The day I remember when the Goose was cooked

Goose Gossage is a hall of famer. He was over the hill when the Cubs aquired him in the ninties. I will always remember the day I knew the Goose was cooked. The Chicago Cubs were playing the Houston Astros and had a comfortable lead. They had come from behind and taken the lead late in the game and Goose was called in for the save. It was early in his Chicago Cubs career, but the Goose had some rough outings. Well, Gossage blew another save and gave a huge home run. I will always remember the Gooses face looking at the bleachers and hearing Harry Carry’s disturbed voice calling the blown lead. He was through and I couild tell from the look of Goose Gossage’s face he was wondering what had happened to his stuff. The Chicago Cubs would go on a long strech of getting bad relief pitchers which I will discuss later.

Bill Hands used his hands to pitch for the Chicago Cubs

 

 

I never saw Bill Hands pitch for the Chicago Cubs. For a ew years he was the ace of the staff for the Chicago Cubs. I don’t have much to say about him except he has a memorable name. It is a perfect name for a pitcher and perhaps the best name for a Cub pitcher since three fingers brown going way back. I want to keep this blog about Cub players from the sixties to the present, but maybe I will go and include all past Cubs

Manny Trillo had two unimpressive stints with the Cubs

I decided to include even players who were not really sucessful in their tenure with the Cubs. These type of players were predominate on the Chicago Cub rosters. One that was really memorable was the Puerto Rican manny Trillo. I remember him from the late seventies and he was part of some average Cub teams. He was an average player at that time so he fit good on those Cubs teams. I am not sure what made him most memorable except maybe the fact he looked like a shark straight out of the musical movie West Side Story. He had a slick glove and had some speed. manny went on to have a long career in baseball. He must have played with seven different clubs as he was always being shipped around. I wonder if he played for cheap and thats why he seemed to be everywhere. He had another short stint with the Chicago Cubs in the eighties.

shawon Dunston and his jet arm

Shawon Dunston was the Chicago Cub shortstop of the eighties. just like fans will always associate Ivan Dejesus as the Cub shortstop of the seventies, I will always come to think of Shawon Dunston for that position. He was  the first pick out of high school in the baseball draft one year. Whiloe he is far short oif a hall of famer, Shawon had some productive years on the North side of Chicago. I remember him having good speed and has some pop for a shortstop at that time period.  The guy had a cannon for an arm and he nearly decapitateds several firstbasemen with his throws from grounders. This guy was a tremendous athlete and a great past cub. I came across this awsome picture on the web of a St louis cardianl trying to take him out.