Yankee Hall of Famer Hosts Dinner in Mamaroneck

Legendary Yankee pitcher and 2008 Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage paid a very special visit to Molly Spillane’s sports bar on Mamaroneck Avenue last night before a crowd of Yankee enthusiasts.

Sports fans purchased tickets for the event for $100 ($60 for kids) and were treated to a three hour open bar, a full buffet dinner, but most importantly, a lengthy Q&A session with Gossage and an autographed photo.

Marc Cohen, the 35-year owner of Station Liquors, located across the street from the train station, has been a Gossage fan since the mid-70s, citing his love for “everything he does.”

Cohen’s favorite Gossage moment came when Gossage took the mound against the Boston Red Sox in 1978. “When he was on the mound, he was a fearful factor,” Cohen said. “He threw smoke.”

When asked what it’s like to be in the presence of the 2008 Hall of Famer, Cohen said “It’s goose-bumps running through my body.”

Lenny Klein, 60, has been a Gossage fan since 1978.

“He’s got tremendous poise on the mound,” Klein said.

Klein attended a 1978 regular season game where Gossage pitched against the Kansas City Royals. “When I saw him pitch, the crowd went into such an uproar that the whole stadium was shaking,” Klein said.

When asked about actually getting the chance to meet  Gossage, Klein said “It’s very exciting. I think anybody in the Hall of Fame is special. But [his] being a pitcher, it makes it extra special.”

Gossage, the 6’3” right-handed pitcher, was born in 1951 and raised in Colorado. He went on to play 21 seasons for nine different teams, with his best years spent with the New York Yankees (1978-83) and the San Diego Padres (1984-87).

“I can tell you, I played for nine different teams and loved every moment of every team, but putting on those pinstripes was something; the closest thing I can come to is it’s almost an out-of-body experience,” Gossage told the Spillane’s crowd.  

At the peak of his career, Gossage’s signature fastball clocked in at speeds averaging 103 MPH while maintaining pinpoint accuracy.

Other signature characteristics were his wild facial hair and gruff demeanor.

Gossage made nine All-Star game appearances and threw in three World Series games.

He got the nickname “Goose” in 1972 when his Chicago White Sox roommate, Tom Bradley, said he looked like a goose when he leaned in off the mound to get the signs from the catcher.

“I wish all of you could experience what I experienced. . . it was amazing,” Gossage told the crowd with gusto.

So who does the Hall of Famer cite as his toughest opponents?

“The greatest hitter was [Kansas City Royals star] George Brett,” Gossage said. “He hit a couple of shots heard around the world off me in a 1980 playoff game.”

And, again, later in the evening, a sports fan yelled out, “Who made you shiver?” 

“It didn’t get any better than facing Brett. Sure, he beat me a couple of big times, but I wouldn’t do it any differently,” Gossage said.  

To the younger generation, Gossage said that every one of life’s lessons can be learned on the baseball field; it builds character and you learn more from the losses than the wins.

To a question about Yankee catcher Thurman Munson, Gossage replied: “He was my favorite Yankee, and he was my best friend.”

“He was one of the greatest from past generations and a lot of our customers are from that generation, so we wanted to show appreciation to our customer base,”” said Michael Hynes, owner of the Molly Spillane’s restaurant since it opened its Mamaroneck location three years ago said.  

The restaurant chain has three other locations in the New York area, including the flagship locale, Mickey Spillane’s in Eastchester, Maggie Spillane’s in Fleetwood and Nelly Spillane’s on 33^rd St. in Manhattan.

Diane Jaile has been a Gossage fan since the mid-70s; she even cried when he got traded from the Yankees.

“I just love his sense of humor; he didn’t take any crap from anybody,” Jaile said.

Jaile couldn’t refrain from laughing when she remembered the story about the time the Yankees were going to the bullpen to call Gossage in and centerfielder Mickey Rivers jumped onto the bullpen car to stop Gossage from entering the game.

Gossage later elaborated on the story by recounting how Rivers had his face on the windshield of the bullpen car while screaming, “We don’t want you to come in, we don’t want to lose this game.”

To make reservations or to hold an event in the Molly Spillane’s private room, contact Colleen Gleeson at 914-899-3130.