Greg Goossen

Gregory Bryant Goossen (December 14, 1945 – February 26, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and stand-in actor in the American film industry. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and first baseman from 1965 to 1974 for the New York Mets, Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Senators. He was the brother of Ten Goose Boxing founders Dan and Joe Goossen. After his athletic career, Goosen worked in the American film industry as a stand-in for actor Gene Hackman. Career Born in Los Angeles, Goossen was the fourth member of a family of eight brothers and two sisters. He was a standout football and basketball player at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he graduated in 1964. Following his graduation, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Goossen for a six-figure bonus. He spent 1964 in the minor leagues playing first base with the Dodgers rookie-level Pioneer League team, the Pocatello Chiefs and then their single-A Florida State League team, the St. Petersburg Saints. After accepting an invitation to spring training from the Dodgers, he spent the pre-season sharing a locker with future Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale who were on their way to winning the 1965 World Series. On April 9, the woeful New York Mets selected the 19-year-old Goossen through the first-year waiver process. Mets manager Casey Stengel, evidently less than impressed with his new player, infamously quoted "This is Greg Goossen. He's 19 years old, and in 10 years . . . he's got a chance to be 29." Needing players, the Mets promoted the former bonus baby directly to the majors. Goossen batted .290 in 11 games as part of a catching group that included Chris Cannizzaro, Jesse Gonder, John Stephenson and Yogi Berra before being assigned for the rest of the season to single-A Auburn in the New York–Penn League. Goossen would spend four years in the Mets organization, playing in both the minors and major league each season. On May 31, 1968, Goossen broke up a possible perfect game by St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Larry Jaster, hitting a single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. In his four years with the organization he would play 99 games in the majors, and 430 in the minors (with all but 40 minor league games at AAA Jacksonville).