Along with a quiet offseason, yesterday was truly depressing as the New York Yankees and their fans mourned the loss of power lefty Oscar Gamble.
2017 was a tough year for losing celebrities. It seems that 2018 is off to a rough start as well as the New York Yankees lost a legend in Oscar Gamble.
A statement from the New York Yankees on the passing of Oscar Gamble. ? pic.twitter.com/CkJCBHZY2c
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) January 31, 2018
Gamble’s death was confirmed by Gamble’s agent, Andrew Levy, as reported by Bryan Hoch.
Gamble played in two separate stints with the Yankees, first in 1976 and later from 1979-1984. Besides the Yankees, Gamble also brought his power and flow to the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and various other squads.
Gamble finished his career with a .265 batting average and 200 career home runs, several of which came courtesy of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
It was clear that Gamble had a huge impact on all who watched him play. Several former players and sportswriters took to Twitter to express their condolences for the loss of Gamble, who passed of ameloblastic carcinoma.
RIF* Oscar Gamble
(*Rest in Funk) https://t.co/aIYqOykDbB
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) January 31, 2018
Sad to hear of the passing of Oscar Gamble. Big hair, big heart. Gone too soon. #RIPOG
— Ken Singleton (@29alltime) January 31, 2018
he had a memorable left swing (perfect for yankee stadium) and more memorable hair. RIP, Oscar Gamble https://t.co/h8H6qtUNcH
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 31, 2018
RIP, Oscar Gamble.
While the offseason has been unseasonably quiet, the Yankees did manage to make another move. While small, it’s still something worth knowing as spring training rolls around.
Source: Right-hander David Hale to the Yankees on a minor-league deal. Former Brave and Rockie spent 2017 in minors for Dodgers.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 31, 2018
As reported by Chris Cotillo, the Yankees are bringing the 30-year-old righty aboard to help bolster their rotation in the minors and likely as an emergency starter in case of injury in the majors.
In four years in the majors, Hale has a 10-10 record with a 4.48 ERA. Two of those years, however, were spent in Colorado in a ballpark that is a hitter’s best friend.
Hale spent last season in the minors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, compiling a 5-4 record and a 4.08 ERA in 81.2 innings pitched.
A major move? No way. But it’s definitely a move that will help out the minor league system. Plus, he’ll likely be a friendly face at spring training in a few weeks.
That’s all for today! Don’t forget to stay tuned to Elite Sports NY for all the latest up-to-date Yankees news.