Michael Gazella (October 13, 1895 – September 11, 1978) was an American
major league baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player who played for the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
on several championship teams in the 1920s.
Born in
Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Olyphant is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is northeast of downtown Scranton, on the Lackawanna River in the heart of the anthracite region of the state. Its main source of employment was the mining and shipping o ...
, Gazella played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
as well as baseball at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
and
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a campus of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and it is located it in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the campus' total enrollment is 1,6 ...
. In 1923, he was signed by New York and played in eight games for the Yankees that season. Consigned to the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
in 1924 and 1925, he played for teams in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
before rejoining New York in the 1926 season as a
utility infielder
In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various st ...
, usually playing
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
.
The Yankees played in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
every year Gazella was on the team, winning three. However, Gazella played in only the
1926 Series, in which the Yankees lost to the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
.
After retiring, Gazella
managed the
Ponca City Angels
The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
of the
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues formed in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western ...
and the
Moline Plowboys
The Moline Plowboys was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Moline, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities. Moline teams played as members the 1892 Illinois-Iowa League, 1894 Western Association, the Mississippi Valley League (1 ...
of the
Three-I League, as well as
scouted for the Yankees.
Gazella died in an automobile accident in
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small section of the city extends into Midland County.
Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, mak ...
on September 11, 1978.
[ ]
References
External links
Interview with Michael Gazellaconducted by
Eugene Murdock
Eugene Converse Murdock (April 30, 1921 – July 23, 1992) was an historian and author best known for his research into baseball.
Early life and education
Eugene C. Murdock was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on April 30, 1921, and attended school ther ...
on June 6, 1978, in
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small section of the city extends into Midland County.
Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, mak ...
.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gazella, Mike
1895 births
1978 deaths
Atlanta Crackers players
People from Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Baseball players from Pennsylvania
Hollywood Stars players
Lafayette Leopards baseball players
Lafayette Leopards football players
Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players
Major League Baseball infielders
Mansfield Mounties baseball players
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Moline Plowboys players
New York Yankees players
New York Yankees scouts
Players of American football from Pennsylvania
Ponca City Angels players
Road incident deaths in Texas