RICH "GOOSE" GOSSAGE - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED BASEBALL CO-SIGNED BY: DENNIS "THE ECK" ECKERSLEY, LEE SMITH, DAVID "RAGS" RIGHETTI, JOHN FRANCO, BRUCE SUTTER, JEFF "THE TERMINATOR" REARDON, ROLLIE FINGERS, HOYT (JAMES) WILHELM, SPARKY LYLE, DOUG JONES, TOM HENKE, JEFF MONTGOMERY, DAN QUISENBERRY - HFSID 291810

225+ SAVES BALL CO-SIGNED BY: RICH "GOOSE" GOSSAGE , DENNIS "THE ECK" ECKERSLEY, LEE SMITH, DAVID "RAGS" RIGHETTI, JOHN FRANCO, BRUCE SUTTER, JEFF "THE TERMINATOR" REARDON, ROLLIE FINGERS, HOYT "SNACKS" WILHELM, SPARKY LYLE, DOUG JONES, TOM HENKE, JEFF MONTGOMERY and DAN QUISENBERRY
A group of 14 pitchers with over 225 career Saves sign an Official League RPB-3 baseball.
Baseball signed: "Rich Gossage", "Dennis Eckersley", "Lee Smith", "Dave Righetti", "John Franco", "Bruce Sutter", "Jeff Reardon", "Rollie Fingers", "Good Luck/Hoyt Wilhelm", "Sparky Lyle", "Doug Jones", "Tom Henke", "Jeff Montgomery" and "Dan Quisenberry". Official League RPB-3 baseball signed by 14 pitchers who accumulated more than 225 saves in their career. As of 2011 only 35 players have accomplished this feat. In the early days of baseball, starting pitchers typically pitched the entire game. If the starter tired, he was replaced by another starter if the game was close, or by an inferior pitcher if the game seemed already decided. In the 1960s, teams began to build bullpens around relief specialists. The concept of the dominant closer, who would come in to protect a narrow lead in the late innings - often the 9th inning - became increasingly dominant from that era to the present. A "save" is recorded if the reliever successfully protects a lead of 3 or fewer runs and finished the game. LEE SMITH (478 Saves) is third on the all-time Saves list. Playing from 1980 until 1997, Smith spent the first half of his career playing with the Chicago Cubs. He currently holds the record for the most Saves by any Cubs or Cardinals pitcher and has been a candidate for the Hall of Fame several times since becoming eligible in 2003. One of the most successful-and durable-relief pitchers in the game, JOHN FRANCO (424 Saves) is often overlooked as one of the best closers of all time. After 16 seasons, his career ERA stands at 2.64. His greatest personal achievement came as a New York Met at Shea Stadium on April 14, 1999, when he closed out the Florida Marlins in the ninth, striking out Jorge Fabregas to become only the second player (and the first lefty) in major league history to reach 400 career saves. DENNIS ECKERSLEY (390 Saves) was a six-time All-Star who won both the American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in 1992. He appeared in 11 postseason series, including World Series with the A's and St. Louis Cardinals. When he retired after the 1998 season, his 390 saves were the second highest career total in history. Eckersley was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 2004. JEFF REARDON (367 Saves) was the only hurler with 20 or more saves each season from 1982 to 1988. He led the majors with 41 saves in 1985. A true stopper, Reardon rarely worked more than one inning in any game. He surpassed 30 saves each year from 1986 to1989, and had 30 saves in 1992. ROLLIE FINGERS (341 Saves) appeared in 16 World Series games. In 1981, he won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award. Fingers was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. TOM HENKE (311 Saves) spent the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. A two time All-Star and a World Series Champion (1992), he ended his career with a 2.67 ERA. Hard-throwing RICH GOSSAGE (310 Saves) played 22 Major League seasons (1972-1994) and was one of baseball's finest relief pitchers. A nine-time All-Star, Gossage appeared in three World Series, two for the New York Yankees and one for the San Diego Padres. He led the American League in saves three times, finishing in the elite 300-save club and was the only 2008 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. JEFF MONTGOMERY (304 Saves) played all but one year with the Kansas City Royals, he was a three time All-Star and was inducted into the Royals' Hall of Fame in 2003. Playing in the major league for 16 years DOUG JONES (303 Saves) was a 5 time All-Star, who finished his career with 909 Strikeouts. Relief pitcher BRUCE SUTTER (300 Saves) spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues. A 6-time All-Star and 4-time winner of the Rolaids Relief award, he won the NL's Cy Young Award in 1979 and led the league in saves 5 times. Sutter popularized the split fingered fastball, which has bedeviled hitters ever since and in 2006 he entered the Hall of Fame, the first pitcher to do so without ever having started a game. DAVE RIGHETTI (252 Saves) was a major league pitcher from 1979 to 1994, mostly with the New York Yankees where he earned the 1981 American League Rookie of the Year honors. He's best known as a relief pitcher, with All-Star appearances in 1986 and 1987 and placing in the top 10 for saves from 1984 to 1991, including a first-place finish with 46 saves in 1986. But he also made his mark as a starting pitcher before being moved to the bullpen in 1984, leading the American League in 1981 with a low ERA of 2.05, in strikeouts in 1981 and 1982 and pitching a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox on the Fourth of July, 1983. DAN QUISENBERRY (224 Saves) led the American League in Saves for a record five times. He was a 3 time All-Star, 5 time Rolaids Relief Award winner and a World Series Champion (1985). In 1977, SPARKY LYLE (238 Saves) became the first American League reliever to win the Cy Young Award. HOYT WILHELM (227 Saves) had appeared in more games (1,070) than any pitcher in major league history, with a late-starting career that still spanned 21 years. He established records for relief wins (123), games pitched in relief (1,018), games finished by a pitcher (651), and innings pitched in relief (1,870). Fittingly, he was the first relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame, and the first pitcher inducted with fewer than 150 career wins. Toned.Signatures and ball in overall fine condition.