Home > Graig Nettles

Nettles 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 and hit career highs in home runs (37) and runs batted in (107) to lead the Yankees to the World SeriesIn baseball, the World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball in North America, played in October after the end of the regular season between the pennant winner of the American League and the pennant winner of the National League. against the Los Angeles DodgersFor the 1930s NFL team, see Brooklyn Dodgers (football). The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. They are in the Western Division of the National League. Founded 1883, as a member of the minor Inter-State.

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 coachedIn the baseball game, the coach is a member of the team at bat stationed near first or third base to signal and direct the runners and batters. Also, each baseball team have a coach specialized in direct the pitchers as well. Baseball terminology. for the Yankees (1991) and Padres (1995).

Highlights

• 6-time All-StarThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game is an annual exhibition baseball game between the best players from the National League and the American League. The All-Star Game usually occurs in mid-July and marks the middle of the Major League Baseball season. (1975, 1977-80, 1985)
• Two Gold Glove awards (1977-78)
• Led American League in HRs (32, 1976)
• 3 times led AL in total chancesBaseball statistics In baseball statistics, total chances (denoted by TC represents the number of plays that a defensive player participated in. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances assists + putouts + errors. per game (1971, 1973, 1976)
• Won AL Championship Series MVPIn Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series ALCS determines who wins the American League pennant and advances to baseball's championship, the World Series. It began in 1969, when the American League was reorganized into two divisions (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

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 set of brothers hit their homers playing for opposing teams.

Fact

• The controvertial book Balls (Putnam, 1984) is a memoir of Nettles' baseball career written in collaboration with Peter Golenbock, in which the player criticize George Steinbrenner, the ostentatious Yankees owner, and some players as well. When the book's advance promotion came to Steinbrenner's attention in March 1983, Nettles was summarily traded to the San Diego Padres.

See also

• List of AL Gold Glove Winners at Third Base
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• Top 500 home run hitters of all time