Retired Yankee reliever, Rich Gossage, will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the ninth time this year. Last year he fell short of the required 75% by a measly 21 votes. He is speculated by many to finally make it this year because the number of votes for him has increased a lot over the course of the past nine years. Also, with no definite first timers this time (like Cal Ripken last year), the now 56 year old definetely has a good shot at it.
Gossage was a power pitcher who packed many strikeouts in his day. He played for several teams, including the Yankees, but he was at his best during his tenure with the Padres. He ended his career with over 1500 strikeouts, 3.01 ERA, 310 saves (17th on the all time list), and a record of 124-107. During his era Gossage was one of the premier relievers. He will find out if 9th time is a charm tomorrow, January 8th, 2008. There are several other Yankees on the ballot this year including Don Mattingly, David Justice, and Chuck Knoblauch.