Leon Allen Goslin (October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971), better known as
Goose Goslin, was a
left fielderA left fielder , is an outfielder in the sport of baseball who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
known for his powerful left-handed swing and dependable clutch hitting. He played eighteen seasons with the
Washington SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
, St. Louis Browns, and
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in . The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant 10 times...
, from until . He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968.
Early years
Born in
Salem, New JerseySalem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 5,857. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace.The town and...
, Goslin was 16 when he left home to play on a touring semipro circuit of the Eastern seaboard, and by 19 had moved into the minors in
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
, where he was a pitcher. Goslin was discovered by famed scout,
Joe Engelthumb|Joe Engel, 1913Joseph William Engel was an American left-handed pitcher and scout in Major League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with the Washington Senators, and went on to become a promoter and team owner in the minor leagues. He was born in Washington, D.C...
. After hearing from Engel, Senators owner,
Clark GriffithClark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner....
, personally scouted Goslin and attended a
Sally LeagueThe South Atlantic League, or "Sally League," is a minor league baseball league which operates mostly in the southeastern United States, although it has a team in New Jersey...
game in which Goslin was playing for
Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
. A fly ball hit Goslin on the head, and another barely missed him. Goslin also hit three home runs in the game, and Griffith decided to take a chance on him.
Goslin’s difficulty in judging fly balls contributed to his nickname "Goose." Opposing players said Goslin resembled a bird flapping its wings when he ran after a ball with his arms waving. While not a great fielder, Goslin did have a good throwing arm, leading the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
in
assistsIn baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
by an outfielder in and . However, one year during
spring trainingIn Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Goslin wandered to an adjacent field where a track and field team was working out. Goslin tried the
shot putThe shot put is an athletics event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball as far as possible...
, and his throwing arm was never the same afterward.
The 20-year-old Goslin was called up to the major leagues to play for the
Washington SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
for the last two weeks of the season. He had a promising .351
on base percentageIn baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in 14 games in 1921 and became a starter for the Senators in .
Goslin played 93 games in 1922 and became a fixture for the Senators in left field until 1930. Goslin hit .324 in his first full season in 1922, followed by a .300 season in with 99 RBIs. Showing speed on the base paths, Goslin led the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
with 18
triplesIn baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 1923.
The 1924 and 1925 World Series
In , Goslin established himself as one of the league's top run producers, as he led the American League with 129 RBIs and a .344
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
-- seventh best in the league. At age 23, Goslin also hit for the cycle and was among the league leaders with 17
triplesIn baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(2nd best), 299
total basesIn baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run....
(4th best) and 199
hitsIn baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(5th best).
After the Senators had losing records in 1922 and 1923, Goslin helped spark the Senators to a 92-win season and their first
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
championship in 1924. With a 36-year-old
Walter JohnsonWalter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Train," was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1907 and 1927...
contributing 23 wins, and the young Goslin knocking in 129 runs (50 more RBIs than any other player on the team), the Senators finished two games ahead of the Yankees and defeated the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
in the
1924 World SeriesIn the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. Though the Senators would reach the World Series twice more during their time in Washington , their next World Series victory would not come until 1987, after more than half a century and a relocation from...
. Goslin hit .344 with three home runs, seven RBIs and a .656
slugging percentageIn baseball statistics, slugging percentage is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:...
in the
1924 World SeriesIn the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. Though the Senators would reach the World Series twice more during their time in Washington , their next World Series victory would not come until 1987, after more than half a century and a relocation from...
.
Goslin contributed another strong performance to the
1925 SenatorsThe Washington Senators won 96 games, lost 55, and finished in first place in the American League. Fueled by the excitement of winning their second AL pennant, the Senators led 3 games to 1 the World Series before succumbing to the Pittsburgh Pirates....
, batting .334, with 72 extra base hits and 113 RBIs. His 20 triples were tops in the American League. Once again, he batted in far more runs than any other Senators batter – 26 more than
Sam RiceEdgar Charles "Sam" Rice was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder...
. The Senators easily won their second consecutive pennant, finishing 8-1/2 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. Despite three home runs, seven RBIs and a .656 slugging percentage by Goslin, the Senators were defeated in the
1925 World SeriesIn the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
by a
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
team led by
Pie TraynorHarold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was a professional baseball third baseman who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates ....
,
Kiki CuylerHazen Shirley "Kiki" Cuyler was a Major League Baseball right fielder from 1921 until 1938. His nickname "Kiki" reportedly came from the way in which he once stuttered his own last name. He was born in Harrisville, Michigan.Cuyler broke into the big leagues in 1921 with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, and
Max CareyMax George Carey was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961...
.
Despite Goslin’s role in leading the Senators to the 1924 and 1925 World Series, the American League MVP award for 1924 and 1925 went to Goslin's teammates
Walter JohnsonWalter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Train," was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1907 and 1927...
and
Roger PeckinpaughRoger Thorpe Peckinpaugh was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox...
.
The 1928 Batting Title
Goslin continued as one of the American League’s best batters with averages of .354 and .334 in 1926 and 1927, but his best season came in . That year, he won the American League batting crown with a career-high .379
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
. He also finished among the league leaders with a .442
on base percentageIn baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(3rd best in the league), a .614
slugging percentageIn baseball statistics, slugging percentage is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:...
(3rd best), 17
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
s (3rd best), and 63 extra base hits (4th best).
The 1928 batting title was not decided until the last day of the season. Goslin and
Heinie ManushHenry Emmett Manush , nicknamed Heinie, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played seventeen seasons for the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , Brooklyn Dodgers , and Pittsburgh Pirates...
of the Browns were tied going into the final game, and the Senators and Browns played each other in the final game. Goslin was leading Manush when his turn came to bat in the ninth inning. If Goslin made an out, he would lose the batting crown. In
Lawrence RitterLawrence S. Ritter was an American writer whose specialties were economics and baseball.Ritter was a professor of economics and finance, and chairman of the Department of Finance at the Graduate School of Business Administration of New York University. He also edited the academic periodical...
's 1966 oral history, "
The Glory of Their TimesThe Glory Of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It is a book, edited by Lawrence Ritter, telling the stories of early 20th century baseball. It is widely acclaimed as one of the great books written about baseball...
," Goslin described the events that followed. Manager
Bucky HarrisStanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris was a Major League Baseball player, manager and executive. He was born in Port Jervis, New York and discovered by baseball promoter Joe Engel, who led the Chattanooga Lookouts at Engel Stadium.In 1919, at the age of 22, Harris came up to the Washington Senators,...
left the decision to Goslin on whether to bat or sit. Goslin decided to sit and take the batting crown, but his teammates (particularly
Joe JudgeJoseph Ignatius Judge was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Washington Senators...
) goaded him that he would appear yellow if he didn't bat. Goslin was persuaded to bat and promptly took two strikes. At that point, Goslin recalled that he unsuccessfully tried to get ejected from the game, as the at bat would then disappear. Goslin began berating the home plate umpire about the strike calls, only to have the umpire tell him that he was not going to get ejected, and wasn't going to get a walk, so he better step back up and swing. Goslin ended up with what he called a "lucky hit" to beat Manush by a fraction of a point.
Goslin's Years with the Browns and His Return to the Senators
In 1929, Goslin’s batting average dropped 91 points to .288. Two months into the 1930 season, with Goslin struggling with a .271
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
, the Senators traded him to the St. Louis Browns for
Heinie ManushHenry Emmett Manush , nicknamed Heinie, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played seventeen seasons for the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , Brooklyn Dodgers , and Pittsburgh Pirates...
and
Alvin CrowderAlvin Floyd Crowder , nicknamed "General," was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played eleven seasons with the Washington Senators , St...
. The change worked for Goslin, who immediately turned things around, batting .326 with a career-high .652
slugging percentageIn baseball statistics, slugging percentage is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:...
for the Browns in 1930. In just 101 games for the Browns, Goslin had 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 62 extra base hits. Goslin had another solid year for the Browns in 1931, batting .328 with a career-high 42 doubles, 76 extra base hits and 105 RBIs.
While Goslin’s average slipped one point below .300 in 1932, he still knocked in 104 runs for the Browns. At the end of the 1932 season, Goslin was traded back to the Senators. Returning to the Senators in 1933, Goslin led the team back to the World Series. The Senators played in only three World Series in their history, and Goslin played for the Senators in every game of those Series. However, Goslin did not have his usual power in 1933. His 64 RBIs and .452 slugging percentage were Goslin’s lowest numbers since his 1922 rookie season.
The "G-Men" Lead Detroit to the 1934 and 1935 World Series
After the Senators lost the 1933 World Series, the Senators traded Goslin to the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in . The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant 10 times...
for
John StoneJohn Thomas Stone , nicknamed "Rocky" was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played eleven seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators...
. Goslin later recounted that owner
Clark GriffithClark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner....
told him that he simply couldn't afford to pay him. Even though the Senators had made it to the World Series, the team was not making money. With stars
Charlie GehringerCharles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played nineteen seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
and
Hank GreenbergHenry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s....
already in place, the Tigers added future Hall of Famers Goslin and
Mickey CochraneGordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers. New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was named after Cochrane...
in the off-season. The 1934 Tigers became known as the “G-Men,” with the team’s top stars being Gehringer, Greenberg, and Goslin. The 1934 Tigers sailed to the pennant with 101-53 record and were matched up in a classic World Series between the “G-Men” and St. Louis’s “
Gashouse GangThe Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
.” The Cardinals won a hard-fought seven-game series, which was filled with controversial calls and an infamous play in Game 6 which resulted in the Detroit crowd pelting
Joe MedwickJoseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American player in Major League Baseball. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
with fruit in left field.
Goslin and the Tigers returned to the World Series in 1935. The Tigers won the
1935 World SeriesThe 1935 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, with the Tigers winning in six games for their first championship in five Series appearances. They had lost in 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1934....
on Goslin's game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6. With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning, the Cubs'
Stan HackStanley Camfield Hack , nicknamed "Smiling Stan," was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top third baseman in the late 1930s and early 1940s...
hit a lead-off
tripleIn baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, but Detroit ace
Tommy BridgesThomas Jefferson Davis Bridges was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946...
struck out the next batter, followed by a ground-out and a fly-out caught by Goslin in left field. In the bottom of the ninth, Goslin came to bat with two outs and
Mickey CochraneGordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers. New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was named after Cochrane...
on second base. Goslin singled to right, driving in Cochrane for the winning run. Detroit had its first championship, and the "G-Men" were the toast of Detroit.
Goslin is one of only three players to be the last hitter of two World Series, having struck out to end the
1925 World SeriesIn the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
and won the
1935 World SeriesThe 1935 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, with the Tigers winning in six games for their first championship in five Series appearances. They had lost in 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1934....
with his walk-off RBI single.
Edgar RenteríaEdgar Enrique Rentería is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants. He is also the first Colombian to play in the World Series.-Marlins and Cardinals:...
won the
1997 SeriesThe 1997 World Series featured the Cleveland Indians, who were playing in their second World Series in three years. Their opponents were the Florida Marlins, who had set a record by reaching the Series in only their fifth season. The Marlins were underdogs, but they capped a stunning season by...
with a walk-off RBI single and ended the
2004 World SeriesThe 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
with a groundout to the pitcher.
Boss SchmidtCharles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers ....
of the Detroit Tigers ended the
1907 World SeriesThe 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
by popping up and the
1908 World SeriesThe 1908 World Series matched the defending champion Chicago Cubs against the Detroit Tigers in a rematch of the 1907 Series. In this first-ever rematch of this young event, the Cubs won in five games for their second consecutive title....
by grounding out. Goslin and
Mickey CochraneGordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers. New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was named after Cochrane...
were the only two non-Yankees in the American League to play in five World Series during the original
YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
dynasty from 1921-1964.
Goslin's Final Years in Baseball
Goslin played two more seasons with the Tigers in 1936 and 1937, batting .315 in 1936 but dropping to .238 in 1937. On July 28, 1936, Goslin hit one of the most unusual home runs in baseball history. Goslin drove the ball into the gap. The Yankees’ right fielder (
Joe DiMaggioJoseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr., was an American baseball player for the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955...
) and center fielder (
Myril HoagMyril Oliver Hoag was a major league baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees and other teams. He played from April 15 1931 until September 16 1945. He batted and threw right-handed....
) collided and were knocked unconscious while sprinting for the ball. Goslin rounded the bases with an inside-the-park home run. The Tigers ended up releasing Goslin after his .238 season, and Goslin later recounted (in "
The Glory of Their TimesThe Glory Of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It is a book, edited by Lawrence Ritter, telling the stories of early 20th century baseball. It is widely acclaimed as one of the great books written about baseball...
") that he received a call from his old boss,
Clark GriffithClark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner....
, asking him if he'd be interested in ending his career back where it began in
WashingtonWashington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
. Goslin jumped at the opportunity and batted .158 in 38 games for the Senators in the 1938 season. In 1939, Goslin became a player-manager for the Trenton Senators of the
Interstate LeagueThe Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
before retiring as a player.
Goslin finished his career after 18 major league seasons with a .316
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
and a .500
slugging percentageIn baseball statistics, slugging percentage is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:...
. His 4,325
total basesIn baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run....
, 2,735
hitsIn baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 921
extra base hitIn baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s, 1,609 RBIs, 500
doublesIn baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 173
triplesIn baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
all rank among the top fifty in each category in major league history. Goslin had eleven seasons with at least 100 RBIs, and his league leadership in RBIs in 1924 deprived
Babe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , also popularly known as "Babe" Ruth, "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from –...
of the triple crown.
Goslin holds the record for career home runs at Yankee Stadium (1923-2008) by a visiting player, with 32.
The Hall of Fame and Life After Baseball
Goslin was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in , along with
Kiki CuylerHazen Shirley "Kiki" Cuyler was a Major League Baseball right fielder from 1921 until 1938. His nickname "Kiki" reportedly came from the way in which he once stuttered his own last name. He was born in Harrisville, Michigan.Cuyler broke into the big leagues in 1921 with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, by the
Veterans CommitteeThe Veterans Committee, officially the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans, is a committee of the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame that provides an additional opportunity for Hall of Fame election to players passed over in initial Hall of Fame balloting by the Baseball Writers...
. When he was inducted into the Hall, Goslin broke down and cried. “I have been lucky,” he said, “I want to thank God, who gave me the health and strength to compete with these great players. I will never forget this. I will take this to my grave.” In 1999, he ranked Number 89 on
The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest PlayersIn 1998, The Sporting News compiled a list of Baseball's Greatest Players. A committee of twelve Sporting News editors reviewed the players to determine a master list. Then, each editor was asked to pick his/her Top 10, without rankings. Those players receiving the most votes were ranked in the...
, and was nominated as a finalist for the
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
All-Century Team.
After retiring from baseball, Goslin operated a boat rental company on
Delaware BayDelaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
for many years, until he retired in 1969. He died in
Bridgeton, New JerseyBridgeton is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States, in the south part of the state, on the Cohansey River, near Delaware Bay. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 22,771. It is the county seat of Cumberland County...
, aged 70, and is buried in the
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
Cemetery,
Salem, New JerseySalem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 5,857. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace.The town and...
.
See also
External links