Oscar Gamble Traded -- 1976 Topps Card of the Year

• It was a close vote (13-11), but Oscar Gamble won.

• There were a LOT of great cards in this set. After reviewing the set, I have changed  my opinion. I used to rank 1976 about 4th or 5th in the decade of the 1970s. Now I would put this set at #1 or #2. The 1971 set is still a favorite of mine, as is 1974, 1975, and 1978. 
• What is your favorite 1970s Topps set? The poll is on the right. :)
• Some statistics on this set will be forthcoming in a future entry. Then it will be on to Kellogg's and Hostess.
• If someone else doesn't pick it up in the next couple of months, I'll do the 1977 Topps set next.

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Finals

• I added the results of the two polls together and the Oscar Gamble traded card beat out Johnny Bench by three votes. It kinda bums me out since the 1976 Bench is one of my favorites of all time.
• The finals will be between Pete Rose and Oscar Gamble Traded. Please vote for your favorite! :)

Pete Rose #240

Oscar Gamble Traded #74

1976 Topps Card of the Year - Semi-Finals II

• Pete Rose beat the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing card 14-10. Pete will be in the finals against the winner of:

Oscar Gamble Traded #74T

and

Johnny Bench #300

• Please vote for your favorite of these two cards. :)

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 4, Group 2) - down to six!

Pete Rose and the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing card advance to the semi-finals.

This bracket is going to be a tough one. Please vote for your favorite out of these four cards. The top two cards will advance to the semi-finals.

Carl Yastrzemski #230

Steve Garvey #150

Johnny Bench #300

Oscar Gamble Traded (#74T)

1976 Topps Card of the Year - round 3, group 2

• Pete Rose, Dave Parker, World Series Champs, and the Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing Card will move on to the final eight. I had to make a decision between the Worlds Series Champs and the Luis Tiant cards since both had the same number of votes.
• Here are the cards from the "other side of the bracket." Please vote for your favorite card(s) from this group. The top four cards will move on to the final eight.

Steve Garvey #150

Carl Yastrzemski #230 

Jerry Reuss #60

Oscar Gamble traded #74T

Johnny Bench #300

Ray Fosse #554

Fred Lynn #50

Lou Brock #10

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 2, Group 2)

• The cards that will move on from group 1 are Johnny Bench, Ray Fosse, Fred Lynn, and Lou Brock
• Here are the cards for round 2, group 2. Please vote for your favorite(s). The top four from this group will make it to the next round

Steve Ontiveros #284

Oscar Gamble Traded (#74T)

Sal Bando #90

Brian Downing #23

Carl Yastrzemski #230

Steve Garvey #150

Bill Plummer #627

Jerry Reuss #60

1976 Topps Card of the Year (Round 1, Group 6)

• The top four vote-getters for group 5 were Kurt Bevacqua Bubble Blowing, Lou Brock, Luis Tiant, and Manny Sanguillen. These four cards will advance to the next round.
• Here are the competitors in group 6 of round 1. Please vote for your four favorite cards from this group.

Mike Schmidt #480

Oscar Gamble #74

Oscar Gamble #74T

Pete Mackanin #287

Pete Rose #240

Ray Fosse #554

Reggie Smith #215

Rick Auerbach #622

1976 Topps Traded #74T - Oscar Gamble

• This card needs no introduction. Fear the fro!
• Oscar Gamble didn't have a good batting average (.232), but he hit 17 HR and had 57 RBI in 1976.
• Gamble was included in the trade that brought Bucky Dent to the Yankees before the 1977 season.

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1976 Topps #74 - Oscar Gamble

The afro. Is there anything more iconic for 1970s baseball cards than Oscar Gamble's afro?

Oscar Gamble was a good-hitting platoon outfielder for seven teams from 1969-1985. He started out with the Cubs and was traded to the Phillies after the 1969 season. He stayed with Philadelphia as a reserve outfielder for three seasons and then was traded to Cleveland before the 1973 season.

His best season for Cleveland was probably 1974 when he batted .291 with 19 homers. The Yankees acquired Gamble in a trade with the Indians before the 1976 season. George Steinbrenner wouldn't let Oscar have a uniform until he got rid of the afro. He spent 1976 with the Yankees but didn't have a real good year (.232 with 17 homers). He was traded to the Chicago White Sox (with $200,000, LaMarr Hoyt, and a minor leaguer) after the season for Bucky Dent.

Oscar bounced back with a good year in 1977, batting .297 with 31 homers and 83 RBI. He was granted free agency after the season and signed with the Padres. He played one year in San Diego and then was involved in a multi-player trade with the Rangers. He played part of the 1979 season with Texas and then was traded back to the Yankees. He had a great year for those two teams in '79 -- .358 with 19 homers.

He stayed with the Yankees through the 1984 season, usually getting 200-300 at bats and hitting 10-19 homers. After the '84 season he signed as a free agent with the White Sox but was released in August 1985.

Here is a 2008 "where are they now" article about Gamble.

"When I'm at bat, I'm in scoring position." - Oscar Gamble