View Full Version : Nettles: Most Under-rated Player of all-time!
paisano
11-13-01, 08:50 AM
Maybe I am biased and because he is directly connected to memories of my youth, but I believe that Graig Nettles is the most under-rated player of all-time!
Yes, Brooks Robinson was an awesome third basemen. Yes, Mike Schmidt was an excellent power hitter. But Graig Nettles was the best all around third baseman in my book. He had power AND grace.
He could dive and make spectacular plays like Robinson AND hit a game winning homer like Schmidt.
The best memory of Nettles was in game 3 of th 1978 World Series when he showed the whole world what I already knew...that he was an amazing thrid baseman! He literally saved the Yankees season by diving and saving many runs! I was so proud and relieved that he was able to display his skills in the biggest stage there is...
I know his lifetime numbers are not outstanding and it will ultimately keep him out of the Hall...but if you are going to select outstanding players who were the best at their position for a period of time..then Graig Nettles fits the bill. He was the best at his position for almost a decade and was one of the premiere power hitters too. He also won a couple of championships.
Just my two cents.
Nettles
11-13-01, 08:58 AM
As some of you may have guessed, Graig Nettles (note spelling of first name) was my favorite player growing up. No. 9 was a steller gold glove, third baseman who saved the 1978 World Series with his fielding and hit 390 home runs.
That he is not mentioned as HOF material more often is a bewilderment to me.
(His name, Graig, is a combination of Greg and Craig. So it says in "Balls" his autobiographical book.)
Nettles was a good player for the Yankees. Had a terrific glove. Played 22 years, which attributed to the 390 HR's (17/yr avg). His bat wasn't great with 60 RBI's and 50 Runs scored per year with a BA of .246.
I liked the man a great deal and he was a cog in our lineup. I hardly think he was underrated. He got lots of favorable mention in NY.
HOF??? No way.
thecaptain
12-20-01, 03:37 PM
i was at a game , the year after he made all those plays in the world series....ron g was on the mound again...nettles was in a contract dispute with the boss....back them alot of people hated him he was such a pain.....buy nettles makes a play like he did in the series...there were only about 22-25,000 there (afternoon weekday). well we stopped the game we cheer and cheer for about 5 minutes...every time ron g went to the mound we would cheer louder...finally nettles and ronny had a little talk/ conference . nettles tip his cap. then the game when on.....i will never forget that......
Sixty one
12-21-01, 01:10 PM
Nettles was truly a great player and a great Yankee. However, I often wonder that the reason he didn't get more recognition for the Hall of Fame was due to his sometimes arrogant attitude that he projected to the press. After all, it is the writers who will vote for you to get into the Hall. This may have hurt him on occasion.:NY: :NY: :NY: :NY:
He's definitely one of the Yankee All Time Greats. Whitey Ford was on MLB Radio and said after Nettles and Clete Boyer, there's not as many great Yankee third basemen as there have been a lot of other positions. As for being underrated? I think he's really quite well respected. I am always hearing his name mentioned in the same breath with Brooks Robinson. But even though he's one of the all time Yankee Greats, I think compared to Hall Of Famers, he's not a shoe in by any means. Always will be one of my favorites, though!
-ctan
I loved Nettles.
But he wasn't under-rated.... he got the respect he deserved.
Roy White... now there's a guy who had he been on better teams would have gotten better recognition.
The man was SOLID...
Originally posted by smr15
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Roy White... now there's a guy who had he been on better teams would have gotten better recognition.
The man was SOLID...
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AMEN.
Now, as a Yankee, Roy White equals underrated.
15 years worth.
Some Yankee fans don't even know what position he played, for those 15 years.
That's way more underrated than Nettles
and yet they played on the same teams from 1973-1979.
SkooterPhil#10
12-25-01, 05:48 PM
Six time All-Star, two time Gold Glove winner, led the league in homers once and extra base hits once. I never saw him play, but he hit in the .250s for most of his career so I don't really think he is underrated.
By the Baseball Reference HOF Standards his batting got a 30.8 while most HOFers are a 50. He also got a 63.0 on the HOF Monitor when a 100+ is a likely HOFer.
Yankees Empire
12-26-01, 06:42 PM
Graig Nettles was a fine player. He was a capable offensive player as well as one of the best defensive 3rd baseman ever to play. He contributed mightily on a number of excellent Yankee teams. But to say that he is underrated and should be in Cooperstown is a bit of a stretch.
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