PRESS RELEASE
Cookin’ On the Common Aug. 17
Goose Gossage is coming to Clifton Park

CLIFTON PARK -- New York Yankee fans, baseball fans and even 'Yankee Haters' are expected to converge on the Clifton Common, Aug. 17, when the preeminent closer of his time and potential Hall of Famer, Rich 'Goose' Gossage makes an appearance as part of the Clifton Park Babe Ruth World Series Picnic of Champions. 

Host president of the 2006 Clifton Park 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series, Clifton Park resident Bill Butler, wanted to make the fourth World Series event the most memorable.

His plan was to kick off the Aug. 18-25 event on Clifton Common with a larger than life event, something that would electrify the Capital Region. When the time came to select a speaker for the event, one name kept jumping off the page.

Richard 'Goose' Gossage.

'During the initial discussions of the names that we were getting from Babe Ruth headquarters, we were looking for someone with more drawing power,' Butler said. 'We had some familiar faces on the board of directors and we decided to invest some of our monies into the appearance fee. We looked at names like Goose, Keith Hernandez, some ESPN personalities and former Yankees and Mets,' Butler said. 'We looked at pretty significant people, including Yogi Berra, Billy Ripken and Lou Brock. Goose jumped out right away because of his accomplishments on the field and his approachability off the field.'

The 22-year major leaguer recorded 310 saves with nine teams, but his biggest appeal is with New York Yankee fans who remember the right-hander, his Fu Manchu mustache as well as his Yankee World Series championship in 1978.

'Once we signed Goose, we decided to build the event around the speaker because of his enormous popularity,' Butler said. 'This is a true Yankee and he's associated with their greatness with that 1978 team. Everyone can pull out their DVDs of Yankeeography and see him. He is arguably the most dominant reliever of his era.'

Once the decision was made to book Gossage, Butler and the World Series board of directors went to work to make the Aug. 17 event special.

'Once we signed Goose, then we knew we wanted to open the event up to the Capital Region,' Butler said. 'We knew there wasn't a restaurant large enough to host our dinner of champions and that there would be large crowds that would want to be a part of this event.'

From advice given last year by the late Ron Tellefsen, Babe Ruth League Inc.'s President and CEO, the decision was made to host a picnic on the Clifton Common to accommodate the fans.

'Once we knew we had a picnic-type of atmosphere, we searched out a food vendor that would work with a picnic atmosphere. Giffy's B-B-Q fit right into our plans,' Butler said. 'Also, to make the event special and entertain the large crowds, we signed the Burners UK to play for three hours.'

That theme led to name 'Cookin' On The Common,' with the appearance of the fireballer, Gossage, Giffy's B-B-Q, along with the Burners UK, play on names.

Not leaving anything to chance, Butler said the event will be held, rain or shine, as a tent is being provided to accommodate up to 1,000 spectators. The musical act, the locally based Burners UK, will perform on the Clifton Common center stage behind the Shenendehowa Senior Center and the tented seating area will be nearby.

Butler said the $20 advance sale ticket, which includes entrance to the picnic area, a Giffy's half-chicken B-B-Q dinner, the Burners UK show and a chance to meet Gossage are selling briskly.

He is even offering a chance for people to 'drive-through' this weekend to pick up their tickets to the Picnic of Champions, as well as family passes, to all 25 games of the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series Aug. 18-25.

'The Clifton Park host team is practicing all weekend, so we wanted to offer people the chance to stop by and see the team, or in this case, drive by,' Butler said. 'We'll be outside the World Series field, selling tickets to people in their cars, drive-thru fashion.'

Drive-through ticket sales will be made available Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to noon, and on Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Clifton Common Upper Quad in front of the World Series field in the parking lot.

Tickets are available at the Clifton Park Department of Parks and Recreation during regular business hours, ticket forms are available at local Price Choppers and here on the event web-site and by calling the World Series ticket hotline (518) 701-9524.