Gary Gaetti

2.1. Amateur and Minor League Career

Gaetti played collegiate baseball for Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, and subsequently for Northwest Missouri State University. His path to professional baseball involved being drafted three times before he ultimately signed with the Minnesota Twins. The St. Louis Cardinals first selected him in the fourth round of the January 1978 Major League Baseball draft. Later that year, the Chicago White Sox drafted him in the third round of the June secondary draft. Finally, the Twins drafted him in the first round of the June secondary portion of the 1979 draft, and he signed on June 21, 1979.

He then spent three years developing within the Twins' minor league system. In 1979, he played for the rookie-level Elizabethton Twins in the Appalachian League. He advanced to 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 made his major league debut in September 1981, appearing in nine games, notably hitting a home run off Charlie Hough in his very first major league at-bat.

2.2. Minnesota Twins (1981-1990)

In 1982, Gary Gaetti established himself as the permanent third baseman for the Minnesota Twins, holding the position for the next nine seasons. He consistently performed at a high level, demonstrating both offensive power and defensive excellence. In 1986, he batted .287 with 34 home runs and 108 RBI. His defensive skill was recognized with four consecutive Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence, awarded from 1986 through 1989.

Gaetti played a pivotal role in propelling the Twins to the 1987 postseason and their first World Series championship. During that season, he batted .257 with 31 home runs and 109 RBI. In the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, he made history by becoming the first player ever to hit home runs in his first two postseason plate appearances, contributing significantly to the Twins' upset victory. His performance earned him the ALCS MVP award.

He continued to be a prominent player, earning selections as an All-Star in 1988 and 1989. On July 17, 1990, playing against the Boston Red Sox, Gaetti was part of a historic moment when the Twins became the only team in baseball history to turn two triple plays in the same game, though they ultimately lost the game 1-0. Following the 1990 season, during which his production at the plate declined to a .229 batting average, Gaetti left the Twins and signed with the California Angels as a free agent.

2.3. Later Major League Career (1991-2000)

After departing the Minnesota Twins, Gary Gaetti joined the California Angels in 1991. His offensive production continued to decline with the Angels, and he was released in June 1993, midway through his four-year contract. He was almost immediately signed by the Kansas City Royals, who were in need of a third baseman due to an injury to their projected starter, Keith Miller.

For the Royals, Gaetti hit 26 home runs in 665 at-bats between 1993 and 1994, sharing time at third base with Miller, David Howard, and Terry Shumpert. His performance peaked in 1995, at the age of 36, when he played in 137 games, batting .261 with a career-high 35 home runs and 96 RBI. His 35 home runs were just one shy of the Royals' team record for most home runs in a single season. This impressive performance earned him his only Silver Slugger Award.

Following the 1995 season, Gaetti signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals. He enjoyed two more productive seasons with the Cardinals before being released in August 1998, following the Cardinals' acquisition of Fernando Tatís. Gaetti promptly signed with the Chicago Cubs, where he contributed significantly, batting .320 with 8 home runs and 27 RBI, helping the Cubs secure the National League wild card. In the following 1999 season, Gaetti played only semi-regularly, hitting .204 with nine home runs before being released at the end of the season. He concluded his playing career in 2000, appearing in five games for the Boston Red Sox in April at the age of 41.

Baseball analyst Bill James observed that Gaetti's aging process as a baseball player was unusual. Unlike many other league veterans, his walk rate never improved, and his rate of productivity decline was "exceptionally" slow. Throughout his career, Gaetti was also occasionally utilized as an emergency relief pitcher by both the Cardinals and the Cubs, retiring with an ERA of 7.71 and one strikeout across three appearances.

2.4. Major Achievements and Awards

Throughout his extensive Major League Baseball career, Gary Gaetti accumulated numerous individual accolades that highlight his consistent excellence in both offense and defense:

• ALCS MVP**: 1987 (with the Minnesota Twins)
• Gold Glove Award**: Four consecutive times from 1986 to 1989 (as a third baseman with the Minnesota Twins).
• Silver Slugger Award**: 1995 (as a third baseman with the Kansas City Royals).
• All-Star selections**: 1988 and 1989.
• Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award Voting**: Finished in the top 25 for the American League MVP four times: three times with the Minnesota Twins (1986-1988) and once with the Kansas City Royals (1995).
• Rookie of the Year Voting**: Placed fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 1982.
• Career Milestones**:
  • His 2,280 total base hits rank him 161st in the history of Major League Baseball.
  • He set a career high in home runs with 35 in 1995.
  • He was the first player in MLB history to hit home runs in his first two postseason plate appearances (1987 ALCS).

3.1. Coaching Career

Following his retirement as a player, Gary Gaetti transitioned into coaching. From 2002 to 2004, he served as a hitting coach within the Houston Astros' minor league system, specifically with their Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs. His contributions led to his promotion to hitting coach for the major league Houston Astros on July 14, 2004, a change that occurred after the team dismissed manager Jimy Williams and other coaching staff. Gaetti held this position until July 12, 2006, when he was fired by the Astros.

Later that year, after the conclusion of the season, he was hired as the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, a role he maintained through the 2008 season. Before venturing into managerial duties, he also worked at Baseball USA in Houston, Texas, in 2011, providing instruction for aspiring baseball players.

3.2. Managerial Career

In 2012, Gary Gaetti embarked on a new chapter in his baseball career when he was named the inaugural manager for the Sugar Land Skeeters, an independent league team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. During his six seasons as manager, from 2012 to 2017, he led the team to an impressive overall record of 448 wins and 391 losses.

Under his leadership, the Sugar Land Skeeters achieved significant success. In 2013, his team set an Atlantic League record for games won in a season with 95 victories and a winning percentage of .679. He guided the Skeeters to two championship series appearances, in 2014 and 2016. In 2016, Gaetti led the team to secure Sugar Land's first-ever championship title.

3.3. Honors and Recognition

Gary Gaetti has received several honors and recognitions for his contributions to baseball throughout his career. In October 2003, he was inducted into the "M-Club," the athletic hall of fame at Northwest Missouri State University, his alma mater.

His impact on the Minnesota Twins franchise was formally acknowledged on August 19, 2007, which was also his 49th birthday, when the Twins inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame. To commemorate this occasion, the club simultaneously released a bobblehead in his honor. More recently, on August 21, 2021, the Sugar Land Skeeters honored his successful managerial tenure by retiring his jersey number.

4.1. Family

Gary Gaetti is a father, and his son, Joe Gaetti, also pursued a career in baseball. Joe played collegiate baseball for North Carolina State University. Like his father, Joe spent time in the minor leagues, playing in five different farm systems, which included two separate stints with the Twins' Double-A level club, the New Britain Rock Cats. However, Joe's professional career did not extend beyond the Triple-A level in the minor leagues, and he concluded his playing career in 2010 with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

4.2. Faith and Other Activities

Gary Gaetti became a born-again Christian following a season-ending knee surgery he underwent late in the 1988 season. This spiritual experience became a significant part of his personal life.

In 2020, Gaetti leveraged his extensive baseball knowledge and experience to establish the Gaetti Sports Academy. This academy provides facilities and instruction for youth in both softball and baseball, serving to support the development of young athletes in his community.