ProRodeo Sports News - April 14, 2023

has good connections to the rodeo business. I met a lot of rodeo guys through David Allen. He called me and asked me about speaking at the (ProRodeo Hall of Fame) and I said I would be honored to. “I have been a rodeo fan for a long time. My uncle worked on ranches and when I bought a ranch when I was 35 years old, he said you’re 35 years old and you’ve never stepped in sh*t. I said, ‘Man that ain’t right.’ I have a lot of friends in the ranching business, and I was always a fan of rodeo. “Willie Nelson was a good friend and George Strait, I have had the pleasure of being around him and that was all at the National Finals (Rodeo) when they moved to Las Vegas. I became good friends with a lot of the world champions.” Gossage is best known for his years with the New York Yankees (1978-1983) and the San Diego Padres (1984-1987), playing in two World Series, earning a World Series ring in 1978 with the Yankees. Gossage played for nine MLB teams total and one team in the Japanese League in 1990. He was selected for the All-Star game nine times and finished his career with 310 saves and a 124-107 record on the mound. “Rodeo cowboys are great champions and great athletes and that we have in common for sure,” Gossage said. “Then the competitiveness of all of us. It is going to be a fun night to speak at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. I’m really looking forward to it.” Kent Sturman, Director of the

“I have a lot of friends in the ranching business, and I was always a fan of rodeo. Willie Nelson was a good friend and George Strait, I have had the pleasure of being around him and that was all at the National Finals (Rodeo) when they moved to Las Vegas. I became good friends with a lot of the world champions. . . . Rodeo cowboys are great champions and great athletes and that we have in common, for sure. Then the competitiveness of all of us. It is going to be a fun night to speak at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. I’m really looking forward to it.” – GOOSE GOSSAGE

ProRodeo Hall of Fame, is thrilled to have Gossage for this benefit event. “We are excited to bring these two sports together for an evening of stories and fun,” Sturman said. “Colorado Springs is a huge sports town and is the headquarters for several major sports organizations. What better way to support the Hall than to have sports fans of all types spend an evening together enjoying their passions. “We are offering this new event as a way for local residents who are fans of baseball, Goose and rodeo to come together to support our museum. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is the only heritage center in the world dedicated to the sport of professional rodeo and it is located right here in Goose’s hometown of Colorado Springs.” Gossage played the relief pitcher role in an era where relievers were called to pitch in multiple innings. Illustrating Goose’s intimidating style, he still today ranks as the number three all-time strikeout leader among MLB relievers behind Dennis Eckersley and Hoyt Wilhelm. Eckersley pitched both as a starter and reliever in his career. “There are so many great things that happened to me because of my career,” Gossage said.

“All I wanted to do was put a big-league uniform on one time and it turned into 22 years. Then I was elected to the Hall of Fame. Even the home runs I gave up were great and God knows I gave up my share of bombs. I will talk about that, and I talk a lot about what it takes to be successful in anything and everything. It is all kind of relative. There are no great secrets out there. Perseverance and a short memory. People asked me how I played 22 years, and I said my short memory is a beautiful thing. “It is adrenaline (when you’re pitching) and you either learn how to control that adrenaline and channel it or in the same breath it will destroy you. I always say that baseball parallels life. It is a game of failure. Just like life is and absolutely how you deal with failure will mold your life.” The evening will feature a dinner, live auction, stories from Gossage, and a Q&A session with him. Guests will also be able to tour the Hall of Fame, offering them an opportunity to learn about two of America’s favorite sports – baseball and rodeo. Tickets are available at www.prorodeohalloffame.com. All proceeds benefit the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and its programming. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 educational and charitable not for-profit organization.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/14/2023

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