Mike Gazella
Encyclopedia
Michael Gazella was an American
major league
baseball
player who played for the New York Yankees
on several championship teams in the 1920s.
Born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania
, Gazella played football
as well as baseball at Lafayette College
and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
. In 1923, he was signed by New York and played in eight games for the Yankees that season. Consigned to the minor leagues in 1924 and 1925, he played for teams in Minneapolis and Atlanta before rejoining New York in the 1926 season as a utility infielder
, usually playing third base
.
The Yankees played in the World Series
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
.
After retiring, Gazella managed the Ponca City Angels of the Western Association
and the Moline Plowboys
of the Three-I League, as well as scouted
for the Yankees.
Gazella died in an automobile accident in Odessa, Texas
on September 11, 1978.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who played for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on several championship teams in the 1920s.
Born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Olyphant, Pennsylvania
Olyphant is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, approximately five miles northeast of Scranton on the Lackawanna River in the heart of the anthracite region of the State. Once engaged in the shipping of coal as its main source of employment, Olyphant experienced a severe downturn in the...
, Gazella played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as well as baseball at Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is one of the fourteen state universities that are part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher...
. In 1923, he was signed by New York and played in eight games for the Yankees that season. Consigned to the minor leagues in 1924 and 1925, he played for teams in Minneapolis and Atlanta before rejoining New York in the 1926 season as a utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
, usually playing third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
.
The Yankees played in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
every year Gazella was on the team, winning three. However, Gazella played in only the 1926 Series
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
, in which the Yankees lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
After retiring, Gazella managed the Ponca City Angels of the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues 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 Association on October 28, 1887...
and the Moline Plowboys
Moline Plowboys
The Moline Plowboys were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1914 to 1941. They were located in Moline, Illinois. From 1914 to 1923, they played in the Class B Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League; from 1924 to 1932, they played in the Class D Mississippi Valley League; and from 1937 to 1941,...
of the Three-I League, as well as scouted
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Yankees.
Gazella died in an automobile accident in Odessa, Texas
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 portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
on September 11, 1978.