Baseball

Gossage, Dick Williams inducted into hall

For more than two decades, Rich “Goose” Gossage unnerved batters as one of baseball’s most menacing and dominating relief pitchers. Yesterday, it was his turn for the jitters.

“This experience is overwhelming, over the top. I can’t put in words what this means,” Gossage told a decidedly Yankees crowd during the National Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony that capped his 22-year career.

Gossage had to pause twice to collect his thoughts — including once when he was moved to tears talking about now dead teammates Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer.

“I’m like a kid going on his first ride at Disney World and not getting off for 22 years,” said Gossage, whose speech was interspersed with choruses of “Goose” from the crowd.

Dick Williams — one of Gossage’s former managers — also was inducted yesterday. Williams managed six teams in 21-year career, winning the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973. He also won league pennants with the Boston Red Sox in 1967 and San Diego Padres in 1984.

Tennis

Nadal beats Kiefer to win Rogers Cup title

Rafael Nadal beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2 yesterday to win the Rogers Cup, his fifth straight tournament victory.

The second-seeded Spaniard has won 29 consecutive matches.

Kiefer, of Germany, was unseeded and ranks 37th in the world. He was playing in his first ATP final since 2005.

It’s Nadal’s second Rogers Cup title.

Nadal first broke Kiefer in the fifth game when Kiefer, down 15-40, had Nadal far out of position but gently laid his drop shot into the net. The players held serve until the ninth game, when Kiefer’s double fault gave Nadal the set point.

Football

Favre a no-show to Packers camp

Brett Favre didn’t report to the Green Bay Packers’ training camp Sunday, temporarily easing tensions in the three-time MVP’s ongoing standoff with the team.

Packers spokesman Jeff Blumb confirmed yesterday that Favre did not report to camp with Packers players, who were required to report at 7:30 a.m. CDT.

Favre told si.com that Packers general manager Ted Thompson had asked him for “a couple of days” to resolve the situation.

“I agreed to do that,” Favre told the site. “I don’t want to be a distraction to the Packers, and I hope in the next few days we can come to an agreement that would allow me to continue playing football.”

Bears’ Hester signs 4-year contract

Kick returner Devin Hester has signed a new four-year contract with the Chicago Bears.

The team announced the deal yesterday. Hester skipped the first two days of training camp because he wanted to renegotiate his contract, which had two years left. Hester returned to camp Friday, saying there was progress in the negotiations.