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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
New books explore the life and career of Port Huron MLB player Jim Gosger
PORT HURON — Having spent 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, Jim Gosger has no shortage of stories to tell. The Port Huron native has shared many with the Times Herald in the five decades since his last game. Now, two of the journalists who know him best have compiled those stories — and so much more. Former Times Herald reporters Brian Marshall and John Nogowski recently published their respective books that take a closer look at Gosger's career. "It brings back so many good memories," said the 82-year-old Gosger, who still lives in Port Huron. "I was so impressed. They did a hell of a job." The outfielder played 705 games in the MLB between 1963 and 1974. His time was split among five teams: the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Seattle Pilots, New York Mets and Montreal Expos. MORE: Gosger cheered on: Horse named after Port Huron MLB player earns second in Preakness Stakes Marshall's work, "Goose on the Loose: Ex-Big-Leaguer Recalls Colorful Career," chronicles Gosger — known to his teammates as "Goose" — on his journey from childhood to the major leagues. "The one thing that really shines through is just his passion for baseball," said Marshall, who worked at the Times Herald from 1986 to 2002. "He just says how lucky he feels that he was able to do that for a living." While Nogowski's book, "Diamond Duels: Baseball's Greatest Matchups," doesn't solely focus on Gosger, it dedicates the final chapter to him. "I've known Jim since I was in Port Huron," said Nogowski, who worked at the Times Herald from 1989 to 1993. "He's been a great friend. To close the book out, I thought, 'Well, let's just sit down and talk about his career, the different pitchers he's faced and things like that.' It was interesting." The same can be said for Gosger's tenure. From being the last batter to face Satchel Paige, to playing for both the ill-fated Pilots and eventual-champion Mets in 1969, there are several historical footnotes that bear his name. He crossed paths with legends such as Ted Williams, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays and Yogi Berra. "There are just so many great moments — for someone who was not a superstar," Marshall said. "In the book, there are a couple of stories involving Denny McLain of the Tigers." One of Marshall's favorites occurred on June 8, 1966, when Gosger hit two home runs off McLain — the only multi-home run game of his career. "Jim said when he was rounding the bases after his second home run, McLain was just screaming at him," Marshall said. "And Jim was laughing all the way around the bases." "McLain and I are still friends," Gosger said. "I was in tears when I read this book. Because I could remember everything that happened that Brian had put in." Gosger's only request was for the book to be dedicated to his late father, who died in 1980. "My father was my biggest booster," Gosger said. "I was 5 years old, he got me a ball, and we played catch right out here in the front yard." "His dad's dream was for Jim to make it to the major leagues," Marshall said. "There was a poignant moment — Jim was 8 years old — and his dad took him to a Tigers game. They were playing the Red Sox. He was sitting in the upper deck. Ted Williams was playing left field and his dad said, 'Jimmy, one day, that's going to be you down there.' " Gosger hasn't forgotten his response. "I said, 'Dad, I'm 8 years old,' " Gosger said. "I can remember it as if were yesterday." Shortly after his father's prediction came true, Gosger's teammates dubbed him "Goose." "My first year in pro ball, they started hollering, 'Hey Goose, hey Goose,' " Gosger said. "I don't know why. That's the name that they gave me and that's always what I went by. Never Jim, always Goose." Both "Goose on the Loose" and "Diamond Duels" are available for purchase on Amazon. Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@ Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Bay Area city's new manager 'shared tweets branding white people EVIL and calling for them to be shunned'
A California city assistant manager is under fire after an alleged social media account linked to her was exposed for sharing posts that described white people as 'evil' and accused them of raising 'bigoted white boys'. Nalungo Conley, 51, was named Vallejo's second Assistant City Manager on Monday, with officials saying in a press release they were 'thrilled to welcome' the dedicated 17-year government veteran to the city of just over 123,000 residents, as reported by the Times-Herald. But just two days after stepping into the role, the Bay Area resident faced backlash when an alleged X account linked to her surfaced - one featuring discriminatory comments targeting white people and obtained by the Times-Herald. 'Vallejo's a very diverse city and if she is going to be effective there, she will have to deal with that,' Former Richmond mayor and longtime City Council Member Tom Butt told the outlet. 'There is no room for bigots in a city manager role.' On Wednesday, an email from someone identifying only as Aaron Schlessinger sent the Times-Herald screenshots of tweets from the now-deleted user @nalungomc1, whose profile picture and name matched those of Conley. The account had 372 followers and posts dating back to July 2024 - relatively recent - and included numerous retweets containing racial remarks referencing white men, women and children. Among the retweets on Conley's alleged account was one stating, 'White women marry bigoted white men and birth bigoted white boys.' In another, the public servant - though again, retweeting another user - shared a post that read: 'Black people, I think it's time we withdraw ourselves from anything but blackness.' 'This is why the black LGBTQ community doesn't trust the white LGBTQ community,' a third retweet read. 'They will sell our rights away to protect their whiteness.' Another tweet allegedly reposted to Conley's account stated: 'Every single time, the majority of white women will be loyal to upholding skin privilege.' One retweet initially posted by a verified user in November 2024 read: 'I kind of think it's okay that the Sunday shows are not platforming anybody Black.' 'White people did this, and white people have to answer their own evil,' the tweet continued. 'Black folks are just innocent bystanders to their violence and bulls***.' Most of the race-targeted comments on her account were retweets, but in one original tweet discovered by the outlet, Conley allegedly wrote: 'Distrust the media as they are backed by wealthy, white men who are only interested in keeping power and money among their small group.' After the Times-Herald verified the tweets and inquired about the account, it was quickly deleted - now replaced by the message, 'This account does not exist.' The timing of the account's exposure is notable, coming just as she was appointed to report to Vallejo City Manager Andrew Murray beginning this week. In the city's recent press release, officials said Conley would 'bring a wealth of knowledge, passion, and leadership' to the Vallejo community. According to the US Census, Vallejo's population is approximately 27 percent White, 17 percent Black, 23 percent Asian and 30 percent Hispanic - making it an extremely diverse city. Adam Hochschild, co-founder of Mother Jones Magazine, told the Times-Herald that with quotes like these, one should try swapping in other races and colors to 'see if it still strikes you the same way.' 'If I do that with this quote, it would read, "Black women marry bigoted black men and birth and raise bigoted black boys." I would feel it was racist,' Hochschild told the outlet. 'And I think the same thing applies if it's White instead of Black,' he added. 'Or if one substitutes anything else - Asian, Mexican - anything else.'
