December 20

1985 Topps Traded #37T - Oscar Gamble

On this day in 1949, Oscar Gamble was born.

Oscar was originally traded to the White Sox on April 5, 1977 from the New York Yankees. He became one of the stars of Chicago that summer as part of the South Side Hit Men, the team made a surprising surge, sparked by owner Bill Veeck's rent-a-player scheme.Gamble hit .297 with thirty-one homers and eighty-three RBI that summer.

While Oscar would sign with the San Diego Padres after the 1977 season, he would ultimately end his career with the White Sox, when he signed before the 1985 season. Never afraid of a little attention, he wore the number zero in his second stint with the Pale Hose. Unfortunately, if Gamble was hoping for some resurgence, it did not come. He hit .203 with four home runs and twenty RBI in seventy games. Oscar was released on August 12, 1985. His last MLB game was on August 8, 1985 against the Boston Red Sox. He pinch hit for pitcher Mike Stanton in the bottom of the ninth with two out. He grounded to shortstop Jackie Gutierrez to end the game.