Name: Oscar Gamble
Rank: 159
Position: DH
Years With White Sox: 1977, 1985
With the 1977 season about to get underway, Oscar Gamble, along with Robert Polinsky, LaMarr Hoyt, and $200,000, was traded to the White Sox from the Yankees in exchange for Bucky Dent. As one of the spark plugs for the team that would eventually become known as the South Side Hitmen, Gamble had a career year, hitting 31 home runs with a .297 average and a .588 slugging percentage.
Owner Bill Veeck couldn’t afford to keep Gamble past the 1977 season, so he was allowed to leave as a free agent. But his time on the south side wasn’t done, as Gamble returned to the White Sox as a free agent in 1985. Unfortunately, his second go around did not go as well.
Gamble split time at DH with Ron Kittle, but did not put up much offense. He managed a paltry 4 home runs with a lowly .203 average. He was designated for assignment on August 12 to make room for rookie Joe DeSa. “The fact Oscar only hit four homers doesn`t mean he didn`t help us,” manager Tony LaRussa said. “What he needed to do was hit for a higher average. He had one of the highest on-base percentages on the club with all his walks. I thought Oscar did all right with us.”
Gamble’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:
