Wayne Garrett Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

WAYNE GARRETT

Born: December 3, 1947 in Brooksville, Florida

Baseball Career:
First Game: April 12, 1969; Final Game: September 26, 1978
Bat: Left Throw: Right Height: 5' 11" Weight: 175

Wayne Garrett
This article was written by Les Masterson and is presented in part, courtesy of the Society for American Baseball Research
If the New York Mets only had confidence in Wayne Garrett as their starting third baseman, the franchise might have never traded Nolan Ryan and Amos Otis. Instead, New York's National League team spent nearly every offseason during Garrett's 7½-year Mets tenure searching for someone else to take over the third-base job. Considered a good glove man who could play three positions, Garrett was initially seen as a utility infielder, but he ultimately played an offensive role for two legendary Mets teams.

Ronald Wayne Garrett was born on December 3, 1947, in Brooksville, Florida. He played baseball at Sarasota High School, and was drafted by the Milwaukee Braves in the sixth round of baseball's first amateur draft, in 1965. The Braves were well aware of the Garrett family as Wayne's brothers both were already in the Braves' minor league system. Like their younger brother, Henry Adrian Garrett and Charles James Garrett were called by their middle name.

As an 18-year-old, Wayne played for his hometown Sarasota team in the Florida State League. In his professional debut, he collected four hits in his first four at-bats. He hit.269 in 43 games for the year. It was his highest batting average during his four years in the Braves' farm system, including stops in West Palm Beach, Kinston, and Double-A Shreveport. After the Atlanta Braves left him unprotected in the 1968 Rule V draft, the Mets paid $25,000 for the 21-year-old infielder. Garrett turned out to be the club's only move before the 1969 season.

Film Credits | show more show less

2007/I 10 Bullets (Performer), 1973 1973 World Series (in person), 2011 C'est la vie: The Chris J. Melnychuk Story (Sound), 1973 1973 National League Championship Series (in person), 1969 1969 World Series (in person), 1969 1969 National League Championship Series (in person)