1982 Profile: Oscar Gamble

"Oscar Gamble is a different man during his second go-round with the Bronx Bombers and he's currently looking to follow all the rules to a 't.' At 32 years of age, Oscar's content wearing his hair a bit shorter and his pinstripes a bit longer.
Oscar is comfortable in the proud pinstripes. During his first year as a Yankee, 1976, he aimed his sweet, left-handed stroke toward the right field seats and deposited 11 big ones for all to see. His 11 home runs in just 113 at-bats averaged out to one home run every 10 times up. Incredible? No ... that's just Oscar! His forte was and always will be the long ball.
Of his 161 lifetime home runs, Oscar has hit 52 in pinstripes. Nearly one-third of his total long ball production has come with the Yankees- a fact which takes on even greater significance when you stop to think that Oscar has played with seven clubs during his major league career. O.G. is more than comfortable in the pinstripes. He's at home and he's doing his best to give New York another AL Championship and another shot at the World Series."

-The New York Yankees Official 1982 Yearbook

"Gamble's 1981 season got off to a quick start. He batted .357 in April, tied for the team home run lead in the first half with seven, and had a four-RBI game at Oakland on May 1. He played right and left field and as a designated hitter in the first half, but was primarily a DH and pinch hitter in the second half. Oscar had the top on-base percentage as a pinch hitter in the AL, .615 (16-for-26), and had a successful postseason, batting .381 (8-for-21) with two home runs and five RBIs.
In 1980 Oscar jumped off to a fast start with 16 RBIs in his first 19 at-bats, batting .474 with three homers, but fouled a ball off his left foot on May 13, fracturing a toe. In 1979, he had a broken bone in his left foot and missed the month of May while with Texas before his trade to the Yankees.
Oscar has played for seven different major league teams, four in the last five years. He was named to the Texas League East All-Star team as an outfielder with San Antonio in 1968. With the Phillies, he had the distinction of getting the last ever hit in Philadelphia's old Connie Mack Stadium on October 1, 1970.
One of eight children, Oscar attended George Washington Carver High in Montgomery, Alabama where he only played basketball, as the school did not have a baseball team. His wife Juanita is a singer, and sung the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium prior to an ALCS game in 1976.
Oscar enjoys hunting, fishing and cars."

-1982 New York Yankees Media Guide