1971 Topps #23 Oscar Gamble
About Oscar Gamble
Gamble began 1971 back in Triple-A Eugene, hitting .290 in 39 games, before returning to the Phillies in late May and homering the first night he was back, May 29 against the Dodgers. He batted .304 over his first 18 games and .194 in the next 74, finishing with 6 home runs. His Phillies card is #23.
Oscar Gamble was a left-handed-hitting outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons, 1969 to 1985, for seven clubs: the Cubs, Phillies, Indians, Yankees, White Sox, Padres and Rangers. Cubs scout Buck O'Neil found him on Alabama sandlots, and the Cubs drafted him in 1968. He hit 200 home runs in about 4,500 at-bats, mostly as a platoon bat, and drew more career walks (610) than strikeouts (546). His peak came in 1977 with the White Sox, when he hit 31 home runs, and in 1979 he batted .358 split between the Rangers and Yankees. He appeared in postseason play with New York in 1976, 1980 and 1981. He batted from a deep crouch, and his enormous Afro became one of baseball's iconic images from the 1970s. Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto called him the Big O. After retiring he settled in Montgomery, Alabama, worked as a player agent and ran youth clinics. He died in 2018.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 336 | 1 | 5 | 142 | 122 | 40 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #268 Philadelphia Phillies
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- #49 Don Money
- #77 Mike Compton
- #92 Fred Wenz
- #119 Frank Lucchesi
- #138 Phillies 1971 Rookie Stars
- #166 Joe Hoerner
- #192 Billy Wilson
- #233 Larry Bowa
- #246 Tony Taylor
- #297 Johnny Briggs
- #323 Billy Champion
- #352 Denny Doyle
- #366 Ron Stone
- #414 Woodie Fryman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #23 card?
It is card #23 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Oscar Gamble of the Philadelphia Phillies.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.