Tuesday, September 6, 2016

#423 Oscar Gamble

Word Association:  Q:  Afro   A: Oscar Gamble ...the hairstyle is subdued here  but what people remember is the Fro’ was at its peak in Oscar's prime years....hair style screams 1970's....started in Cubs system but got the biggest billing as a prospect as for the Phillies...Touted by Complete Handbook of Baseball as the new Lou Brock....Players were long way apart....Gamble never showed Brock’s speed and long term consistency...Brock never had Gamble’s power outbursts.....Failure in Philly never playing a complete season with being sent to the minors....Afterthought trade to Cleveland allowed to take advantage of the new DH rule....once Indians dealt him to NYY, Oscar started a journey of 5 teams in 4 years...starting with Yankees 1976...on to South side Chicago for 1977, stepped up his game and had a career season with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs...had AL’s best home run to at bat ratio...reaped  the monetary benefits of the infant free agency market in San Diego... increased salary by nearly 500%....a fair BA but production was way off for the Padres...rebounded with .358 BA in 1979 splitting time between Texas and a return to NYY...Good results but never regained regular status...completed another tour with White Sox in Swan Song season of 1985...hit 200 home runs




4 comments:

  1. Gamble is the only non-pitcher from the 69 Cubs to later play in a World Series, I believe.

    Also, he may have actually been a better fielder than Brock, as Brock was not a good outfielder at all.

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  2. You're right, in further research Brock as outfielder was average at best and erratic at worst. Lou with his speed did make up for some mistakes and but may have added to a high error total. Gamble, traded to the AL at the start of the DH, was almost instantly relegated to that position. He would up playing very little outfield after 1973 unless he was in NL.

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  3. Jimmie Hall played 11 games for the '69 Cubs and he appeared in the 1965 World Series as a member of the Twins, but it was before his stop with the Cubs.

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  4. Nate Oliver also previously appeared in a World Series in 1966.
    The 1969 Cubs certainly had there share of veterans on the tail end of their careers.

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