| Graig Nettles | |
|---|---|
 Nettles with the New York Yankees in 1981 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: (1944-08-20)August 20, 1944 (age 81) San Diego, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 6, 1967, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1988, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .248 |
| Hits | 2,225 |
| Home runs | 390 |
| Runs batted in | 1,314 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944), nicknamed "Puff", is an American formerMajor League Baseballthird baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for theMinnesota Twins (1967–1969),Cleveland Indians (1970–1972),New York Yankees (1973–1983),San Diego Padres (1984–1986),Atlanta Braves (1987), andMontreal Expos (1988).
Nettles is regarded as one of the best defensive third basemen of all time, winningGold Glove Awards in 1977 and 1978. Despite his relatively low careerbatting average, he was aclutch offensive contributor, particularly withrunners in scoring position. In addition, he set anAmerican League record for careerhome runs by a third baseman. His 68.0Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is the highest among all players with a batting average of .250 or lower.[1]
Nettles was a six-timeAll-Star player. As a part of four pennant-winning Yankee teams, Nettles enjoyed his best season in 1977 when he won theGold Glove Award and had career-highs in home runs (37) andruns batted in (107) in leading the Yankees to theWorld Series against theLos Angeles Dodgers.
Nettles was born and raised inSan Diego,California. Nettles' unusual first name derives from his mother's dislike of the names Greg and Craig – and her combining the two to produce "Graig." "My dad was away atthe war, so he didn't have any say."[2] The name also led to confusion forbaseball card companies; the error-prone inaugural 1981Fleer baseball card set includes an error card where his name is spelled"Graig" on the front, and"Craig" on the back.
Nettles graduated fromSan Diego High School in 1962, then attendedSan Diego State College on abasketball scholarship,[3] where he played for both theAztecs'basketball andbaseball teams.[4] In 1964 and 1965, he playedcollegiate summer baseball for theAlaska Goldpanners of theAlaska Baseball League, helping to lead the team to two league championships.
TheMinnesota Twins drafted Nettles in the fourth round (79th overall) of the1965 Major League Baseball draft.[5] He made his MLB debut with the Twins on September 6, 1967 as a pinch hitter forJackie Hernández, flying out in his onlyat bat.[6] Nettles played his first full major league season with the Twins in 1969, and batted .222 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 96 games.[7][8]
On December 10, 1969, the Twins traded Nettles withDean Chance,Ted Uhlaender, and aplayer to be named later (PTBNL) to theCleveland Indians forLuis Tiant andStan Williams.[8][9] After playing three seasons with the Indians, Nettles was acquired withJerry Moses by theNew York Yankees forJohn Ellis,Charlie Spikes,Rusty Torres andJerry Kenney at theWinter Meetings on November 27, 1972.[10][11] The Indians traded Nettles due to a feud between Nettles and managerKen Aspromonte.[12]
Nettles was named the AL player of the month for April 1974, as he set the AL record for home runs in a month with 11.[13] On September 7,1974, Nettles was caught using a bat that had sixsuperballs 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.[14]
On September 14, 1974, Nettles and his brotherJim homered in the same game, joining a select club that includesBret andAaron Boone,José andHéctor Cruz,Felipe andCésar Crespo,Al andTony Cuccinello,Joe andDom DiMaggio, andRick andWes Ferrell. The seven sets of brothers hit their homers playing for opposing teams.[15]
Nettles began the 1975 season batting .287 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 86 games.[16] He was named the starting third baseman for the AL in the1975 MLB All-Star Game, the first All-Star selection of his career.[17] Nettles finished the season with a .267 average, 21 home runs and 91 RBI in 157 games. He also led the AL in sacrifice flies, with 11.[7]
During a brawl in a game against theBoston Red Sox on May 20,1976, Nettles, who was on second base at the onset of the brawl, tackled Boston pitcherBill Lee from behind. When it appeared that the dust had settled and the brawl was over, Lee confronted Nettles for tackling him from behind and said something about Nettles’s sister. The fracas resumed when Nettles swung at Lee. More players joined in the fray and Nettles broke Lee's collarbone when they went down in the pile.[18] Despite the incident, Nettles was not suspended. For the season, he batted .254 with an AL-leading 32 home runs and 93 RBI in 158 games.[7]
Nettles enjoyed his best season in 1977, when he picked up his first of two Gold Glove Awards, and batted .255 while setting career-highs with 37 homers and 107 RBI in 158 games, helping lead the Yankees to a World Series victory over theLos Angeles Dodgers.[7] The following season, Nettles earned his second Gold Glove to help the Yankees bring back-to-back World Series championships to the Bronx.[7]
During Game 3 of the1978 World Series atYankee Stadium, with the Dodgers leading the series two games to none, Nettles made some spectacular plays at the hot corner to stop potential run-scoring hits and help the Yankees win a crucial game in the series.[19] New York went on to win the next three contests and clinch the world championship.[20]
In July 1980, Nettles hit his 267th career home run, the most among AL third basemen.[21] He was limited to 89 games in 1980 because of hepatitis, which plagued him all year long.[22]
In the fall of 1982,George Steinbrenner, theYankees owner, stated that Nettles "is in the twilight of his career, and if he never plays another game for me, he has earned more than what I have paid him."[23] This comment insulted Nettles and led to his growing dissatisfaction with the Yankees.[23] The dissatisfaction continued when the Yankees acquiredToby Harrah in February 1984, intending toplatoon him with Nettles at third base.[24] In response, Nettles arrived at the Yankees' spring training camp in Florida at the very deadline for players to report. On March 30, 1984, the Yankees traded Nettles to theSan Diego Padres forDennis Rasmussen and a PTBNL.[25] Nettles had wanted to play closer to his San Diego home, and his approval of the trade was required given his years of service.[26][27]
Nettles famously described his career with the Yankees by stating, "[w]hen I was a little boy, I wanted to be a baseball player and join the circus. With the Yankees I have accomplished both."[28]
Nettles was involved in the infamous 1984 "San Diego Padres–Atlanta Braves Beanball Game", while playing for the Padres during a Braves home game on August 12, 1984. Nettles charged the mound and attempted to tackle Braves relief pitcherDonnie Moore after Moore intentionallybeaned Nettles. Nettles missed and then was thrown to the ground by Braves first baseman (and former longtime Yankee teammate)Chris Chambliss who then sat on him. In 1985, after teammateEric Show surrenderedPete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit, Nettles declared, "The Birch Society is going to expel Eric for making a Red famous,"[29] in reference to Show's association with theJohn Birch Society, a notorious anti-Communist organization.
The Padres declined to offer Nettles a contract after the 1986 season, making him a free agent.[30] He signed with the Braves for the 1987 season as a non-roster player, making the Braves' 24-manOpening Day roster.[31] Nettles re-signed with the Braves for the 1988 season. TheMontreal Expos purchased Nettles' contract on March 24, 1988.[32]
In his 22-season career, Nettles hit .248 with 390 home runs and 1,314 RBI in 2,700 games.[7] He had a careerfielding percentage of .964, exceptional for the hot corner (third base). After retiring at age 43, Nettlescoached for the Yankees (1991)[33] and Padres (1995).
Nettles first became eligible for theNational Baseball Hall of Fame on the 1994 ballot, where he gained 8.3% of the vote. He fell to 6.1% in 1995, rose back up to 7.9% in 1996, but then fell to 4.7% in 1997 and was removed from the ballot, although it is possible he could be elected through theVeterans Committee. His 67.9wins above replacement according toBaseball-Reference is the highest of all third basemen not in the Hall of Fame.
Nettles resides inLenoir City, Tennessee, a suburb ofKnoxville. Graig and his wife Ginger have four children: Michael (deceased),[34] Barrie, Tim, and Jeff. Jeff was selected by the Yankees in the 47th round (1,389th overall) of the1998 Major League Baseball draft.[35][36]
Nettles managed and played for theSt. Lucie Legends of theSenior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. He also played for the league'sBradenton Explorers. Nettles batted .301 and played in a total of 62 games; 10 for St. Lucie and 52 for Bradenton. Nettles managed theBakersfield Blaze of theCalifornia League in 1996 to a 39–101 record.[37]
Nettles served as a consultant forThe Bronx Is Burning, a television drama that documented the 1977 Yankees.[38]
On March 21, 2008, Nettles announced that he had been diagnosed withprostate cancer in late November 2007 and would undergo surgery at Manhattan'sMemorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center on April 8.[39] His brother had been diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier in 2007.[40]
Tommy John remembered Nettles for his great sense of humor, writing: "Graig Nettles was great with the one-liners, the zingers...He was the team's pressure valve...Every clubhouse needs a guy like that, the guy with the acerbic wit who can take your mind off a bad situation."[22]
Nettles wrote a controversial book,Balls, a memoir of his baseball career written in collaboration withPeter Golenbock.[28] In the book, Nettles criticized Steinbrenner and some players as well.[23] When the book's advance promotion came to Steinbrenner's attention in March 1984, Nettles was summarily traded to his hometownSan Diego Padres.[41][42]
In 1991, Nettles was also inducted by theSan Diego Hall of Champions into theBreitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.[43]
As of 2010, Nettles holds the single-season major league record forassists by a third baseman, and is tied withBrooks Robinson for second-most all-time. His 412 assists in 1971 broke the record of 405 shared byHarlond Clift in 1937 and Robinson in 1967. In 1973, his first year as a New York Yankee, he recorded 410 assists, breakingClete Boyer's franchise record of 396 in 1962; Robinson would tie this mark in 1974. To date, Nettles and Robinson have four of the six 400-assist seasons by a third baseman in Major League history.
Nettles is mentioned in the video forBruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Glory Days." At the end of the video, Springsteen's character, a pitcher, tells a teen that he lost an imaginary game playing against theSan Diego Padres because "Nettles got me, bottom of the ninth."[nb 1]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | New York Yankees team captain January 29, 1982, to March 30, 1984 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
