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Gamble’s hair legendary
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BY SCOTT WALSH
STAFF WRITER
Oscar Gamble played 17 seasons in the major leagues with seven teams. He hit 200 home runs, drove in 666 runs, appeared in 1,584 games and had plenty of highlights during his career.
Yet all people seem to remember about Gamble is his hair — a large, bushy afro that would stick out beneath his batting helmet.
And that’s fine with him.
“I get a lot of (my baseball) cards in the mail and most of them are with the long hair. Most of the questions I get are about the hair and how did a keep my hat on?” Gamble said. “It doesn’t bother me. That’s the way they remember me. I know I could have done a lot more if I got more at-bats, but you played when they put you in the lineup.
“You play a role and try to do the best in the role that you’re put in. But I’m proud that they still remember me. If you leave a mark, I don’t care what kind of mark it is, as long as the people remember you.”
These days, the 58-year-old Gamble sports a crew cut. He is one of the players who will participate in the Legends Reunion at PNC Field on Saturday. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Times-Tribune newspapers and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, is a five-inning exhibition baseball game featuring a team of former New York Yankees against a team of ex-Boston Red Sox.
Not too many remember that Gamble recorded the final hit and RBI in Philadelphia’s Connie Mack Stadium. On Oct. 1, 1970, he singled home Tim McCarver in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos.
“They (the fans) ran out onto the field and tore the stadium down,” Gamble said. “We were lucky to get off the field. They took the bases, the plate, the seats, the commode — anything they could get their hands on. It was a little scary to see that many people coming at you at once.”
After breaking in with the Chicago Cubs in 1969, Gamble was then traded to the Phillies that November. He spent three seasons in Philadelphia before being dealt to the Cleveland Indians in November 1972. He played two seasons in Cleveland, then was traded to the Yankees on Nov. 22, 1975, for pitcher Pat Dobson.
While Gamble was excited to be coming to a winning team, the Yankees had a team rule about long hair and facial hair. Gamble’s afro had to go.
Compounding matters was the fact that Gamble had a deal to do a commercial for AfroSheen.
“When I got to spring training, I didn’t have a uniform,” Gamble said. “I went into Billy (Martin’s) office and told him there was no uniform in my locker. Billy said, ‘George (Steinbrenner) said you need to get a haircut. Talk to George.’
“So I talked to George and he told me I needed to get a haircut. I told him I was supposed to do this commercial. So George told me to get my hair cut and he’d take care of that commercial. But they wouldn’t give me a uniform until I got my hair cut. It worked out fine.
“I was excited about coming to New York from Cleveland,” he said. “That was their rule, so I obeyed their rule. You’d cross the line as much as you could, but when it got a little long, Yogi (Berra) or one of the coaches would come up to you and say, ‘It’s about time (for a haircut).’ It was a lot of fun.”
During the 1976 season, Gamble helped the Yankees wrestle the American League pennant away from the Red Sox before losing to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The intensity of the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox was something Gamble had to get used to.
“I was there in ’76 when we had the big fight,” he said, referring to the benches-clearing brawl ignited by Lou Piniella and Carlton Fisk and in which Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee injured his shoulder. “That was my first year over there. I’d heard about the rivalry and it was for real. There was a lot of tension in those games. They had won (the AL East) in ’75 and we won it in ’76. It was just great competition; players going at it, playing their hearts out. It was crazy.”
Just days before the start of the 1977 season, the Yankees traded Gamble to the Chicago White Sox for shortstop Bucky Dent. Although he was disappointed at leaving New York, the move gave Gamble a chance to play on a regular basis. He appeared in a career-high 137 games that season and batted .297 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for the White Sox, who were known as the “South Side Hitmen.”
“It gave me an opportunity to play,” Gamble said. “It was a trade that worked out for both sides. The Yankees needed a shortstop because Fred Stanley broke his finger. I could have been a free agent at the end of that season, and I don’t think I would have had the at-bats if I’d stayed with the Yankees. So I got a chance to show what I could do and play every day.”
That season enabled Gamble to sign a free-agent contract with the San Diego Padres, although he didn’t enjoy the same success in 1978 as he did in Chicago. He hit only seven home runs, prompting the Padres to trade him in the off season to the Texas Rangers. He played 64 games with the Rangers during the 1979 season before the Yankees reacquired him on Aug. 1 for Mickey Rivers.
“Coming back was great,” Gamble said. “I went to San Diego, but I always had better success in the American League. So I wanted to come back to the Yankees because they were a first-class organization. It was fun to play in New York. I really enjoyed it.”
Gamble spent the next five seasons with the Yankees, helping them reach the World Series in 1981. Following the 1984 season, Gamble re-signed with the White Sox. He played the final game of his career on Aug. 8, 1985.
Contact the writer: swalsh@timesshamrock.com
Yet all people seem to remember about Gamble is his hair — a large, bushy afro that would stick out beneath his batting helmet.
And that’s fine with him.
“I get a lot of (my baseball) cards in the mail and most of them are with the long hair. Most of the questions I get are about the hair and how did a keep my hat on?” Gamble said. “It doesn’t bother me. That’s the way they remember me. I know I could have done a lot more if I got more at-bats, but you played when they put you in the lineup.
“You play a role and try to do the best in the role that you’re put in. But I’m proud that they still remember me. If you leave a mark, I don’t care what kind of mark it is, as long as the people remember you.”
These days, the 58-year-old Gamble sports a crew cut. He is one of the players who will participate in the Legends Reunion at PNC Field on Saturday. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Times-Tribune newspapers and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, is a five-inning exhibition baseball game featuring a team of former New York Yankees against a team of ex-Boston Red Sox.
Not too many remember that Gamble recorded the final hit and RBI in Philadelphia’s Connie Mack Stadium. On Oct. 1, 1970, he singled home Tim McCarver in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos.
“They (the fans) ran out onto the field and tore the stadium down,” Gamble said. “We were lucky to get off the field. They took the bases, the plate, the seats, the commode — anything they could get their hands on. It was a little scary to see that many people coming at you at once.”
After breaking in with the Chicago Cubs in 1969, Gamble was then traded to the Phillies that November. He spent three seasons in Philadelphia before being dealt to the Cleveland Indians in November 1972. He played two seasons in Cleveland, then was traded to the Yankees on Nov. 22, 1975, for pitcher Pat Dobson.
While Gamble was excited to be coming to a winning team, the Yankees had a team rule about long hair and facial hair. Gamble’s afro had to go.
Compounding matters was the fact that Gamble had a deal to do a commercial for AfroSheen.
“When I got to spring training, I didn’t have a uniform,” Gamble said. “I went into Billy (Martin’s) office and told him there was no uniform in my locker. Billy said, ‘George (Steinbrenner) said you need to get a haircut. Talk to George.’
“So I talked to George and he told me I needed to get a haircut. I told him I was supposed to do this commercial. So George told me to get my hair cut and he’d take care of that commercial. But they wouldn’t give me a uniform until I got my hair cut. It worked out fine.
“I was excited about coming to New York from Cleveland,” he said. “That was their rule, so I obeyed their rule. You’d cross the line as much as you could, but when it got a little long, Yogi (Berra) or one of the coaches would come up to you and say, ‘It’s about time (for a haircut).’ It was a lot of fun.”
During the 1976 season, Gamble helped the Yankees wrestle the American League pennant away from the Red Sox before losing to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The intensity of the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox was something Gamble had to get used to.
“I was there in ’76 when we had the big fight,” he said, referring to the benches-clearing brawl ignited by Lou Piniella and Carlton Fisk and in which Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee injured his shoulder. “That was my first year over there. I’d heard about the rivalry and it was for real. There was a lot of tension in those games. They had won (the AL East) in ’75 and we won it in ’76. It was just great competition; players going at it, playing their hearts out. It was crazy.”
Just days before the start of the 1977 season, the Yankees traded Gamble to the Chicago White Sox for shortstop Bucky Dent. Although he was disappointed at leaving New York, the move gave Gamble a chance to play on a regular basis. He appeared in a career-high 137 games that season and batted .297 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for the White Sox, who were known as the “South Side Hitmen.”
“It gave me an opportunity to play,” Gamble said. “It was a trade that worked out for both sides. The Yankees needed a shortstop because Fred Stanley broke his finger. I could have been a free agent at the end of that season, and I don’t think I would have had the at-bats if I’d stayed with the Yankees. So I got a chance to show what I could do and play every day.”
That season enabled Gamble to sign a free-agent contract with the San Diego Padres, although he didn’t enjoy the same success in 1978 as he did in Chicago. He hit only seven home runs, prompting the Padres to trade him in the off season to the Texas Rangers. He played 64 games with the Rangers during the 1979 season before the Yankees reacquired him on Aug. 1 for Mickey Rivers.
“Coming back was great,” Gamble said. “I went to San Diego, but I always had better success in the American League. So I wanted to come back to the Yankees because they were a first-class organization. It was fun to play in New York. I really enjoyed it.”
Gamble spent the next five seasons with the Yankees, helping them reach the World Series in 1981. Following the 1984 season, Gamble re-signed with the White Sox. He played the final game of his career on Aug. 8, 1985.
Contact the writer: swalsh@timesshamrock.com
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