Books and articles about Goose Goslin

Although the sweet-hitting Goslin played for the usually mediocre Senators (in three separate tours) and Browns for much of his career, he managed to squeeze his way into five World Series, making the most of each appearance. In the 1924 Series, the Senators won their first and only world title, with Goslin batting .344 and contributing three HR and seven RBI. The following year he hit another three HR, although the Senators lost to Pittsburgh. After a subpar Series in 1933 back with the Senators, he drove in the winning run in Game Two of the 1934 Series for his new team, the Tigers, who lost to the Cardinals in seven games. The Tigers beat the Cubs in six games in 1935, thanks to Goslin's game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth of the final game.

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RELATED LINKS Photos » Photo: The heart of the Tigers lineup, 1935 » Photo: Cochrane, Foxx, Gehringer, and Goslin. » Photo: Goose Goslin, 1935 from Baseball Between the Wars Book Excerpts » "We were playing in Washington one time in 1935 and I was invited to FBI headquarters with Cochrane, Gehringer, and Goslin: Hank Greenberg » Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Depression Era by Charles C. Alexander Around the Web » Goose Goslin from baseball-reference.com » Goose Goslin from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Clark Griffith almost didn't sign the powerful left fielder. When Griffith went to scout him in a Sally League game in South Carolina, Goslin managed to get hit on the head by a fly ball. But he also hit three HR in the game. Goslin's career was true to that good-hit, no-field pattern. Opposing players often described the arm-waving Goslin chasing a fly ball as a bird with wings flapping, giving further meaning to his nickname. As a young player, one defensive asset was a strong arm, but he ruined even that during one spring training with an ill-advised attempt to learn to put the shot.

Between 1924 and 1928, Goslin's lowest average was .334, yet his only batting title came in a rather unusual finish in 1928. He was tied with Heinie Manush on the last day of the season, and coincidentally, the Senators were playing Manush's Browns. Goslin went into his last at-bat leading Manush, but didn't want to bat for fear of making an out and losing the precarious lead. His teammates goaded him to bat. Goslin then tried to get himself thrown out of the game. He ended up with an infield hit and the batting title, having gone 7 for his final 15 to bat .379. Goslin would later join Manush in St. Louis for the 1930 through 1932 seasons.

Goslin was also responsible for the first fine levied against an umpire. In the 1935 fall classic, Goslin got into a heated discussion with Hall of Fame arbiter Bill Klem, during which Klem lost his temper and used what Goslin later described as "overripe language." Commissioner Landis then fined Klem, not Goslin.

Goslin spent his final years running a boat-rental concession in Bridgeton, New Jersey, his native state, and died just three days after his 1928 batting rival Manush. (SEW)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » October 5, 1924: A 2-run home run in the first by Goose Goslin and a solo blast by manager Bucky Harris in the 5th give Tom Zachary (15-9) a 3–0 lead. The Giants tie it in the 9th, but a double by Roger Peckinpaugh scores Joe Judge with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. » October 7, 1924: The preceding day's record attendance is topped when 49,243 show up in New York to see what turns into Goose Goslin day. The Senators' top batter has three singles and a home run for four RBI in a 7–4 victory. » October 11, 1925: Before a home crowd of 36,000, Walter Johnson wins his 3rd straight World Series contest over two years. He blanks the Bucs on six hits, only two out of the infield, and fans just 2. A 3-run home run by Goose Goslin in the 4th followed by Joe Harris's round-tripper–the first back-to-back home runs in World Series history—give the Senators a 4–0 win and 3–1 Series advantage. Veteran Babe Adams gives up two hits but pitches a scoreless 9th for the Bucs: Babe's last World Series appearance was winning game seven in the 1909 World Series. » October 13, 1925: Back home for game six before 43,810, the largest crowd of the Series, Pittsburgh's Ray Kremer (17-8) gives up a first-inning home run to Goose Goslin and a run in the 2nd on Roger Peckinpaugh's RBI double. Joe Ferguson is touched for two in 3rd. The tie is broken by 2B Eddie Moore's home run, the 11th in the Series, and Pittsburgh wins 3–2. » May 5, 1927: The Senators even the series at two apiece with the Yankees as Hod Lisenbee wins, 6–1. The Yanks manage six hits -- 3 by Bob Meusel. The Nats are playing their 4th game without stars Sam Rice and Goose Goslin: Rice is out with sinus trouble and Goose has pleurisy. » June 26, 1927: In Washington, the Senators make it three straight over Boston, winning 8–7, scoring all of their runs in the 4th inning. Former Senator Buddy Myer belts a homer off Walter Johnson, who lasts five innings and gets credit for the win. Johnson will serve up six gopher balls to the Red Sox in his career, all in Washington. Goose Goslin homers, off Tony Welzer. » September 30, 1928: In Washington's 9–1 win over the Browns, Washington OF Goose Goslin, for the 3rd day in a row, gets two hits, one a 9th inning looping single, to edge the Browns OF Heinie Manush .379 to .378. It is Goose's only batting title in his 18-year career. Nats' ace Sam Jones volunteers to pitch to stop Manush, while Blaeholder tries the same for St. Louis. Blaeholder gets Goslin in his first two at bats, but Goose then hits a 5th inning home run. » May 26, 1930: Washington wins a 10–7 slugfest with the Yankees as Goose Goslin and Joe Judge of the Senators hit back-to-back home runs twice in the game. It is the 1st time it has been done this century but it will be repeated in five days. » June 13, 1930: Cleveland beats Philadelphia and takes over first place. Washington trades Goose Goslin to St. Louis for Heinie Manush and Al Crowder. The Senators will regain the popular OF in 1932, and with Manush and Crowder, he will help them win a pennant the following year. » August 19, 1930: Goose Goslin hits three consecutive home runs for St. Louis to back George Blaeholder's 7–0 shutout of the Philadelphia A's. » August 31, 1930: With a chance to pick up a game and a half on the leading Cubs, the Giants edge the Braves 4–3 in the opener a doubleheader before 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. In the 2nd game, Mel Ott hits a double and three consecutive home runs to drive in six runs, but the Braves counter with a homer by George Sisler and two by slugging rookie Wally Berger among their 18 hits. Ott is the 4th major leaguer to hit three straight homers, joining Goose Goslin (August 19, 1930) Carl Reynolds (July 2, 1930), George Kelly (September 17, 1923), and Cap Anson (August 6, 1884). The final score is Boston 14, New York, 10. » June 23, 1932: Goose Goslin of the St. Louis Browns hits three HRs in a game for the third time. » December 14, 1932: The Senators swap Sam West, Carl Reynolds, and Lloyd Brown, along with $20,000, for former Senator Goose Goslin, lefthander Walter Stewart, and OF Fred Schulte. They also get Earl Whitehill from Detroit for Firpo Marberry and Carl Fischer. » December 14, 1933: Washington's Goose Goslin is traded for Johnny Stone of the Tigers. » April 28, 1934: Goose Goslin, Detroit OF, hits into 4 DPs, but the Tigers beat Cleveland 4-1. » June 6, 1934: Cleveland's Bob Weiland, recently acquired, fires a one-hitter at the Tigers, but loses, 2–1. Charlie Gehringer's RBI single is the only hit. Weiland does stop Goose Goslin's hit streak at 30 games. The victory by Schoolboy Rowe puts the Tigers in 1st place. » October 4, 1934: Schoolboy Rowe evens the Series with a 12-inning, 3-2 win, shutting out the Cardinals over the final 9. The Tigers tie the game in the 9th inning and win on Goose Goslin's single. » October 7, 1935: The Tigers end the Series in 6 games behind Tommy Bridges' second complete game 4-3. Goose Goslin's single, with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, wins the game. » July 17, 1936: Yankees Red Rolfe, Lou Gehrig, and Bill Dickey hit 3rd-inning home runs against Detroit to tie the American League record, since topped. New York rolls, 9–4, dropping the Bengals to 4th place. Goose Goslin has a pair of homers for Detroit. » July 26, 1936: The Tigers strand 14 runners and lose to Boston and Wes Ferrell, 10–3. The Tigers have 13 hits included Goose Goslin with 3-for-3. Jimmy Foxx hits his 28th homer of the year in Boston's 5-run 8th, then hits another in the 9th, to pin the loss on Eldon Auker. » July 28, 1936: In the 6th inning of a 16–6 Yankee win in Detroit, the Tiger's Goose Goslin drives a ball in the gap in right center. Right fielder DiMaggio and CF Myril Hoag, in for a slumping Powell, sprint for the ball and collide, the ball bounding by for an inside-the -park homer. Both players are knocked unconscious but appear unhurt: Dimag stays in though Hoag is replaced. He'll play tomorrow and collect a single, then collapse in his hotel room on the 30th with a brain clot. Hoag will be operated on successfully at Harper Hospital and will be out the rest of the season, but he'll return to play six more years. New York wins the game on 20 hits, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings, and three apiece in the 4th and 5th. Lou Gehrig's two doubles, single and number 31 with two aboard pace the visitors. Tommy Bridges is the loser while Johnny Murphy, who relieves Monte Pearson in the 4th, is credited with the win. Selkirk adds a homer for the Yankees, who have now hit 122. » April 3, 1938: Goose Goslin, released by Detroit, returns for his 3rd stint with the Senators. » April 24, 1938: Goose Goslin's pinch-hit HR is the 5th of his career, for a new AL record, but the Yankees beat the Senators 4-3. » January 28, 1968: Goose Goslin and Kiki Cuyler are admitted into the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee. » September 13, 1991: Toronto OF Joe Carter drives in a run in the Blue Jays' 7-6 victory over the A's, becoming the 1st player in history to reach the 100 plateau in three consecutive seasons with three different teams. Nine players (Dick Allen, Orlando Cepeda, Rocky Colavito, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, Reggie Jackson, Lee May, Al Simmons, and Vic Wertz) have collected 100 RBI with three teams, but none consecutively.