Cleveland's Gose ‘too stupid to quit' comeback
Success with Clippers completes climb to MLB
Anthony Gose worked behind the scenes for roughly five years for 39 pitches.
When Gose walked off the field on May 15, 2016, it would mark the beginning of a quick, downward spiral that led to a demotion to the minors and then, the next spring, the end of his career as an outfielder. At 26 years old, his path to the majors with the bat was closed.
As Gose put it Monday night, he simply wasn’t smart enough to walk away from the game. After not making the Detroit Tigers’ 2017 Opening Day roster, he began an attempt to transition to the mound, a path that took him through three minor league systems — Detroit, Texas and then Cleveland.
After five years of working is way up and down the minors, including going 6-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 28 games with the Clippers this season, Gose finally made it.
Gose entered the second game of Monday’s doubleheader, tossing 1 1/2 innings and allowing one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout. As he made his way from Cleveland’s bullpen, he passed right by his old spot as a center fielder, instead taking the mound. It was a long time in the making.
“I love the game. I love to play. I guess
I’m too stupid to quit,” Gose said. “That was pretty special for me. It meant a lot to get the opportunity to go out there again. It’s been a while. I’m very excited and happy to be able to have that opportunity.”
As advertised, Gose brought the heat on Monday. Of his 39 pitches, 31 were fastballs. Of those 31, 21 were thrown at least 99 mph. Eight of those 21 reached triple digits, with Gose topping out at 100.9 mph.
A lefty who can hit 100 and throw multiple innings will always, at the very least, be given a chance to figure some other things out, even a pitcher who has been viewed as raw as Gose.