Greg Goossen

I've always been intrigued by Greg Goossen.

It started after I got my first set of Strat baseball cards - the original 1969 season, basic version only. For Christmas, my sister gave me the McMillians baseball encyclopedia that had an addendum at the back of the book for the 1969 season. I noticed that the Seattle Pilots had a "G. Goossen" listed as a sub and he had the third most homeruns on the team. Yet, he had no strat card. Not even the 96 additional players set that they used to issue. Then, in the mid-80s when they re-release the 1969 season with the advanced side, Goossen was still left out. It's not like he had a Rudy Pemberton type year. He hit .309 with 10 HR in 139 at bats. If they chose not to give him a card because it was an anomaly, then why did the issue Carl Taylor (.348) a card? Gates Brown '68 got a card. Why not Goossen in '69?

When they had their first iteration of the 1969 season for the online version... no Goossen. Why not? It made no sense.

So, in this latest version of 1969 Strat365, I jumped at the chance to draft him for my team and got him. No way, I was going to have any other firstbaseman. So far, he has 15 HR in 60 games and is hitting a paltry .220. I don't care. I'm sticking with him.

So, I'm an old fart who's being stubborn. Maybe he'll heat up... Maybe my 51 year fascination with a nobody will payoff... After all, it's baseball.

I remember Greg Goossen from his early Mets days. At the Mets Spring Training in 1964 I think it, manager Casey Stengel surveyed his minions on the field and said to a reporter: " You see that young guy over there? In 10 years he has a chance to be a great player. Now you see that guy over there? In 10 years he has a chance to be 30." That second guy he was referring to was none other than Greg Goosen.

Looking at his baseball encyclopedia entry, that 1969 year that he had for the expansion Seattle Pilots team was really rather remarkable, with 10 HRs in 131 ABs and a slash line of .309/.385/.597 with an oWAR of 1.8. Wow ! I really had no idea. He may have been the greatest player in Seattle Pilots history I see that 1970 was his last year in the Majors though, but in 1975 he did indeed turn 30 years old, as per Casey's prediction.

Lee

So for accuracy sake, I just checked Casey's quote, and it was : "In 10 years, he's got a chance to be a star. Now that fella over there (Greg Goossen), he's 20 years old, too. In 10 years he's got a chance to be 30."

First 69 season finished with Goossen, I didn't have him on roster for 1st 15 games

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1648944

He is having similar seasons on two other teams, maybe more power/less avg due to parks used, but about same OPS.

He would have got a card back when if he were in top 24 players used by Seattle--Strat was pretty strict about printing the cards used the most during regular season, and 20 + 4 extras was the norm.

The '69 Pilots really got the shaft in the original strat set. Similar to the Goossen thing, Tommy Davis, who had almost 500 plate appearances for Seattle, did not get a Pilots card because he was traded to Houston late in the season. Ditto Jim Bouton, who pitched 92 innings for Seattle. At the time, Strat would only card players who were on the roster at the end of the season. At least Davis and Bouton got cards in the second iteration of '69, but Goossen didn't until their 3rd try.

Interesting thread!

He ended the season 245-42-108

The '69 Pilots really got the shaft in the original strat set. Similar to the Goossen thing, Tommy Davis, who had almost 500 plate appearances for Seattle, did not get a Pilots card because he was traded to Houston late in the season. Ditto Jim Bouton, who pitched 92 innings for Seattle. At the time, Strat would only card players who were on the roster at the end of the season. At least Davis and Bouton got cards in the second iteration of '69, but Goossen didn't until their 3rd try.

Interesting thread!

True. No card in the original set (including the extra four you could order) for players with ample stats include Goosen, Davis, Bouton, Drysdale, Face. Billy C. Don't recall Pilots John Gelnar having a card either, may be wrong.

Awesome story!!! And I did not realize GG was ignored!!!