Gary Gaetti
A dazzling defensive third baseman whose clutch hitting powered the Minnesota Twins to an improbable 1987 World Series title.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American baseball player·Birthday: August 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Gary Gaetti burst onto the scene with the Minnesota Twins not just as a glove, but as a force. At third base, he played with a reckless, diving artistry, winning four consecutive Gold Gloves. At the plate, he possessed surprising power, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit home runs in his first two postseason at-bats in 1987. That magical '87 season defined his legacy: he was the American League Championship Series MVP, and his defensive gems and key hits were instrumental in the Twins' underdog World Series victory. After a decade in Minnesota, he embarked on a long baseball journey, playing for five more teams and remarkably hitting 35 home runs at age 38 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Gaetti's career was one of sustained excellence and dramatic flair, remembered most for being the fiery heart of a championship infield.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Gary was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gary Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Gary's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1987, earning ALCS MVP honors that year.
- Hit home runs in his first two career postseason at-bats in the 1987 ALCS, a major league first.
- Won four consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for his defense at third base (1986–1989).
- Hit over 350 career home runs as a third baseman, a significant total for his era.
- Hit a career-high 35 home runs in 1998 for the St. Louis Cardinals at age 39.
Did You Know?
He was drafted as a shortstop but was converted to a third baseman in the minor leagues.
He hit the first home run in the history of the Metrodome on Opening Day in 1982.
After retiring, he served as a minor league manager in the independent leagues and for the Kansas City Royals organization.
He is a born-again Christian and became openly religious during his playing career, which was noted by teammates and media.
“You have to play this game with a slow heartbeat and a lot of courage.”
