The Goose Is Loose

The first thing you think back on when his name comes up is the word respect. All hitters had it. Goose Gossage was feared because you didn't crowd his home plate, then he struck you out, then he picked up the save! He was the pitcher every manager looks for. He'd brush you back, sometimes twice, just like he did with Willie Horton, if that was what it took to get respect. He recalls memories of former teammates such as altercations with Billy Martin, or the fond memories of the late Thurman Munson. He recalls the hilarious stunts of pitcher, Sparky Lyle, and equal ferocity of Al, "the mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, and how he smoked a double off the crazy Hungarian! A lot of stories about the nights in the bars, yet more and better stories of the glory of the mound. He even describes the memory of the home run he gave up to Kirk Gibson in the 1984 World Series. All in all, an entertaining read. Who knew? Very good!

I loved this book! I was pleasantly surprised by some of the sensitive passages of the book. If you are a big Yankee fan this book is just right for you. A good companion to the Sparky Lyle book "The Bronx Zoo" or Graig Nettles' book "Balls". Goose writes honestly and often hilariously about his baseball experiences. I was especially moved by the passage about Thurmon Munson. If you loved the 1977-1981 Yankees, this book will refresh your memory of what it was like to be a Yankee fan in that era. I definitely reccommend this book to all Yankee fans!

In his amazingly rich memoir, Gossage reveals he not only has a name every baseball fan knows, but he is also one of the best, and funniest, writers in sports.

"Goose Is Loose" is a fun read. I found some of the pranks Gossage tells us about to be a riot, such as Sparky Lyle and the birthday cake. This book is not an in depth biography like Al Stump's "Cobb" or Robert Creamer's "Babe" (I highly recommend both for baseball and histroy buffs), but rather a light in-the-locker room, on-the-field, in-the-pub insight on baseball in the '70s and '80s from Goose's point of view. It has a poignant side as well. For example, Goose describes the sense of loss after Thurman Munson's death. And I think the Goose gives us a fair critique of some his contemporaries. If you're a baseball fan you'll probably enjoy this book.

When I first heard about this book, I thought it was another one of those typical arrogant, self-centered athletes' autobiographies that makes excuses for failures and takes extra credit for success, but "The Goose is Loose" is nothing like that. Rich Gossage takes the reader on a wild journey through his 22-year baseball career that even takes him to Japan, and along the way he runs into wild personalities like Terry Forster, Billy Martin, and George Steinbrenner. If you liked Sparky Lyle's "The Bronx Zoo" and Graig Nettles' "Balls", you'll love this one also. You don't have to be a Yankee fan to like this one either. The thing that surprised me the most about this book was that there were some heartwarming moments in it that were beautifully described by Gossage. I expected the typical baseballl stories about wild shenanigans in the clubhouse and at the hotels, but I didn't think the book would have such touching moments in it. I came away with a new perspective on the Goose. He's a humble and honest guy who's not afraid to tell it like it was.