Graig Nettles

Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944 in San Diego, California) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and left-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins (1967-69), Cleveland Indians (1970-72), New York Yankees (1973-83), San Diego Padres (1984-86), Atlanta Braves (1987) and Montreal Expos (1988).

Nettles, known as Puff to fans and teammates, was one of the best defensive third basemen of all time, and despite his low career batting average, he was an excellent offensive contributor, setting an American League record for career home runs by a third baseman. As a part of four pennant-winning Yankee teams, Nettles enjoyed his best season in 1977. He won the Gold Glove Award and hit career highs in home runs (37) and runs batted in (107) to lead the Yankees to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nettles' best individual performance came in the field, during Game 3 of the 1978 Series against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. With the Dodgers leading two games to none, Nettles made several plays at the hot corner to stop potential run-scoring hits, and helping the Yankees gain a key win in the series. New York went on to win the next three contests and clinch the world championship.

In his 22-season career, Nettles hit .248 with 390 home runs and 1314 RBI in 2700 games. He had a career fielding average of .964, exceptional for the hot corner. After retiring at age 43, Nettles coached for the Yankees (1991) and Padres (1995).

Highlights

6-time All-Star (1975, 1977-80, 1985)
Two Gold Glove awards (1977-78)
Led American League in HRs (32, 1976)
3 times led AL Third Basemen in total chances per game (1971, 1973, 1976)
Won AL Championship Series MVP (1981)
Holds the Major League single-season records for assists and double plays by a third baseman (412 and 54, 1971)
Holds American League career record for home runs by a third baseman (333)
Followed Lou Gehrig and Thurman Munson in the role of Yankee captain

Illegal bat

On September 7, 1974, Nettles, then with the New York Yankees, was caught using a bat that had six superballs inside it. He said that he had received the bat from a Yankees fan in Chicago and did not know that the bat had been altered. ^*

Brothers milestone

On September 14, 1974, Nettles and his brother Jim homered in the same game, joining a select club that includes Bret and Aaron Boone, José and Héctor Cruz, Felipe and César Crespo, Al and Tony Cuccinello, Joe and Dom DiMaggio, and Rick and Wes Ferrell. The seven sets of brothers hit their homers playing for opposing teams.

Facts

The controversial book Balls (Putnam, 1984) is a memoir of Nettles' baseball career written in collaboration with Peter Golenbock, in which the player criticizes George Steinbrenner, the ostentatious Yankees owner, and some players as well. When the book's advance promotion came to Steinbrenner's attention in March 1984, Nettles was summarily traded to the San Diego Padres.
Nettles is remembered for an incident in 1974 when he hit a broken-bat single and a bunch of Super Balls bounced out. ^*
During a brawl in a game against the Boston Red Sox in 1976, Nettles, who was on second base at the onset of the brawl, tackled Boston pitcher Bill Lee from behind. When it appeared that the dust was settled and the brawl was over, Lee tracked down Nettles and called him on the fact that he was a punk for tackling him from behind. The fracas resumed when Nettles swung at Lee. More players joined in the fray and Lee broke his collarbone when he went down in the pile. He was arguably never the same pitcher he was before the incident, though he continued to be a thorn in the Yankees' side for a few more years with Boston.

Quotation

When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a baseball player and join the circus. With the Yankees I have accomplished both. – Graig Nettles, at National Pastime ^*
In one year, Sparky Lyle went from Cy Young to sayonara. - Graig Nettles discussing for mer Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle's free agent departure to make way for Goose Gossage.

External links

Graig Nettles at: