Dear Billy Wagner,

Billy, on your introducing that choke artist Gossage (see 1984 World Series) this Sunday, I'm a big fan of yours, have noted how you're not some pansy one-inning pitcher yourself, so don't let Gossage try to minimize all you've done.

• You mentioned Mariano Rivera in your comments to MLB.com in the context of "closers" but I'd like to suggest the term "late inning reliever" as a better one. As you know, some people want to make it all about the "total save stat" and I've argued you yourself are much more than that.

Gossage has been given millions of dollars of free publicity expressly to slam Rivera in the past few years (noted on this blog). What they often do to help Gossage is eliminate the entire year 1996 for Rivera--both regular and post, 122 innings. Certainly illegal in any discussion of Hall of Fame careers, but there you have it. They may cite certain stats of Rivera's "as a closer" thereby eliminating his 122 innings of late inning relief, many appearances of more than 2 innings, 3 innings 8 times in the regular season.

• And he pitched 3 days in a row in the 1996 World Series. And of course they always leave out Rivera's 117 innings of post season work, be it saves, wins, extra innings, tie games, twice going 3 innings in post season games. When they mention Gossage's 310 "Saves" they're giving him years for which he was not the "official closer"-most people don't know that.

Beyond that, Gossage doesn't mention post season or all star, which are both legally part of Hall of Fame evaluation. Perhaps he feels inferior in those areas. Billy, you deserve any recognition you're getting.

• I just hope you won't fall into Gossage et al.'s trap and cheat Mo out of a big part of his career. No one at the BBWAA dinner will help you out in this regard--it's up to you.

P.S. Billy, here's another thing that will piss Gossage off, to give you an idea. Another blogger wrote:

• "I remember Goose Gossage most as the scariest man to be facing late in the game against the Yankees from 1978-83. He was an intimidating presence on the mound!

In recent years, Mariano Rivera is called intimidating, but Rivera’s is strictly due to his pitching prowess.

• When you speak of the intimidation factor with Goose Gossage it took on a whole different meaning. Not only was he a great power pitcher, but he was intimidating physically as well at 6′ 3″ with that mean stare of his."

(Quote from BaseballReflections.com, "Goose Bumps," on this year's HOF inductee).

• Thanks,

Signed, one of very few baseball bloggers who isn't dying to work at ESPN/MLB **********('Respect' is a word BBWAA members like to use about each other. Not one of them comes close to it.)*****************

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