Nettles diagnosed with prostate cancer

My all-time favorite Yankee, without a doubt. That era of Yankees teams was my favorite, too. Thurman, Bucky, Graig, Wille, Mickey Rivers, Roy White, Chris Chambliss, Reggie, Louisiana Lightning, Goose...what a fun group of guys to watch.

I always wore #9 playing baseball, and even though I never really played third, I wrote "E5" on my glove, just like he did on his.

Hang in there, Puff.

 

"Graig" hurt the Dodgers with his glove in those three series (77, 78, 81), although the Yankees lost in 81.
Nettles robbed Los Angeles at third base much like he did in 78 and New York led 2-0, but Nettles got hurt and didn't play Games 3, 4 and 5. Dodgers won in six.

I didn't mention 76 because the Reds dominated en route to sweep, and Munson was the lone Yankee who shined in that Series.

A lot of people talk about Brooks Robinson's plays when the Orioles beat the Reds in five in 70, but I don't think Nettles received his due for his glove during the 78 Series. He halted Dodgers' rallies with runners on base, which cost the Dodgers several critical runs in what were close games when he made the plays.

Posting that Nettles was in the Series 1979 was my screwup, that was a tragic year for the Yankees as Munson died in the plane crash.
The Series between the Orioles and Pirates was an excellent one as Stargell's HR completed the 3-1 comeback.

 

150% correct. I was too young for Brooks Robinson, but Nettles' glovework was, at that time, the best individual performance I'd ever seen at the hot corner.

 

I know a whole lot of people who will tell you Graig Nettles is not a nice guy at all.
I wish him well but I'll never say he was a nice guy.

 

well, spnited, maybe he mellowed with age ... i dunno.

i didn't start in this business until after he retired. i sat down with nettles about eight years ago for about three hours. we did an extended interview, dinner and then BSed for about another hour afterward. granted, it was a one-time thing. but after three hours or so, i felt like i got to know the guy a little bit ... and i went into the interview kinda loathing the guy because of what he did to my dodgers when i was a boy.

funniest story he told was about living in SD after the yanks beat the dodgers two years in a row. about how when he got on I-5, people would pull up next to him, and do a doubletake before looking him in the eye and flipping him the bird. it happened quite often from what he said.

hell, he even talked about how big of an idiot he was because of the whole superball thing.

and with that said, yeah, i can see him being a douchebag during his playing days.

 

"Nettles got me, bottom of the ninth" - Bruce Springsteen at the end of the 'Glory Days' video

 

He was "that dude" when I was growing up.

I put him over Reggie (and those disgusting ass candy bars) during his heyday as a kid.

He's in my prayers.....