Oscar Gamble — a former Yankees slugger known for his left-handed power and his sizable Afro — died Wednesday at age 68, his agent Andrew Levy confirmed to MLB.com.
Gamble’s wife, Lovell Woods Gamble, said Gamble died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, from complications of ameloblastoma — a type of cancer found in the jaw. Gamble was diagnosed nine years ago and had several operations starting last August, according to CBS News.
In 17 seasons from 1969 through 1985, Gamble appeared in 1,584 games and batted .265, with 200 home runs and 666 RBIs. In 1974 and 1977, he ranked in the top 10 in slugging in the American League playing for the Indians and the White Sox, respectively.
The left-handed pull hitter also played seven seasons over two stints in the Bronx, including two American League pennants in 1976 and 1981.
Gamble hit a career-high 31 home runs and 83 RBIs while playing for the White Sox in 1977. The Alabama native, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1968, also played for the Cubs, Padres, Rangers, Indians and Phillies.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Oscar Gamble. Big hair, big heart. Gone too soon,” tweeted Yankees broadcaster Ken Singleton, who competed against Gamble in the ’70s and ’80s.
But Gamble was perhaps best known for his oversize hair, which he cut after the Yankees acquired him in a trade from the Indians before the 1976 season. In fact, Gamble’s 1976 Topps baseball card remains one of baseball’s most iconic due to the Afro.
“If you had to pick the top Topps cards of all time, this would definitely make the list,” Clay Luraschi, vice president of product development for the Topps Co., told The Undefeated in 2017. “It’s so memorable; people just love that card. I go to a lot of different events, whether sporting events or trading-card-related events, and the Oscar Gamble card gets talked about as much as the Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson cards.”
But the card wasn’t real — Topps had to use an altered image during his playing days with the Indians to dress Gamble in pinstripes since he had yet to officially become a Yankee at the time.
“What makes the card even more interesting is Topps actually airbrushed his Yankees cap from Cleveland to the Yankees,” Leighton Sheldon, president of online auction house Just Collect, told The Undefeated. “So that card, even though it technically looks like he’s in a uniform, he actually had not played for the Yankees yet.”