The 2021 season is one season that Anthony Gose will remember. Even though he made his first appearance of the season on September 20, his appearance was the talk around the league.
Gose made his major league debut on the mound for the team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians-now the Cleveland Guardians.
This was Gose’s first appearance in the big leagues since 2016. But Gose was not a pitcher the last time he was in the league.
He was a speedy outfielder before, but now he’s on the mound and possesses an electric fastball from the left side.
Tonight, Anthony Gose played in his first MLB game since 2016 after converting to a pitcher.
Gose came in during the second game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals and pitched 1⅔ innings, allowing one run, one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
But the most impressive part about his performance was the velocity on his fastball.
He threw 39 total pitches during his outing and seven of those pitches hit triple digits.
“That was pretty special to me,” Gose told espn.com after his performance. “It meant a lot to get the opportunity to go out there again. It’s been a while. I’m excited to be able to have the opportunity.”
Gose also showed that he was not afraid of competing against one of the best hitters in the game.
He struck out Salvador Perez on a 98 mph four-seam fastball. And watching him pitch, you can see that it doesn’t take a lot from Gose to throw that hard.
This brother has a normal pitching delivery, but when that ball comes out of his hand, it gets to you quick when you’re at the plate.
Cleveland’s interim manager DeMarlo Hale was really pleased with Gose’s performance.
“He’s not afraid to compete,” Hale said. “I didn’t even think about that in those terms. When we brought him in, it was a situation we were trying to get multi-innings from him, keep the game close. He did that but the competitor in him, it really doesn’t matter who’s in the box.”
Now the question is, people might want to know where Gose has been after the 2016 season?
Well he’s still been involved in the game. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that competed in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
He pitched four scoreless innings during the Olympics.
After finishing his time with the Detroit Tigers as an outfielder in 2016, Gose made the transition to pitcher after failing to make Detroit’s opening day roster in 2017.
Our MLBbro hit .240 with 57 steals in the majors and in 2015, he stole 23 bases and hit 24 doubles for the Tigers while batting .254 in 140 games.
Gose spent a few seasons in the minor leagues, recently spending time with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, Columbus Clippers.
Now he finds himself back in the league, playing a different position and he’s going to continue to work hard day in and day out.
“You think about his journey, putting in the work over the last few years, he’s got to feel good about himself and what he’s done to get to this point,” Hale said.
Big shoutout to Gose on his first appearance on the mound and we know this won’t be the last time we see him out there
Rachel L. Hill discusses how two-way Cleveland Guardians player Anthony Gose has been a bullpen bully in crucial wins against the Dominican Republic and South Korea, to help lift the U.S. Men’s Oympic Baseball squad into Saturday’s gold medal showdown with Japan.
Olympic baseball is back for the first time since 2008, and a few notable MLBbros are onboard.
USA Baseball released its 28-man training camp roster on Sunday, and five Black players are in the lineup. Among those players are major league veterans Matt Kemp, Edwin Jackson, and Anthony Gose, and minor leaguers Clayton Andrews and Simeon Woods Richardson. The final roster will be cut to 26 on Sunday, May 30.
“I’ve put on a lot of different jerseys, but this one will be special in a different way,” said Jackson to MLBbro.com on Monday. “I’m not only playing to represent myself and my family but our country.”
Kemp began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006-2014, where he earned two all-star appearances, two Golden Gloves, and two Silver Slugger awards. After brief stints with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, the 36-year-old outfielder returned to the Dodgers in 2018 where he earned his third all-star appearance in an incredible comeback story.
He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, and the Colorado Rockies in 2020 where he batted .239 with six home runs in 43 games. He is currently unsigned but could earn MLB teams’ interest with a strong showing in the Olympics.
Jackson made history in 2019 by pitching for his 14th different major league team, the most by any player in history. The 37-year-old played 17 years in the majors, earning an all-star appearance in 2009 with the Detroit Tigers, where he struck out 161 with 70 walks and posted an ERA+ of 125.
Gose played centerfield for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2012-2014 and for the Detroit Tigers from 2016-2016, batting .240/.309/.348 over his five-year major league career. Since leaving the Tigers, the 30-year-old has converted to pitcher and played in the minors within the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers organizations before joining the Cleveland Indians AA affiliate team in 2021.
Andrews was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 and currently plays for their AA affiliate team. Through seven games, the 24-year-old lefthander is 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA. His ability to make batters swing and miss is evident as he struck out 11 with 7 walks in 9 innings. His WHIP sits at 1.29.
Woods Richardson was drafted by the New York Mets in 2018, and the 20-year-old right-hander is 1-0 through four games with the Toronto Blue Jays AA affiliate team. He currently has a 2.37 ERA with 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 19 innings. His WHIP sits at 1.16.
No players currently on MLB rosters are participating in the qualifiers as the Olympics will be held during the season. The team will be managed by Mike Scioscia.
The Road to Tokyo for the U.S. starts with the Americas Olympic Qualifier against Nicaragua on May 31 at 5 p.m. ET from Clover Park in St. Lucie, Florida. The qualifying tournament also features the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Venezuela and Colombia, and the winner will clinch the fifth spot in the Olympics.
The second-and third-place teams from the tournament will then compete with the Netherlands, Australia and Taiwan, and for the sixth and final spot.
Baseball is returning to the Olympics this year for the first time since the 2008 Games in Beijing, where USA Baseball took home the bronze medal. The U.S. won its only gold medal in baseball in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and looks to return to the mountaintop once again this summer.
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