"Despite assorted minor ailments, he put together his best season since 1978 and then spurned the re-entry draft to re-sign with the Yankees. Part of his resurrection was due to a reunion with manager Billy Martin, who was his skipper at Denver in 1968 and brought him to the majors for the first time in 1969.'He's my all-time gamer,' says Martin.
Nettles became the sixth captain in Yankee history in January 1982. He's well-known for his defense and has earned two Gold Gloves. He established major league records for assists (412) and double plays (54) by a third baseman in 1971 and starred with his glove in the 1978 World Series against the Dodgers.
He led the American League in home runs with 32 in 1976 and holds the AL career record for home runs by a third baseman. Born in San Diego, Nettles played baseball and basketball at San Diego State. His brother Jim is a coach for Tacoma in the Oakland organization, after playing in the majors for Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland and Kansas City."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1984 Edition
"The Yankee captain surprised all with another outstanding and consistent season in 1983. Nettles had over 100 hits for the first time since 1979 and his highest batting average since 1978. He had four hits against California on August 19 and homered twice against Seattle on June 6. Nettles moved up several notches on most of the Yankees top 20 lists. He opted for free agency at the end of the season, but re-signed with the Yankees on the eve of the draft.
Graig was named Yankee captain on January 29, 1982, only the sixth Yankee captain, and is currently the senior Yankee, joining the team following the 1972 season. During the decade of the '70s, only Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski had more RBIs among American Leaguers.
His first full year was 1969 and he was a member of the AL West Champion Twins. Graig was Cleveland's Man of the Year in 1971 when he hit .261 with 28 homers and set AL records for most assists and double plays by a third baseman. He hit 32 home runs in 1976 to lead the league, the first Yankee to do so since Roger Maris hit 61 in '61. Graig finished second in 1977 with a career high of 37 and finished 5th in the MVP voting; he was also named to the Sporting News and UPI All-Star teams and was voted the All-Time Yankee third baseman in a special poll of sportswriters.
In 1978 Graig set a Yankee third base fielding record with a .975 average, tied Reggie for the club lead with 27 homers and led with 14 game winning RBIs. He was named to the AP, UPI, Sporting News and Baseball Bulletin All-Star teams. Graig turned around the '78 World Series with his spectacular fielding in Game 3 and finally earned nationwide recognition for his fielding.
In 1980, he missed 67 games (from July 24 until the final two games of the season) with hepatitis, yet on July 21 hit his 267th career home run as a third baseman, passing Brooks Robinson as the all-time American League home run leader among third basemen (Graig now has 319). Graig also hit his first career inside-the-park homer in Game 2 of the ALCS. For the '81 ALCS, his .500 (6-for-12) with a home run and nine RBIs against Oakland earned him MVP honors. He hit his 300th career homer on June 26, 1982 at Yankee Stadium off Cleveland's Rick Waits
Nettles holds the records for most home runs and RBIs by a Yankee third baseman in a single season and has hit the most home runs at the 'new' Yankee Stadium (104). He has 250 Yankee home runs, sixth on the all-time Yankee list behind Ruth, Mantle, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Berra.
Graig was a baseball and basketball star at San Diego State before signing with the Twins. An accomplished golfer and tennis player, he's nicknamed 'Puff' by his teammates. His brother Jim has played in the major leagues for the Twins, Tigers, Indians and Royals."
-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide
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