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Full Name: Graig Nettles Primary Position: 3B
Height/Weight: 6' 0"/180 First Game: September 6, 1967
Birthdate: August 20, 1944 Final Game: October 1, 1988
Birthplace: San Diego, California MLB Experience: 21 years
Bat/Throw: Left/Right

Biography[]

Graig Nettles (Graig Nettles) was born on August 20, 1944 in San Diego, California. He made his Major League debut on September 6, 1967 for the Minnesota Twins. In 1969, his rookie year, he hit .222 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI. Nettles 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) over the course of his 21 year career.

There is some disagreement on what was Graig Nettles's most productive season. Some believe that it was 1977, when he slugged 37 home runs and knocked in 107 runs. However, others believe that it was 1976, when he slugged 32 home runs and knocked in 93 runs.

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).

Statistics[]

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

Batting Stats[]

Year Team G AB R H HR RBI AVG OBP SLG 2B 3B BB SO HBP SH SB IBB GDP
1967 MIN A 3 3 0 1 0 0 .333 .333 .667 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1968 MIN A 22 76 13 17 5 8 .224 .298 .474 2 1 7 20 1 0 0 1 2
1969 MIN A 96 225 27 50 7 26 .222 .319 .373 9 2 32 47 1 1 1 1 6
1970 CLE A 157 549 81 129 26 62 .235 .336 .404 13 1 81 77 3 0 3 3 12
1971 CLE A 158 598 78 156 28 86 .261 .350 .435 18 1 82 56 3 1 7 6 15
1972 CLE A 150 557 65 141 17 70 .253 .325 .395 28 0 57 50 4 2 2 5 9
1973 NY A 160 552 65 129 22 81 .234 .334 .386 18 0 78 76 7 0 0 3 15
1974 NY A 155 566 74 139 22 75 .246 .316 .403 21 1 59 75 3 1 1 8 9
1975 NY A 157 581 71 155 21 91 .267 .322 .430 24 4 51 88 2 2 1 3 8
1976 NY A 158 583 88 148 32 93 .254 .327 .475 29 2 62 94 4 2 11 6 8
1977 NY A 158 589 99 150 37 107 .255 .333 .496 23 4 68 79 3 0 2 8 8
1978 NY A 159 587 81 162 27 93 .276 .343 .460 23 2 59 69 6 1 1 6 20
1979 NY A 145 521 71 132 20 73 .253 .325 .401 15 1 59 53 0 0 1 6 14
1980 NY A 89 324 52 79 16 45 .244 .331 .435 14 0 42 42 1 0 0 5 8
1981 NY A 103 349 46 85 15 46 .244 .333 .398 7 1 47 49 1 2 0 4 5
1982 NY A 122 405 47 94 18 55 .232 .317 .402 11 2 51 49 1 0 1 4 11
1983 NY A 129 462 56 123 20 75 .266 .341 .446 17 3 51 65 3 0 0 2 9
1984 SD N 124 395 56 90 20 65 .228 .329 .413 11 1 58 55 5 0 0 4 12
1985 SD N 137 440 66 115 15 61 .261 .363 .420 23 1 72 59 0 0 0 5 10
1986 SD N 126 354 36 77 16 55 .218 .300 .379 9 0 41 62 2 0 0 8 6
1987 ATL N 112 177 16 37 5 33 .209 .294 .350 8 1 22 25 0 0 1 4 6
1988 MON N 80 93 5 16 1 14 .172 .240 .247 4 0 9 19 0 0 0 2 4
Total NL 579 1459 179 335 57 228 .230 .323 .389 55 3 202 220 7 0 1 23 38
Total AL 2121 7527 1014 1890 333 1086 .251 .331 .427 273 25 886 989 43 12 31 71 159
Total 2700 8986 1193 2225 390 1314 .248 .329 .421 328 28 1088 1209 50 12 32 94 197

Fielding Stats[]

Year Team POS G GS INN PO A ERR DP TP PB SB CS PkO AVG
1968 MIN A OF 16 15 127 28 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .968
1968 MIN A 1B 3 3 16 17 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1968 MIN A RF 13 13 107 22 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .958
1968 MIN A LF 2 2 16 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1968 MIN A 3B 5 4 37 5 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .923
1968 MIN A CF 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1969 MIN A OF 54 44 339.1 76 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .987
1969 MIN A CF 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1969 MIN A LF 53 44 338.1 78 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .988
1969 MIN A 3B 21 16 140.2 12 42 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 .982
1970 CLE A OF 3 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1970 CLE A 3B 154 146 1313 134 358 17 40 1 0 0 0 0 .967
1970 CLE A LF 3 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1971 CLE A 3B 158 158 1403.1 159 412 16 54 0 0 0 0 0 .973
1972 CLE A 3B 150 150 1351.1 114 338 21 27 0 0 0 0 0 .956
1973 NY A 3B 157 157 1369.2 117 410 26 39 0 0 0 0 0 .953
1973 NY A DH 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1974 NY A SS 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1974 NY A 3B 154 154 1368.1 147 377 21 29 0 0 0 0 0 .961
1975 NY A 3B 157 157 1389 135 379 19 31 0 0 0 0 0 .964
1976 NY A SS 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1976 NY A 3B 158 156 1432 137 383 19 30 0 0 0 0 0 .965
1977 NY A 3B 156 155 1379.1 132 321 12 31 0 0 0 0 0 .974
1977 NY A DH 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1978 NY A 3B 159 159 1412.2 109 326 11 30 0 0 0 0 0 .975
1978 NY A SS 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1979 NY A 3B 143 141 1243 110 339 16 30 0 0 0 0 0 .966
1980 NY A 3B 88 85 768.2 58 182 10 18 0 0 0 0 0 .960
1980 NY A SS 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1981 NY A 3B 97 96 839.2 63 214 8 14 0 0 0 0 0 .972
1981 NY A DH 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1982 NY A DH 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1982 NY A 3B 113 109 961.1 73 255 23 23 0 0 0 0 0 .934
1983 NY A 3B 126 120 1060 78 273 16 18 0 0 0 0 0 .956
1983 NY A DH 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1984 SD N 3B 119 109 945.2 93 201 20 14 0 0 0 0 0 .936
1985 SD N 3B 131 123 1078.1 122 229 15 16 0 0 0 0 0 .959
1986 SD N 3B 114 99 847.1 83 174 16 14 0 0 0 0 0 .941
1987 ATL N 3B 40 20 220.2 12 46 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 .951
1987 ATL N 1B 6 5 43.1 49 10 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1988 MON N 1B 5 3 24 27 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .966
1988 MON N 3B 12 9 63.2 5 13 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 .818
Total CF 2 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Total OF 73 59 470.1 105 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .982
Total 1B 14 11 83.1 93 11 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 .990
Total DH 11 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Total RF 13 13 107 22 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .958
Total 3B 2412 2323 20624.2 1898 5279 295 470 1 0 0 0 0 .961
Total LF 58 46 358.1 83 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .989
Total SS 5 0 6 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Transactions[]

  • Selected by Minnesota Twins in the 4th round of the free-agent draft (June 8, 1965).
  • Traded by Minnesota Twins with Dean Chance, Bob Miller and Ted Uhlaender to Cleveland Indians in exchange for Luis Tiant and Stan Williams (December 10, 1969).
  • Traded by Cleveland Indians with Jerry Moses to New York Yankees in exchange for John Ellis, Jerry Kenney, Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres (November 27, 1972).
  • Traded by New York Yankees to San Diego Padres in exchange for Dennis Rasmussen and a player to be named later (March 30, 1984); New York Yankees received Darin Cloninger (April 26, 1984).
  • Released by San Diego Padres (December 18, 1986).
  • Signed by Atlanta Braves (April 1, 1987).
  • Granted free agency (November 9, 1987).
  • Signed by Atlanta Braves (December 6, 1987).
  • Sold by Atlanta Braves to Montreal Expos (March 24, 1988).
  • Granted free agency (November 4, 1988).

External links[]

Graig Nettles at:

Trivia[]

  • 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. [1]
  • 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 set of brothers hit their homers playing for opposing teams.


See also[]

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