Rich Goose Gossage holds his plaque after being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Cooperstown, N.Y. ? Rich “Goose” Gossage never hid his strong desire to be among baseball’s greats in the Hall of Fame. But for eight straight years, the baseball writers denied him his wish, and he never seemed to miss an opportunity to express his deep disappointment.

On his ninth chance, Gossage finally was elected this year. Sunday, at his induction ceremony, he called the experience one of the greatest things that has ever happened to him.

And that definitely showed.

Gossage broke down twice during his 18-minute speech – a speech he said he wrote himself – and his eyes welled up again during a post-ceremony news conference. He must have used the word “exciting” 20 times during his speech and later repeatedly said he couldn’t “comprehend” what had just happened.

With a strong contingent of Yankees fans chanting “Goose” at a sun-drenched Clark Sports Center, Gossage touched on several key moments from his career and the people who had the biggest impact on his life. While mentioning his deceased teammates, Gossage stopped to compose himself at Thurman Munson, whom he called “the greatest catcher I’ve ever had to throw to.” He nearly lost it again as he ran down the list of teammates from the 1978 world champion Yankees in attendance.

From that team, Ron Guidry, Graig Nettles, Roy White, Sparky Lyle, Mickey Rivers and Jim Beattie were in the crowd and Reggie Jackson was on the stage with the Hall of Famers. Gossage genuinely was appreciative of their presence.

“I feel very honored to wear a Yankee cap into the Hall of Fame today, and to be a part of that great Yankee tradition,” he said.

For someone who grew up a Yankees fan rooting for Mickey Mantle, this was the pinnacle for Gossage, an experience he said ranks behind only the birth of his three children.

“You may have heard me say that my career in baseball was like a kid getting on his favorite ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years,” he said.

In his speech, Gossage explained the back story to how he developed his herky-jerky delivery, his penchant for throwing high-and-tight and his love and respect for the game.

Gossage credited his professional demeanor to his former manager, Chuck Tanner. “He told me the most important words that I would ever hear … He said, ‘You make them tear that uniform off.'”