Remember this--Goose Gossage wants HOF props for his SAN DIEGO PADRES MANAGER:

From Bill Madden's NY Daily News column today, Goose upset his PADRES Manager, DICK WILLIAMS, didn't get a pass from the Vets. committee. Up to you:

"I can't believe that," Gossage said. "I don't know what those guys were looking at. I only know Dick was the best manager I ever played for - by far - and I played for a lot of good managers. He knew the game inside and out and was one of the greatest minds I ever knew. He was a no-nonsense guy who hated mistakes, but you had to respect him."

One of the reasons Gossage defected as a free agent from the Yankees to the Padres after the 1983 season was because of his dislike for Billy Martin (who was fired that winter). For Williams in '84, he pitched 102.2 innings of closing relief and was instrumental in the Padres making their first World Series, where they lost to the Tigers in five games."

NEWSFLASH: GOSSAGE GIVES UP 'TOWERING HOME RUN' IN PADRES WORLD SERIES:*

• (Madden) "Kirk Gibson's towering home run into the upper deck was the climactic blow of Game 5. "Dick put up the four fingers when Gibson came to bat," Gossage recalled, "but I waved him off, insisting I could get him out. Afterward, Dick didn't throw any blame. He respected me like I respected him.""

(*So, Goose HAD THOSE POST SEASON "OPPORTUNITIES", FOLKS! YOU HEARD IT HERE, BUT YOU RARELY HEARD IT ANYWHERE ELSE!) sm

• Item from Bill Madden's NY Daily news column, 3/4/07

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