Greg Goossen RIP

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_17491547?source=rss

Admittedly trumped today by the death of Duke Snider, whose death I heard about literally minutes after this one, but Goossen was a major-leaguer familiar to avid fans of "Ball Four," and was also one of the Goossen brothers that managed the boxing stable that featured Michael Nunn, among others.

After his career, he struck up a friendship with Gene Hackman and served as his stand-in in movies, and also picked up some bit parts as an actor.

This is especially sad because he was supposed to be honored Saturday night as a member of the Notre Dame High School hall of fame, and was discovered dead at home when he didn't show up.

One of my favorite Casey Stengel lines was about Goossen: "We have a kid here named Goossen. He's 19 years old now, and in 10 years he's got a chance to be 29."

 

Shitfuck, unless he pounds some Budweiser.

R.I.P. to one of baseball's more famous pieces of woodwork.

 

I'm sure all you minor "Ball Four" characters have quite a little fraternity there.

 

Gre

 

A great Goosen line:

The team bus passed by a building that had a sign saying "Erected in 1929."

Goosen responded, "That's quite an erection."

RIP

 

He had a Ken Phelps-ian year for the Pilots, with 10 homers in 139 at-bats. RIP.

 

That said...better him than me.

 

There's a DVD about the Pilots, much of which was shot at a reunion they had a few years ago. They take questions from the audience and someone asks if they liked playing in Seattle.

Goossen said, "I liked it. I could have played my whole career here."

After a pause, Tommy Davis says, "You did."

(For those who don't know, the Pilots existed for just one year, 1969).

 

I thought of this thread right away when I happened to turn on an episode of Gomer Pyle just a few minutes ago on the local METV channel. Pyle and Sgt. Carter are in Washington, D.C. and in the opening scene there's a shot of The Shoreham Hotel. I wonder if Gomer and Sgt. Carter are going up on the roof later to do some beaver shooting. It would be a good way to honor Greg Goossen.

 

"Boys of Summer" and "Ball Four" each lose one of their own. Fuckshit. RIP Duke and Goosen.

 

The line by Casey Stengel actually began by him saying something like, "In 10 years, Ed Kranepool has a chance to be a star. In 10 years, Greg Goosen has a chance to be 30."is

 

Please excuse me if I get your name wrong... Is it Dooley or Womack? Or could that really be the name your parents actually forced you to walk around with your entire life? Looking at you picture (Im guessing after sifting through many, that this is probably , for lack of better words ... The best that you could come up with) I have to say, its ironic that somebody that looks like they have not one ounce of athleticism in their body , would be a long standing member to anything sports related... Better him that you, is what you may be thinking... But I highly doubt, Mr. Dooley... That anybody else cares whether you are still here or not!