer (one), Jose Rijo (none) and Anderson (none) are no longer eligible for election by the BBWAA.
? The Associated Press contributed to this report.
