Gose getting looks in Cleveland
It wasn’t just about getting back. It was also about charting a path forward.
On Sept. 20, Anthony Gose finally completed his roughly five-year journey to make it back to the big leagues — only this time, as a relief pitcher after he made the transition from the outfield to the mound, a career left turn that began early in 2017.
Gose said at the time he was just “too stupid to quit.”
It was a huge milestone for him and, really, the organization that continued to mold Gose after two others (Detroit and Texas) moved on from the hardthrowing but raw lefty.
“The thing that stands out most to me is Anthony’s passion and dedication and the work and perseverance that he put in,” said president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. “One of the coolest moments I’ve had in my career was the other night when Anthony came in. Mike [Chernoff ], Demarlo [Hale] and I were all sitting in Demarlo’s office the night after his first appearance and he came in, still in his uniform — it’s like 25 minutes after the game, he came in, full uniform — in tears almost and just talking about how much getting back to the major leagues meant to him and how appreciative he was for the support that he received
from the organization along the way.
“So, it’s incredibly fulfilling to contribute in some way and to partner with Anthony to help him on that path, but he did all the heavy lifting.”
But beyond the success of earning his ticket back to the majors, Gose still had — and has — plenty of work to do to earn more opportunities moving forward, especially when looking to next season.
Gose is out of options and the season is winding down, leaving him with little
time to show Cleveland’s coaching staff and front office what he can do before the team enters a winter that will feature a number of difficult decisions, namely considering a Rule 5 roster crunch that will put a premium on every 40-man roster spot.
In 4 innings, Gose has a 1.93 ERA and has allowed two hits and one run. He has struck out six and walked one.
“Real good,” Hale said when asked about how Gose has looked.