Wayne Garrett
Encyclopedia
Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets
starting third baseman
from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman
and as a shortstop
.
Garrett was a member of the 1969 Miracle Mets who upset the Baltimore Orioles
in the World Series and was the starting third baseman for the 1973 National League
Champion team that lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics
in seven games. Wayne, who hit six home runs in September, hit two more in the Series, including a leadoff home run in Game Three—one of three in New York Mets World Series history. (Tommie Agee
hit one in the 1969 World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
; Lenny Dykstra
hit his in the 1986 World Series
against the Boston Red Sox
. Coincidentally, their leadoff home runs, like Garrett's, also occurred in a Game Three.) However, he also tied Eddie Mathews
' 1958 World Series
record by striking out
11 times. He also made the final out of the Series, popping out to shortstop Bert Campaneris
in the ninth inning of Game 7.
Garrett's major league career spanned from 1969 to 1978. He spent half of the 1971 season on military duty. In addition to the Mets, he also played for the Montreal Expos
and the St. Louis Cardinals
. He was traded by the Mets to the Expos along with Del Unser
in July 1976 for Pepe Mangual
and Jim Dwyer
. After his major league career, Garrett played two seasons for the Chunichi Dragons
in Japan.
Baseball ran in the Garrett family; Wayne Garrett's brother, Adrian
, played for the Chicago Cubs
, the Oakland Athletics
, the California Angels
and the Atlanta Braves
, mostly as a catcher
, first baseman
and outfielder
. Wayne's other brother, Charlie, also played baseball in the Braves farm system. Wayne's nephew Jason (Adrian's son), was drafted by and played four years in the Florida Marlins
organization, reaching High-A in the minor leagues.
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
starting 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...
from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
.
Garrett was a member of the 1969 Miracle Mets who upset the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the World Series and was the starting third baseman for the 1973 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Champion team that lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in seven games. Wayne, who hit six home runs in September, hit two more in the Series, including a leadoff home run in Game Three—one of three in New York Mets World Series history. (Tommie Agee
Tommie Agee
Tommie Lee Agee was a Major League Baseball center fielder most noted for making two of the greatest catches in World Series history, both of which occurred in game three of the 1969 World Series.-Cleveland Indians:...
hit one in the 1969 World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
; Lenny Dykstra
Lenny Dykstra
Leonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
hit his in the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
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"...
. Coincidentally, their leadoff home runs, like Garrett's, also occurred in a Game Three.) However, he also tied Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
' 1958 World Series
1958 World Series
The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for their eighteenth title, and their seventh in ten years...
record by striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
11 times. He also made the final out of the Series, popping out to shortstop Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
in the ninth inning of Game 7.
Garrett's major league career spanned from 1969 to 1978. He spent half of the 1971 season on military duty. In addition to the Mets, he also played for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
and 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...
. He was traded by the Mets to the Expos along with Del Unser
Del Unser
Delbert Bernard Unser is a retired Major League Baseball center fielder and utility player who had a 15-year career from 1968 to 1982. Unser played for the Washington Senators from 1968 to 1971 and the Cleveland Indians in 1972...
in July 1976 for Pepe Mangual
Pepe Mangual
José Manuel "Pepe" Mangual Guilbe is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.-External links:...
and Jim Dwyer
Jim Dwyer (baseball)
James Edward Dwyer is a former outfielder who enjoyed an eighteen year major league career for seven different teams between and . Listed at 5' 10", 165 lb., he batted and threw left-handed.-MLB career:...
. After his major league career, Garrett played two seasons for the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
in Japan.
Baseball ran in the Garrett family; Wayne Garrett's brother, Adrian
Adrian Garrett
Henry Adrian "Smokey" Garrett, Jr. is a former professional baseball player who played eight seasons for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels of Major League Baseball. Garrett later played for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, hitting 102 home runs in three seasons...
, played for the 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...
, the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, the 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...
and the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, mostly as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. Wayne's other brother, Charlie, also played baseball in the Braves farm system. Wayne's nephew Jason (Adrian's son), was drafted by and played four years in the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
organization, reaching High-A in the minor leagues.