NSBB HOF Ballot: Gary Gaetti

GARY GAETTI: 1st year on the ballot…Played 20 seasons…Finished in the top 25 in AL MVP voting in 1986 (16th), 1987 (10th), 1988 (22nd) and 1995 (10th)…Two All-Star teams (1988-89)…Won four AL Gold Gloves (1986-89)…Once named third baseman on The Sporting News AL Silver Slugger team (1995)…Eight seasons with 20-plus home runs, three seasons with 30-plus home runs…Two seasons with 100-plus RBI, three seasons with 80-plus runs scored…Hit home run in first major-league at-bat…Led AL third basemen in fielding percentage once (1994), putouts three times (1983-85), assists four times (1984, 1986, 1990, 1991), double plays four times (1983, 1986, 1990-91) and total chances four times (1984, 1986, 1990-91)…Led NL third basemen in fielding percentage twice (1997, 1998)…Two NL Division Series (1996, 1998): batted .091 with one home run and three RBI in 22 LDS at-bats…Two League Championship Series (1987, 1996): batted .295 with three home runs and nine RBI in 44 LCS at-bats…Named MVP of ALCS (1987)…One World Series (1987): batted .259 with one home run and four RBI in 27 WS at-bats…Member of 1987 WS championship team.

Gillette on Gaetti:

A popular, slick-fielding third baseman with some over-the-fence power (albeit exaggerated by the Metrodome), Gaetti's career was long and mostly mediocre. However, he had several fine seasons with the Twins in the mid-1980s and managed to come back for a couple of surprising seasons in the mid-1990s. A decent player, but not Hall-worthy by any standard.