Rich Gale
Born: 1/19/1954 in Littleton, NH, USA
MLB Debut: 1978-04-30 | Final Game: 1984-09-28
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'7" | Weight: 225 lbs
Full name: Richard Blackwell Gale
Biography
Rich Gale, born in 1954, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1978 to 1984. Gale made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a shift towards more offensive play, known as the free-swinging age of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Over the course of his career, he recorded a win-loss record of 55-56 and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.54, with a total of 518 strikeouts to his name. His versatility on the mound was highlighted by his ability to close games, as evidenced by his 2 saves.
Gale's talent was recognized early in his career when he was honored as The Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year, a testament to his potential and impact in his debut season. Although his career did not reach the heights of some contemporaries, his contributions to the teams he played for were significant, and he remained a reliable option on the pitching staff throughout his time in the league. Rich Gale's journey through professional baseball remains a noteworthy chapter in the history of the sport, reflecting the challenges and triumphs faced by pitchers during an evolving era in the game.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 56 | 195 | 144 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 970.0 | 997 | 489 | 82 | 457 | 518 | 4.54 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | KCR | AL | 14 | 8 | 31 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 192.3 | 171 | 66 | 100 | 88 | 3.09 | - |
| 1979 | KCR | AL | 9 | 10 | 34 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 181.7 | 197 | 114 | 99 | 103 | 5.65 | - |
| 1980 | KCR | AL | 13 | 9 | 32 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 190.7 | 169 | 83 | 78 | 97 | 3.92 | - |
| 1981 | KCR | AL | 6 | 6 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 101.7 | 107 | 61 | 38 | 47 | 5.40 | - |
| 1982 | SFG | NL | 7 | 14 | 33 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170.3 | 193 | 80 | 81 | 102 | 4.23 | - |
| 1983 | CIN | NL | 4 | 6 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 89.7 | 103 | 58 | 43 | 53 | 5.82 | -759.1 |
| 1984 | BOS | AL | 2 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43.7 | 57 | 27 | 18 | 28 | 5.56 | -844.1 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195 | 68 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 50 | 0.132 | 0.213 | 0.250 | 0.463 | -332.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | KCR | AL | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | KCR | AL | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | KCR | AL | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | KCR | AL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | SFG | NL | 33 | 48 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 0.125 | -332.6 |
| 1983 | CIN | NL | 33 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.150 | 0.0 |
| 1984 | BOS | AL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | WS | KCA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6.3 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.26 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | WS | KCA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6.3 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.26 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 195 | 144 | 49 | 129 | 13 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | KCA | P | 31 | 30 | 3 | 26 | 4 | 1 |
| 1979 | KCA | P | 34 | 31 | 9 | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| 1980 | KCA | P | 32 | 28 | 10 | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| 1981 | KCA | P | 19 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 | SFN | P | 33 | 29 | 10 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983 | CIN | P | 33 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984 | BOS | P | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 195 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire | Durham | NH | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 34th | 2.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1978 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 4th | 1.0 | 28 | 1 |