| Rich Gale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1954-01-19)January 19, 1954 (age 72) Littleton, New Hampshire, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 30, 1978, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1984, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 55–56 |
| Earned run average | 4.54 |
| Strikeouts | 518 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Richard Blackwell Gale (born January 19, 1954) is an American formerstarting pitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB) who played with four teams between1978 and1984. Listed at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and 225 lb (102 kg), Gale batted and threw right-handed. During 1992 and 1993, he served as pitching coach for theBoston Red Sox. In 2006, he earned honorable mention for theNew Hampshire Athlete of the Century.
Born inLittleton, New Hampshire, Gale went to theUniversity of New Hampshire on abasketball scholarship, but made his mark on the baseball diamond.[1] In 1974, he playedcollegiate summer baseball for theFalmouth Commodores of theCape Cod Baseball League, and was named a leagueall-star.[2] Selected by theKansas City Royals in the1975 draft, he entered the Majors in1978 with the Royals, playing for them four years before joining theSan Francisco Giants (1982),Cincinnati Reds (1983) andBoston Red Sox (1984).
Gale's most productive season came in his rookie year, when he went 14–8 with 88strikeouts and a 3.09ERA, including a 5–0, one-hitshutout against theTexas Rangers atRoyals Stadium on June 13, 1978. Hisno-hitter bid was broken up byAl Oliver with atriple in the fourth inning. Gale finished fourth in theAmerican League Rookie of the Year vote behindLou Whitaker,Paul Molitor, andCarney Lansford, and overAlan Trammell and received anAmerican League MVP vote, garnering both theTSN Rookie of the Year and 1978Topps All-Star Rookie Roster honors.
In1979, Gale faded to 9–10, but he resurfaced with a 13–9 mark in1980, helping his team the reach the1980 World Series. He started games three and six of the Series, going 0–1 with a 4.25 ERA against the eventual World ChampionPhiladelphia Phillies. During the next three seasons his playing time was limited by arm injuries and he did not pitch again in a major league game after1984.
In a seven-season career, Gale posted a 55–56 record with 518 strikeouts and a 4.54 ERA in 195appearances, including 144 starts, 21complete games, 5 shutouts, 13games finished, 2saves, and 970.0innings of work. A good-hitting pitcher who occasionallypinch-hit, he collected a .150batting average (9-for-68) with 2home runs, 2doubles, 6runs, and 5RBI.
Following his major league career, Gale played in theJapan Central League for the 1985Hanshin Tigers, who won their first-everJapan Series with Gale pitching the winning game. He later played with theFort Myers Sun Sox of theSenior Professional Baseball Association 1989–1990 and for Triple-APawtucket 1991.
After his playing career ended, Gale worked as apitching coach for the Boston Red Sox 1992–1993, Double-ACarolina Mudcats 2006, Triple-AAlbuquerque Isotopes 2007–2008, and in theWashington Nationals system 2009. From 2010 through June 2011, he served as pitching coach for the Triple-ANashville Sounds.[3] Before joining the Sounds in 2010, Gale was a pitching coach for theCarolina Mudcats,Albuquerque Isotopes and theHagerstown Suns.[4] Gale resigned as aSounds coach in June 2011, citing personal reasons for his departure.
Gale was a witness to theHyatt Regency walkway collapse on July 17, 1981. He had been working as abartender at one of the fivebars in the hotel's lobby because of the1981 MLB strike. He called the disaster "the worst thing I've ever seen or imagined."[5]
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