Famed baseball pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage blasted the Colorado Springs School District 11 board Wednesday before it approved a plan that includes the closure of Wasson High School at the end of this school year.

Board members wanted to know why he didn’t contribute his name and support a lot sooner.

In response to Gossage’s remarks at Wednesday night’s meeting, board members said that they asked for his help several years ago and he turned them down.

Before she was elected to the D-11 board, Secretary Elaine Naleski was the D-11 spokeswoman. She said Thursday that she couldn’t recall how many years ago the school district sought out Gossage to promote the district, especially Wasson. Others in the district said they thought it was about three years ago.

“We were reaching out to graduates in the community to see if they would help us,” she said. “We contacted Mr. Gossage and he did not want to do that.”

Naleski said that at the time, his response shocked everyone since so many people said he would pitch in.

Gossage said he couldn’t remember a reason to deny any request from the school district. Maybe he was busy with prior commitments, he said Thursday.

“I don’t remember ever saying no,” he said. “What difference would it have made?”

Gossage said there is nothing anyone could have done to prevent Wasson from closing.

“It’s another one of their bogus excuses.”

Board members have forgotten that their work should be about kids, he said.

Wasson and Colorado Springs is proud of its ties to the player, who was inducted into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, the same year he was commencement speaker at Wasson.

In 1995, the city dedicated the Gossage Youth Sports Complex and its baseball and softball fields to the player.

Gossage said he jumped right in this year when he was contacted to help save Wasson from closure. He graduated from the school in 1970.

“I thought I could make a difference, but it was a done deal,” he said. “It was all a wasted effort.”

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Contact Kristina Iodice: 636-0162 Twitter @GazetteKristina

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