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The modern-day closer is a highly-specialized role, with most top-tier closers rarely pitching more than one inning at a time to lock down the victory. However, if you go back half a century or so to the nascent days of the closer (or firemen, as they were known back then) circa the 1970s, end-of-game relief pitchers at that time would commonly pitch one, two, or even three innings at a time to nail down the victory. In those early “Wild West” days of relief pitching, two pioneering pitchers who would pave the way for today’s closers were Rollie Fingers and Rich “Goose” Gossage – as the first two players in MLB history to reach 300 career saves (while saving winning and losing 100+ games apiece), they were at the vanguard of baseball’s evolution; thus, between these two contemporaries, it is only natural to ask the question:
Who was better – Rollie Fingers or Goose Gossage?
The Beginning
At the start of their respective MLB careers, both Fingers and Gossage had somewhat undefined pitching roles, often alternating between starter and reliever in the same season.
Though born in Ohio, Fingers spent his formative years in Southern California; baseball ran in his family, as his father had played minor league baseball and roomed with Stan Musial back in his younger days. After graduating from high school, he briefly attended junior college before signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Athletics (he also had the opportunity to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but opted for the lesser team and less money given greater perceived opportunities to play). In the Athletics’ minor league system, he came up as a starting pitcher and gradually worked his way up, making his major league debut with Oakland in 1968 (the team had relocated from Kansas City); during his first full MLB season, Fingers pitched in 60 total games and went 6-7 with a 3.71 ERA (92 ERA+, which is an advanced statistic that adjusts a pitcher’s ERA for both his ballpark and the league-wide ERA; 100 is average), 1.32 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 119.0 innings pitched.
As for Gossage, he grew up in the rugged terrain of Colorado as the fifth of sixth children, where his father instilled a love for baseball in him at a young age. Following high school, he was drafted in the ninth round of the 1970 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox and would make his big league debut two years later – in 1972, Gossage pitched 36 games in relief with a 7-1 record, 4.28 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 80.0 innings pitched.
Career Comparison
As the role of closer continued to evolve in its early days, Fingers and Gossage each grew into the position and became two of the dominant closers/firemen of the 1970s and 1980s.
For his first few seasons with the Athletics, Fingers’ role remained nebulous, starting some games and finishing others; towards the end of the 1971 season, though, he would be firmly entrenched as a late-game reliever, i.e. a closer, and earn 17 saves with a 2.99 ERA (112 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP. In his first full season as a closer in 1972, he went 11-9 with 21 saves, a 2.51 ERA (115 ERA+) 1.05 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts in 111.1 innings pitched. From there, Fingers would have at least 20 saves in 10 of his last 13 MLB seasons, and no fewer than 17 in any year. Notably, from 1973 to 1976 he would reel off four consecutive All-Star seasons, twice leading the league in games pitched:
- 1973: 7-8 record with 22 saves, a 1.92 ERA (186 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts in 126.2 innings pitched
- 1974: 9-5 record with 18 saves, a 2.65 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts in 119.0 innings pitched
- 1975: 10-6 record with 24 saves, a 2.98 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, and a career-best 115 strikeouts in 126.2 innings pitched; finished third for AL Cy Young and fourth for AL MVP
- 1976: 13-11 record with 20 saves, a 2.47 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts in 134.2 innings pitched; eighth for Cy Young
As MLB entered the free agency era, however, the Athletics could not afford all of their high-priced talent and thus, despite his streak of brilliance, the team attempted to sell Fingers to the Boston Red Sox; when the deal fell through, he instead became a free agent and signed with the San Diego Padres. In four seasons with the Padres, he continued his closing brilliance by winning the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award 3x (1977, 1978, and 1980), twice leading the league in saves and surpassing Hoyt Wilhelm’s previous record of 227 career saves:
- 1977: 8-9 record with 35 saves, a 2.99 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts in 132.1 innings pitched
- 1978: only a 6-13 record, but with a career-high 37 saves, a 2.52 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched; named an All-Star and finished eighth for NL Cy Young
At the end of the 1980 season, Fingers was traded with Gene Tenace, Bob Shirley and a player to be named later (Bob Geren) to the St. Louis Cardinals in a blockbuster deal for Terry Kennedy, John Littlefield, Al Olmsted, Mike Phillips, Kim Seaman, Steve Swisher, and John Urrea; almost immediately, he was on the move again, this time dealt with Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich to the Milwaukee Brewers for Sixto Lezcano, Lary Sorensen, David Green, and Dave LaPoint. During the strike-shortened 1981 season, a 34-year-old Fingers had the best season of his career: with a 6-3 record, a league-high 28 saves, a career-low 1.04 ERA (333 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP, plus 61 strikeouts in 78.0 innings pitched, he was not only Rolaids Relief Man for the fourth time and again an All-Star, but also won both the AL Cy Young and MVP awards. Following another All-Star season in 1982 (29 saves) in which he became the first player in MLB history with 300 career saves, he missed all of the 1983 season with injury. Fingers would return in 1984 and save 40 more games over the next two years for the Brewers; though he had the opportunity to join the Cincinnati Reds in 1986, he refused to shave his trademark moustache to adhere to team policy and thus, pitched his last major league game for the Brewers at age 38.
Similarly, Gossage spent his time with the White Sox vacillating between the starting rotation and the bullpen – in 1975, he earned the first of four straight All-Star selections (and 9x overall) with a 9-8 record, a league-high 26 saves, a 1.84 ERA (212 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts in 141.2 innings pitched to finish sixth for AL Cy Young. The next year, though, he started 29 games and was mediocre with a 9-17 record, 3.94 ERA (91 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 135 strikeouts in 224.0 innings pitched, yet was again an All-Star. At the end of the year, Gossage was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates with Terry Forster for Silvio Martinez and Richie Zisk; returning to the closer’s role, he was again dominant with an 11-9 record and 26 saves, along with a 1.62 ERA (244 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP, and a career-high 151 strikeouts in 133.0 innings pitched. After just one season in Pittsburgh, Gossage returned to the AL by signing as a free agent with the New York Yankees.
As a Yankee, Gossage firmly established himself as one of the game’s best closers – including his year with the Pirates, he would save 20+ games 9x over the course of a decade (18 saves the one other year). In his first year in pinstripes in 1978, he was again an All-Star, won the Rolaids Relief Man Award, and finished fifth for AL Cy Young with a 10-11 record with a league-high 27 saves, 2.01 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 134.1 innings pitched. Moreover, he would post two more top-five Cy Young finishes with the Yankees in back-to-back All-Star seasons in his prime:
- 1980: 6-2 record with a league-high and career-best 33 saves, a 2.27 ERA (173 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 99.0 innings pitched; third for Cy Young and fifth for MVP
- 1981: during the same strike-shortened year in which Fingers won both the Cy Young and MVP, Gossage went 3-2 with 20 saves, a microscopic career-best 0.77 ERA (465 ERA+) and 0.77 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 46.2 innings pitched, placing fifth for Cy Young and ninth for MVP
As an encore, Gossage would post another 30-save All-Star season in 1982 and a career-best 13-5 record with 22 saves in 1983; however, simmering issues with management and ownership would eventually result in him leaving for the Padres as a free agent post the 1983 season.
Gossage’s first season in San Diego would be his best, going 10-6 with 25 saves, a 2.90 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts in 102.1 innings pitched in 1984 to earn another All-Star selection and again finish fifth for Cy Young. A final All-Star season followed in 1985 (26 saves), as well as his last 20-save season in 1986 (fun fact: he struck out Pete Rose that year in the latter’s final career MLB at-bat). Ahead of the 1988 season, he was traded with Ray Hayward to the Chicago Cubs for Keith Moreland and Mike Brumley and would become just the second pitcher ever with 300 career saves (after Fingers). For the remainder of his career, he was a bit of a nomad: a season between the San Francisco Giants and Yankees, a year in Japan with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, a return to MLB with the Texas Rangers, a couple years with the Athletics, and a final season with the Seattle Mariners before retiring at age 42 at the end of the 1994 season.
With the benefit of nearly a half-decade longer in MLB, Gossage pitched in 50+ more career games and just over 100 additional innings compared to Fingers; their career numbers are a bit of a mixed bag – on one hand, Fingers racked up more saves with a lower career ERA and WHIP, but on the other hand, Gossage won more games with a better career record, actually had a better ERA+, and struck out more opposing batters. On a season-by-season basis, it is likewise very close – both pitchers saved 20+ games 10x, including 2x with 30+ saves, and had four double-digit win seasons, with Gossage having one additional 100+ strikeout year (6 vs. 5). Furthermore, in terms of career awards and accolades, Gossage made more All-Star teams (9x vs. 7x), but Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man more frequently (4 to 1) and also has the Cy Young and MVP on his resume; perhaps surprisingly, though, when you translate their careers into Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Gossage actually comes out ahead at 41.1 vs. 25.6. Ultimately, it seems like Fingers was viewed more favorably by pundits, as he made the Hall of Fame in 1992 (seven years after retiring), but Gossage had to wait twice as long before getting the call to the Hall in 2008.
Regular Season Statistics
| Rollie Fingers | Player | Goose Gossage |
| 17 (1968-1982, 1984-1985) | Seasons | 22 (1972-1989, 1991-1994) |
| 944 | Games Played | 1,002 |
| 1,701.1 | Innings Pitched | 1,809.1 |
| 114-118 | W-L Record | 124-107 |
| 341 | Saves | 310 |
| 2.90 | ERA | 3.01 |
| 120 | ERA+ | 126 |
| 1.16 | WHIP | 1.23 |
| 1,299 | Strikeouts | 1,502 |
| 2 | Shutouts | – |
| 25.6 | Wins Above Replacement | 41.1 |
| 7x | All-Star Games | 9x |
| 1x | MVP | – |
| 1x | Cy Young | – |
| 3x | World Series Titles | 1x |
| 4x Rolaids Relief, 1x World Series MVP | Other Awards | 1x Rolaids Relief |
| 1992 | Hall of Fame Induction | 2008 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Alongside their regular season brilliance, Fingers and Gossage each helped their teams “close out” World Series titles, with the former being one of the most dominant closers in the history of the Fall Classic.
As a member of the Athletics, Fingers was an integral piece of a dynastic team that made five straight playoff appearances and was the first modern-day team to three-peat as World Series champions, pitching brilliantly in each victory:
- 1972: beat Johnny Bench and the Cincinnati Reds in the full seven games; 1-1 with 2 saves, a 1.74 ERA (2 earned runs in 10.1 innings pitched), a 0.77 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts
- 1973: defeated Tom Seaver and the New York Mets, again in seven games; 0-1 with 2 saves, a 0.66 ERA (1 earned run in 13.2 innings pitched), 1.24 WHIP, and 8 strikeouts
- 1974: won in five games over the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Fingers winning World Series MVP on the strength of a 1-0 record, 2 saves, a 1.93 ERA (2 earned runs in 9.1 innings pitched), a 1.07 WHIP, and 6 strikeouts
Half a decade later, Gossage was part of the last Yankees team to win a World Series (1978) until the 1990s, going 1-0 with no earned runs allowed across three appearances in a six-game victory over the Dodgers. A couple of years later, in 1981, he would again pitch the Yankees to the World Series in a rematch with Los Angeles, but this time lost in six games to a team led by rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela; for his part, Gossage was again excellent with no earned runs allowed in three games pitched. Finally, as a member of the Padres, he helped guide the team to its first World Series appearance in 1984 vs. the Detroit Tigers, but they would lose in five games and this time, Gossage gave up 4 earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched across a pair of appearances (13.50 ERA).
Playoff Statistics
| Rollie Fingers | Player | Goose Gossage |
| 30 | Games Played | 19 |
| 57.1 | Innings Pitched | 31.1 |
| 4-4 | W-L Record | 2-1 |
| 9 | Saves | 8 |
| 2.35 | ERA | 2.87 |
| 1.17 | WHIP | 0.89 |
| 45 | Strikeouts | 29 |
| – | Shutouts | – |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; though neither pitcher was as dominant later on in his career (and in Gossage’s case, he became a bit of a nomad), both nevertheless performed at a consistently high level long enough to reach 300 career saves in a day and age when saves were harder to come by. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Rollie Fingers | Player | Goose Gossage |
| 1972-1978, 1980-1982 | Decade of Dominance | 1975, 1977-1985 |
| 656 | Games Played | 554 |
| 1,118.2 | Innings Pitched | 974.2 |
| 86-79 | W-L Record | 76-54 |
| 257 | Saves | 253 |
| 2.49 | ERA | 2.06 |
| 1.11 | WHIP | 1.07 |
| 932 | Strikeouts | 923 |
| – | Shutouts | – |
| 23.3 | Wins Above Replacement | 37.0 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Interestingly, across their respective best decades, Fingers saw higher usage and recorded slightly more saves, but Gossage had a better winning percentage, better ratios, a higher strikeout rate, and more WAR.
My Thoughts
As an example of how much the role of the closer has evolved over the past 50 years, MLB’s career saves leader Mariano Rivera notched 652 career saves while pitching 1,283.2 innings in 19 seasons, which comes out to approximately a save per 2 innings pitched; in contrast, Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage each earned a save per 5-6 innings pitched, thus illustrating how much easier it is to garner saves today (e.g. getting one out with a three-run lead counts as a save). Between these two firemen at the vanguard of closing, I have both among the top 10 closers of all-time, with the comparison being extremely close in my mind. While Gossage had slightly better longevity and has the advantage when looking at their careers through an advanced metrics lens, I give the edge to Fingers for a couple of reasons: he was the first to 300 career saves, he was more often the league’s top closer/firemen (as evidenced by his Rolaids Relief Man honors, as well as a Cy Young plus MVP), and before Rivera came around, he was arguably the best postseason closer ever; to top things off, how memorable is that mustache?
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Rollie Fingers
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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