B
TAMPA, Fla. -- Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage called
Toronto Blue Jaysslugger
Jose Bautista a "disgrace to the game" and blasted "nerds" for turning baseball into a "joke" during a 10-minute interview Thursday.
"Bautista is a f---ing disgrace to the game," Gossage told ESPN. "He's embarrassing to all the Latin players, whoever played before him. Throwing his bat and acting like a fool, like all those guys in Toronto. [
Yoenis] Cespedes, same thing."
Bautista famously flipped his bat after launching a three-run, seventh-inning home run to give the Blue Jays the lead in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Eight years before Bautista was born, Gossage began his playing career in 1972. After pitching for 22 years, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. He is among a group of former Yankees who are in camp to assist the current players.
"He's a great ambassador for the game," Bautista told ESPN after being informed of Gossage's comments. "I don't agree with him. I'm disappointed that he made those comments, but I'm not going to get into it with him. I would never say anything about him, no matter what he said about me. I have too much good stuff to worry about his comments. Today is my first game [of the spring], getting ready for a new season; hopefully, we will whoop some more ass."
On a separate subject, Gossage, 64, said he does not like the trend in baseball to have people who never played at the highest level running the game.
"The game is becoming a freaking joke because of the nerds who are running it. I'll tell you what has happened, these guys played Rotisserie baseball at Harvard or wherever the f--- they went and they thought they figured the f---ing game out. They don't know s---."
Goose Gossage
"It is a joke," Gossage said. "The game is becoming a freaking joke because of the nerds who are running it.
"I'll tell you what has happened, these guys played rotisserie baseball at Harvard or wherever the f--- they went and they thought they figured the f---ing game out. They don't know s---.
"A bunch of f---ing nerds running the game. You can't slide into second base. You can't take out the f---ing catcher because [
Buster] Posey was in the wrong position and they are going to change all the rules. You can't pitch inside anymore. I'd like to knock some of these f---ers on their ass and see how they would do against pitchers in the old days.
"
Ryan Braun is a f---ing steroid user. He gets a standing ovation on Opening Day in Milwaukee. How do you explain that to your kid after throwing people under the bus and lying through his f---ing teeth? They don't have anyone passing the f---ing torch to these people.
"If I had acted like that, you don't go in that f---ing dugout. There are going to be 20 f---ing guys waiting for you."
