You never know when you’re going to have a Minnesota Twins moment.
There I was watching You Tube again when a video popped up in my feed about former Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti, better known as the Rat or G-man, who, according to the video, played a role in eight triple plays, most of them with the Twins.
The triple play dates checked out. They are:
- May 14, 1994. Gaetti turns triple play as a member of the Royals.
- Aug. 25, 1992. The Rat hits into a triple play for the Angels.
- July 17, 1990: The Twins turn two triple plays in one game, a major League record, in a 1-0 loss to Red Sox.
- April 5, 1988. Twins turn triple play in 8-0 loss to Yankees.
- July 19, 1984. Twins turn triple play in 2-1 win over the Yankees.
- Aug. 8, 1983. Twins turn triple play in 4-2 win over Angels.
- May 29, 1982. Twins turn triple play in 6-4 loss to Yankees.
“I just reacted, basically,” Gaetti told the Star Tribune after the July 19, 1984, game against the Bronx Bombers.
“It was just a matter of keeping my balance once I tripped over third. (Tim)Teufel made a good pivot at second base. … Once I caught it I knew what I was going to try to do.
“It happens so fast that you don’t have time to think. … The situation was perfect. I was playing in and the ball was hit right over the base.”
The Rat’s seventh defensive triple play came in 1994, the Kansas City Star reported.
“When will they learn? Don’t hit the ball sharply to Gary Gaetti in triple-play situations.
“With the Royals leading 2-1, Oakland’s Stan Javier walked and Mike Aldrete singled opening the third inning. Geronimo Berroa then slapped a hard two-hopper close to the third-base line.
“Gaetti met the ball near the bag, fired to second baseman Terry Shumpert, who relayed to first baseman Wally Joyner, completing the Royals’ first triple play since 1988 and only the fourth in the organization’s 25-plus years. It also was the first triple play in the American League this season.
“But it was the seventh in which Gaetti has been involved.”
Extra innings…
–The Twins have agreed to $14 million over two seasons to get free agent catcher Victor Caratini, most recently of the Houston Astros.
Some numbers on him, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
“The switch hitter got into 201 games over those two (Houston) seasons and stepped to the plate 660 times. His 7% walk rate was on the low side but he hit 20 home runs and kept his strikeout rate down to a modest 17.9% clip. He had a combined .263 /.329/.406 line with the Astros, production which translated to a wRC+ of 108.”
So, will Caratini be paired with fellow Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers or is Jeffers now on the move to make way for recent pickup and catcher Alex Jackson?
The other question: Are the Twins going to add to the bullpen? That still strikes me as the team’s No. 1 concern.
Source: Newspapers.com