By Tim Louden
Baseball Hall of Famer Richard “Goose” Gossage is set to help bring much needed relief to the University of Calgary Dinos baseball and fastball clubs.
The Dinos are hosting their ninth annual fundraiser dinner on Jan. 31 at the McMahon Stadium Red and White Club. The evening will feature a keynote address by former Major League Baseball player Gossage, who was a closing pitcher in the 1970s and 1980s.
World Series Champion Gossage’s 100 miles-per-hour fastball earned him a reputation as a fearsome relief pitcher during his career, notching a win-loss record of 124–107, 310 saves and 1,502 strikeouts in 1,809 innings. Additionally, his nine all-star appearances, impressive moustache and aggressive style led to the right-hander’s selection into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Coming off an exciting 2012 season for both Dinos clubs, the men’s baseball club is hoping to improve on an impressive playoff run in 2012 that ended in the semifinals of the Canadian College Baseball Conference, while the women’s fastball club would like a repeat appearance at the national championships.
Tickets for the fundraiser are $175 each. The evening will also include a silent auction with prizes ranging from memorabilia, gift certificates and trips. All proceeds from the evening will help fund operational costs for both clubs. Because both teams are clubs, not varsity teams, many expenses are paid out-of-pocket by the players.