White Sox A-Z: Gamble to Guillén
By Art Berke
Need a White Sox fix? Every Thursday we are paying tribute to White Sox standouts of the past, spotlighting a different letter of the alphabet each week. Today we focus on seven popular Sox players whose last names begin with the letter G — Oscar Gamble, Freddy García, Jon Garland, Ralph Garr, Goose Gossage, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ozzie Guillén.
Oscar Gamble, OF/DH, White Sox (1977, 1985), Cubs, Phillies, Indians, Yankees, Padres, Rangers
A 17-year major-league veteran, Oscar Gamble had his most productive season in a White Sox uniform as a member of the 1977 South Side Hitmen.
During the ’77 campaign with the Sox, the native Alabaman recorded career highs in games played (137), at-bats (408), runs scored (75), doubles (22) home runs (31) and RBI (83) with a slash line of .297/.386/.588. Gamble returned to the Sox in 1985 — his final season in the big leagues — playing in 70 games. He finished his career with 200 home runs, 666 RBI, a slash of .265/.356/.454 and OPS of .811.
Oscar, well known during his career for his bulging Afro hairstyle, unfortunately died of jaw cancer in 2018 at the age of 68.
Freddy García, RHP, White Sox (2004–06, 2009–10), Mariners, Phillies, Tigers, Yankees, Orioles, Braves
Freddy García had an outstanding 15-year big-league career, winning 156 games with a .591 winning percentage and distinguishing himself as a two-time All-Star with the Mariners. But his 2005 campaign, especially during the postseason, is why White Sox fans will fondly remember him.
During the Sox’s ’05 regular season, the native Venezuelan went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA. In the postseason, he went 3–0 with a 2.14 ERA in his three appearances.
García won the clinching game in the American League Division Series against the Red Sox. In Game 4 of the A.L. Championship Series against the Angels, García was the third straight Sox pitcher (also Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland) to hurl a complete game. In Game 5, José Contreras made in four, the first time in 77 years a team pitched four straight complete games.
In the decisive Game 4 of the ’05 World Series vs. the Astros, “Big Game” García capped off a magical season by tossing seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to earn the victory in the 1–0 triumph, which gave the Sox their first world title in 88 years. It was no coincidence that all three postseason victories were on the road as Freddy thrived away from home and manager Ozzie Guillén adjusted his rotation accordingly.
In his five seasons with the Sox, García posted a 55–31 record that included three double-digit win seasons.
Jon Garland, RHP, White Sox (2000–2007), Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies
In the middle of the 1998 season, the White Sox made a shrewd trade with the Cubs to acquire highly touted pitching prospect Jon Garland. In a short matter of time, Garland became a key member of the Sox starting rotation and ultimately enjoyed a fine 13-year big-league career.
From 2002–2007, the native Californian posted double-digit victories, highlighted by the 2005 (18–10, 3.50 ERA) and 2006 (18–7, 4.51) seasons. In ’05, Garland led the club in wins, led the American League with three shutouts, made the A.L. All-Star team while pitching a scoreless inning in the midsummer classic and finished sixth in the league’s Cy Young Award voting.
In Game 3 of the ’05 A.L. Championship Series against the Angels, Garland made his first postseason start. He hurled a complete-game four-hitter with seven K’s in a 5–2 Sox win and was one of the quartet of pitchers (also Mark Buehrle, Freddy García and José Contreras) that hurled four straight complete games in the postseason for the first time in 77 years. In the World Series against the Astros, Jon threw seven outstanding innings in Game 3, allowing just two earned runs as the White Sox won in 14 innings.
Garland won 92 of his 136 big-league victories in eight major-league campaigns with the White Sox.
Ralph Garr, OF, White Sox (1976–79), Braves, Angels
In 13 big-league seasons Ralph Garr compiled a stellar .306 lifetime batting average.
Known as the “Roadrunner” for his speed and exciting style of play, Ralph Garr spent four years with the White Sox where he recorded two .300 seasons and was a catalyst for the 1977 South Side Hitmen.
The affable Garr was an All-Star in 1974 with the Braves when he won the National League batting title with a .353 mark and led the league in hits (214) and the majors with 17 triples.
A native of Louisiana and a Grambling University product, Garr has been a roving scout in the Braves organization for more than three decades.
Rich “Goose” Gossage, RHP, White Sox (1972–76), Pirates, Yankees, Padres, Cubs, Giants, Rangers, A’s, Mariners
In 22 big-league seasons, Hall of Famer Goose Gossage established himself as one of baseball’s all-time dominant relief pitchers.
A Colorado native, Goose’s road to Cooperstown began on the South Side of Chicago as both a starter and reliever. His last two years in a Sox uniform certainly showed what was to come. He made the American League All-Star team in both 1975 and 1976 and led the majors with 26 saves in ‘76.
When all was said and done, the man who was known for his intimidating demeanor won a World Series ring with the Yankees (1978), played in two other fall classics, was a nine-time All-Star, collected 310 saves and added eight more in 19 postseason appearances (31.1 innings).
Ken Griffey Jr., OF, White Sox (2008), Mariners, Reds
Ken Griffey Jr. played just 41 regular season games in 2008 with the White Sox during a spectacular 22-year Hall of Fame career which saw him slug 630 homers (seventh all-time), drive in 1,836 runs and post a slash line of .284/.370/.538.
In 1997 with the Mariners, he won the American League MVP with 56 home runs, 147 RBI and a slash line of .304/.382/.646. He was a 13-time All-Star, including 11 straight years from 1990–2000.
The Sox acquired Griffey Jr. for the ’08 pennant stretch and it was worth it for just one defensive play. His virtuoso moment on the South Side happened in Game 163 of the that season between the White Sox and Twins to determine the A.L. Central champs.
In a 0–0 game in the fifth inning, Junior shut the door on the Twins by rocketing a perfect throw to the plate to nab Mike Cuddyer, the potential lead run. Thanks to a Jim Thome home run the Sox won 1–0 and went on to play the Tampa Bay Rays in the A.L. Division Series.
Griffey Jr. and his father Ken have the distinction of being the first father-son combination to play on the same major-league team (Mariners) at the same time. They played together for 51 games and even hit back-to-back homers off of the Angels Kirk McCaskill on September 14, 1990.
Ozzie Guillén, SS, White Sox (1985–1997, Manager: 2004–11), Orioles, Braves, Rays; Manager: Marlins
A full-fledged White Sox legend and one of the franchise’s most popular players, Guillén added to his iconic stature by managing the 2005 White Sox to their first World Series triumph in 88 years. Outspoken, controversial and always at the ready with a quotable comment, Sox fans embraced him from the word go.
Obtained in a trade from the Padres before the 1985 season, Ozzie was named the ’85 American League Rookie of the Year, enjoyed three All-Star seasons (1988, 1990–91) and was the recipient of a Gold Glove (1990) as a Sox fixture and steadying influence at shortstop for more than two decades. Adding to his legacy, he followed in the footsteps of fellow Venezuelan shortstops Chico Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio who excelled on the South Side.
Guillén led the Sox to 99 victories and a dominant performance in the ’05 postseason on their journey to the promised land by recording an 11–1 record against the Red Sox, Angels and Astros in the Division Series, Championship Series and World Series, respectively. As a result, he was named the A.L. Manager of the Year and was the first Latino skipper to win the fall classic.
