Gary Gaetti
Encyclopedia
Gary Joseph Gaetti nicknamed "G-Man", "Rat", or "Zorn" is an American
former third baseman
in Major League Baseball
for the Minnesota Twins
(1981–90), California Angels
(1991–93), Kansas City Royals
(1993–95), St. Louis Cardinals
(1996–98), Chicago Cubs
(1998–99) and Boston Red Sox
(2000).
Gaetti won a World Series
championship with Minnesota in 1987
and was the MVP of that year's American League Championship Series
against the Detroit Tigers
. That year, he became the first player ever to hit home runs in his first two postseason plate appearances.
. Legend has it that Gaetti holds the record for the longest distance home run in NWMSU baseball history, an estimated 505 foot home run. Gaetti was drafted three times before finally signing with the Minnesota Twins: first by the St Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft
(then held annually in January) and again in 1978 by the Chicago White Sox
in the 3rd round of June Secondary Draft before he was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round of the June Secondary portion of the 1979 draft
. Gaetti wasted little time and signed on 21 June 1979.
Gaetti then spent the next three years in the Twins' minor league system, playing for the rookie-level Elizabethton Twins
in the Appalachian League
in 1979, the A-level Wisconsin Rapids Twins
in the Midwest League
in 1980, and the AA-level Orlando Twins in the Southern League
in 1981. Gaetti then made his major league debut in nine September games which included hitting a home run in his first-ever major league at bat. In 1982, Gaetti would become a permanent fixture at third base for the Twins and would man the hot corner in Minnesota for the next nine seasons.
Gaetti was known as a power-hitting third baseman who's arguably best season was in 1986 when he batted .287 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in. Gaetti also flashed an above-average glove and starting in 1986, he won four consecutive Gold Glove Award
s for fielding excellence. Gaetti helped propel the Twins into the post-season and their first World Series championship with a typical Gaetti season, hitting .257 with 31 homeruns and 109 RBI. He also hit himself into the record books, slugging two home runs in his first two career postseason at-bats in the American League Championship Series
to help the Twins upset the favored Detroit Tigers
.
Gaetti was selected as an All-Star
in 1988 and 1989. Playing against the Boston Red Sox
on July 17, 1990, Gaetti helped the Twins make history as the team became the first (and to date the only) team in baseball history to turn two triple plays in the same game. Despite their defensive heroics, the Twins lost the game 1–0.
His production at the plate would drop following his big seasons in 1987 and 1988 and after hitting only .229 in , Gaetti left the Twins for the Angels as a free agent
following the season. His production continued to drop off with the Angels and only 2 1/2 years into his four year contract, he was released in June . However he was almost immediately signed by the Royals, who had lost their projected regular third baseman, Keith Miller
, to injury and had been playing struggling rookie Phil Hiatt
at third. Signed for the major league minimum salary ($109,000) and handed the third base job almost by default, Gaetti turned his career around and hit 26 homeruns for the Royals in 665 at-bats between 1993 and 1994, splitting time at third with Keith Miller, David Howard
, and Terry Shumpert
. In , Gaetti played in 137 games and at the age of 36, he put together one of his best seasons, hitting .261 with 35 homeruns and 96 RBI, winning his only Silver Slugger, setting a career high in home runs and missing the Royals team record for most home runs in a season by one.
Following the 1995 season, Gaetti signed as a free agent with the Cardinals, where he enjoyed two more productive seasons before being released again in August after the Cardinals' acquisition of Fernando Tatis
. Gaetti landed on his feet again and immediately signed with the Cubs, where he enjoyed a good two months during the Cubs' pennant drive, hitting .320/8/27 and helping the Cubs win the National League wild card. The following season, the Cubs became disillusioned with its aging infield, which featured Gaetti at third, Jeff Blauser
at short, Mickey Morandini
at second, and Mark Grace at first and Gaetti played only semi-regularly and was released at the end of the season after hitting only .204 with 9 homeruns. He wound up his career the following season in Boston, appearing in five games in April at the age of 41.
Bill James
noted Gaetti's baseball-related aging process as being unusual for two reasons. Unlike most other league veterans, his walk rate never improved and his rate of productivity decline was "exceptionally" slow. Gaetti retired as the all-time home run king of players that homered in their first Major League at bat. Gaetti was used as an emergency relief pitcher by both the Cardinals and the Cubs, retiring with an ERA of 7.71 and one strikeout in three appearances.
minor league system as a hitting coach with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs
from 2002 to 2004. Gaetti was promoted to hitting coach for the Astros on July 14, 2004 when the team dismissed manager Jimy Williams
, hitting coach Harry Spilman
, and pitching coach Burt Hooton
. Gaetti remained in this position until July 12, , when he was fired by the Astros. Following the season, he was hired as the hitting coach for Tampa Bay's AAA affiliate, the Durham Bulls
. On October 2, 2008, former Durham Bull, rookie Evan Longoria
, joined Gaetti in the record books by hitting homeruns in his first two post-season at-bats.
Currently, Gaetti is working at Baseball USA in Houston, Texas
. On August 19, , Gaetti's 49th birthday, the Minnesota Twins inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame, while the club simultaneously released a commemorative bobblehead in his honor.
Gaetti's son Joe played collegiate baseball for North Carolina State and played in the minor leagues in five different farm systems, including two separate stints with the Twins AA-level club, the New Britain Rock Cats
. After failing to advance beyond the AAA level in the minor leagues, Joe spent 2010 playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers
of the independent Atlantic League
.
He was named the first manager of the Sugar Land Skeeters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball 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 Major League Baseball
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...
for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1981–90), California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1991–93), Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1993–95), 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...
(1996–98), Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1998–99) and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(2000).
Gaetti won a 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...
championship with Minnesota in 1987
1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
and was the MVP of that year's American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. That year, he became the first player ever to hit home runs in his first two postseason plate appearances.
Playing career
Gary Gaetti played collegiate baseball for Northwest Missouri State UniversityNorthwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....
. Legend has it that Gaetti holds the record for the longest distance home run in NWMSU baseball history, an estimated 505 foot home run. Gaetti was drafted three times before finally signing with the Minnesota Twins: first by the St Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft
1978 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :In 1978, four players made the jump from amateur baseball to the major leagues, including Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner, who was selected number one overall by the Atlanta...
(then held annually in January) and again in 1978 by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in the 3rd round of June Secondary Draft before he was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round of the June Secondary portion of the 1979 draft
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
. Gaetti wasted little time and signed on 21 June 1979.
Gaetti then spent the next three years in the Twins' minor league system, playing for the rookie-level Elizabethton Twins
Elizabethton Twins
The Elizabethton Twins are a minor league baseball team in Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League, and have been a farm team of the Minnesota Twins since 1974. The Twins play home games at Joe O'Brien Field...
in the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
in 1979, the A-level Wisconsin Rapids Twins
Wisconsin Rapids Twins
The Wisconsin Rapids Twins were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1963 to 1983. Affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, they played in the Midwest League and were located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin...
in the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
in 1980, and the AA-level Orlando Twins in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
in 1981. Gaetti then made his major league debut in nine September games which included hitting a home run in his first-ever major league at bat. In 1982, Gaetti would become a permanent fixture at third base for the Twins and would man the hot corner in Minnesota for the next nine seasons.
Gaetti was known as a power-hitting third baseman who's arguably best season was in 1986 when he batted .287 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in. Gaetti also flashed an above-average glove and starting in 1986, he won four consecutive Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s for fielding excellence. Gaetti helped propel the Twins into the post-season and their first World Series championship with a typical Gaetti season, hitting .257 with 31 homeruns and 109 RBI. He also hit himself into the record books, slugging two home runs in his first two career postseason at-bats in the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
to help the Twins upset the favored Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Gaetti was selected as an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1988 and 1989. Playing against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
on July 17, 1990, Gaetti helped the Twins make history as the team became the first (and to date the only) team in baseball history to turn two triple plays in the same game. Despite their defensive heroics, the Twins lost the game 1–0.
His production at the plate would drop following his big seasons in 1987 and 1988 and after hitting only .229 in , Gaetti left the Twins for the Angels as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
following the season. His production continued to drop off with the Angels and only 2 1/2 years into his four year contract, he was released in June . However he was almost immediately signed by the Royals, who had lost their projected regular third baseman, Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
, to injury and had been playing struggling rookie Phil Hiatt
Phil Hiatt
Phillip Farrell Hiatt in Pensacola, Florida, is a retired Major League Baseball utility player.Hiatt played college baseball at Louisiana Tech University....
at third. Signed for the major league minimum salary ($109,000) and handed the third base job almost by default, Gaetti turned his career around and hit 26 homeruns for the Royals in 665 at-bats between 1993 and 1994, splitting time at third with Keith Miller, David Howard
David Howard (baseball)
David Wayne Howard , is field coordinator of minor league instruction for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, and a former utility player in MLB who played from through for the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 6 feet and 175 lb...
, and Terry Shumpert
Terry Shumpert
Terrance Darnell Shumpert is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky....
. In , Gaetti played in 137 games and at the age of 36, he put together one of his best seasons, hitting .261 with 35 homeruns and 96 RBI, winning his only Silver Slugger, setting a career high in home runs and missing the Royals team record for most home runs in a season by one.
Following the 1995 season, Gaetti signed as a free agent with the Cardinals, where he enjoyed two more productive seasons before being released again in August after the Cardinals' acquisition of Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatis
Fernando Tatís, Jr. is a Major League Baseball utility player, who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Texas Rangers , St. Louis Cardinals , Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets...
. Gaetti landed on his feet again and immediately signed with the Cubs, where he enjoyed a good two months during the Cubs' pennant drive, hitting .320/8/27 and helping the Cubs win the National League wild card. The following season, the Cubs became disillusioned with its aging infield, which featured Gaetti at third, Jeff Blauser
Jeff Blauser
Jeffrey Michael Blauser is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs from 1987 to 1999.-Career:...
at short, Mickey Morandini
Mickey Morandini
Michael Robert "Mickey" Morandini is a former All-Star second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, and the current manager of the A-level Williamsport Crosscutters...
at second, and Mark Grace at first and Gaetti played only semi-regularly and was released at the end of the season after hitting only .204 with 9 homeruns. He wound up his career the following season in Boston, appearing in five games in April at the age of 41.
Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
noted Gaetti's baseball-related aging process as being unusual for two reasons. Unlike most other league veterans, his walk rate never improved and his rate of productivity decline was "exceptionally" slow. Gaetti retired as the all-time home run king of players that homered in their first Major League at bat. Gaetti was used as an emergency relief pitcher by both the Cardinals and the Cubs, retiring with an ERA of 7.71 and one strikeout in three appearances.
Retirement
Gaetti was inducted into the NWMSU athletic hall of fame, the "M-Club", in October 2003. He coached in the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
minor league system as a hitting coach with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
from 2002 to 2004. Gaetti was promoted to hitting coach for the Astros on July 14, 2004 when the team dismissed manager Jimy Williams
Jimy Williams
James Francis "Jimy" Williams is an American former manager of three Major League Baseball teams. He was born in Santa Maria, California.-Playing career:...
, hitting coach Harry Spilman
Harry Spilman
William Harry Spilman is a retired Major League Baseball first Baseman for the Cincinnati Reds , Houston Astros , Detroit Tigers , and San Francisco Giants...
, and pitching coach Burt Hooton
Burt Hooton
Burt Carlton Hooton , nicknamed "Happy" , is a coach and former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...
. Gaetti remained in this position until July 12, , when he was fired by the Astros. Following the season, he was hired as the hitting coach for Tampa Bay's AAA affiliate, the Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
. On October 2, 2008, former Durham Bull, rookie Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria
Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
, joined Gaetti in the record books by hitting homeruns in his first two post-season at-bats.
Currently, Gaetti is working at Baseball USA in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. On August 19, , Gaetti's 49th birthday, the Minnesota Twins inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame, while the club simultaneously released a commemorative bobblehead in his honor.
Gaetti's son Joe played collegiate baseball for North Carolina State and played in the minor leagues in five different farm systems, including two separate stints with the Twins AA-level club, the New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
. After failing to advance beyond the AAA level in the minor leagues, Joe spent 2010 playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers
Lancaster Barnstormers
The Lancaster Barnstormers is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
.
He was named the first manager of the Sugar Land Skeeters.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI