Remembering Oscar Gamble

Oscar Gamble with Cleveland (New York Times photo)

Today marks what would have been the 75th birthday for the late Oscar Gamble, the outfielder more known in the 1970s for his hair than his talent – the former being immense, the latter considerable.

Gamble plays for seven teams during his 17-year career in the majors.

His hairier days come with the Cleveland Indians from 1973-75.

Gamble joins the New York Yankees in 1976, at which time team owner George Steinbrenner compels Gamble to get a haircut.

Team rules, Steinbrenner tells Gamble.

With or without wild hair, Gamble is an accomplished player, finishing his career in 1985 with a .265 batting average.

Oscar Gamble in retirement

He also has a penchant for collecting numbers to easy to remember – like 200 career home runs and 666 runs batted in.

He also eventually gets shorter hair.

Gamble, who passes away in 2018, is well respected enough during his career to be involved in trades for All-Star players like Johnny Callison, Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers, Pat Dobson and Mike Hargrove.

Two of his former teams – the Yankees and Chicago White Sox – think well enough of Gamble to bring him back for second tours with them.

Gamble also is the last player to record a hit at Philadelphia's old Connie Mack Stadium, where on Oct. 1, 1970 his two-out ground single to center off Montreal's Howie Reed in the bottom of the 10th inning scores Tim McCarver from second base and lifts the Phillies over the Expos 2-1.

The Phillies plan an elaborate post-game ceremony for the final game at Connie Mack Stadium, but cancel those plans as the fans decide to close down the stadium on their own by tearing out seats and running amok on the field.

Gamble, seen here in lower right corner wearing No. 23, is able to escape the mayhem after that final hit.