Wayne Garrett (Red) Two Time Mets World Series Third Baseman:(1969-1976)
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Garrett was a left-handed hitter that threw right-handed. He played baseball at Sarasota High School, getting selected by the Milwaukee Braves, in the sixth round of the 1966 draft.
Family: His two brothers; Henry Adrian Garrett & Charles James Garrett were also signed to the major leagues. Charles was the only one who did not make it to the big leagues.
Trivia: All the Garrett brothers were known by their middle names.
Wayne played in the Florida State League right in his hometown at Sarasota, Florida. In 1968 the Braves left him unprotected & he was picked up by the New York Mets as a Rule V player for $ 25,000.
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It was the only off-season deal, the Mets made going into 1969. Although Bud Harrelson was the main stay at short stop, he was recovering from knee surgery & they wanted a backup infielder. In Spring Training 1969, Garrett got a chance to play right away. Out of the four rookies who started the first Spring game, Garrett would be the only one to prove himself & head north, making the 1969 Mets roster.
1969 Championship Season: Garrett would be a platoon player with the veteran Ed Charles, seeing action mostly against right-handed pitchers. Garrett played in 72 games at third base but was a versatile infielder & played 47 games at second & 9 games at shortstop.
Garrett was a nervous wreck when he arrived in New York, having never been to big city before. He said he wasn't nervous at the plate but on the field, his hands felt like iron. He got his first career start in the fifth game of the season at Shea Stadium, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
He soon found himself filling in for players who were either hurt or on military reserve. Manager
Gil Hodges first inserted him in the lineup at third base in early May.
In a May 4th double header sweep at Wrigley Field, over the first place Chicago Cubs, he got his first start at third base. Garrett collected three hits with a double in the second game, Mets 3-2 win.
Base on Balls Record Tied: In a May 11th game against the Astros, he tied an NL record, by drawing two walks in the same inning. The first based on balls, came as the second batter of the inning off pitcher, Don Wilson. Garrett later scored on a wild pitch.
Later, in the long inning, he was the tenth batter to come to the plate, He drew a bases loaded walk, bringing in Bud Harrelson with the sixth run of the inning.
From May 15th to May 17th, had three hits in all of three straight games, driving in three runs as well.
At the end of May, the surprising Garrett was batting .317.
At the end of May, the surprising Garrett was batting .317.
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On June 4th, the Mets & Dodgers were in a scoreless game going into the 15th inning at Shea Stadium. With one out & Tommie Agee on first base, Garrett singled to centerfield. The ball got by Willie Davis & Agee came around to score with the exciting, walk off run.
On June 8th, Garrett's 8th inning single in San Diego was the Mets go ahead run, as he helped Tom Seaver to a 3-2 win, the ninth victory of Seaver's first Cy Young season.
On June 8th, Garrett's 8th inning single in San Diego was the Mets go ahead run, as he helped Tom Seaver to a 3-2 win, the ninth victory of Seaver's first Cy Young season.
On June 16th, he drove in one of the two Mets runs, in Jerry Koosman's shut out over the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium.
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On July 2nd, he helped the Mets beat the Cardinals 6-4, in an extra inning game at St. Louis. Garrett collected four hits, while driving in a season high, four runs. He would have two run scoring singles; an RBI double & provide the insurance run with a bases loaded walk off Ron Willis in the top of the 14th inning.
On July 9th, he played two innings as a defensive replacement in Tom Seaver's imperfect game. Seaver lost his perfect game, with two outs in the ninth inning at Shea, against the Chicago Cubs.
As the Mets went on to Atlanta, Garrett collected a two-run single off Pat Jarvis, helping Tom Seaver to his 16th win. The next day, he had two more hits & drove in another run in a combined Mets 3-0 shut out. (Nolan Ryan, Don Cardwell & Tug McGraw).
On September 8th, the Mets played the biggest game of their history, up to that point in time. It was at Shea Stadium, in front of 42,274 wild fans, against the first place Chicago Cubs.
On September 8th, the Mets played the biggest game of their history, up to that point in time. It was at Shea Stadium, in front of 42,274 wild fans, against the first place Chicago Cubs.
After the Cubs pitcher, Bill Hands, hit Mets lead
off batter, Tommie Agee, Jerry Koosman nailed Cubs star, Ron Santo with a pitch.
off batter, Tommie Agee, Jerry Koosman nailed Cubs star, Ron Santo with a pitch.
The war was on. With the score tied at two, in the 6th inning, Garrett broke a 2-2 tie with
a single, off Hands. The run proved to be the winning run & the win, put the Mets just 1.5 games out of first place.
On September 17th, he had a two-run single in Montreal, in Jerry Koosman's 5-0 shut out. It was Koosman's 15th win & gave the Mets a four-game lead over the Cubs.
Trivia: Garrett would drive in eight runs, during the Mets September stretch drive, leading them to the NL Eastern title.
In 124 games for the 1969 World Champions, he batted only .218, but walked 40 times, with 11 doubles 3 triples 39 RBIs and 38 runs scored. He also tied for the team lead with five sacrifice flies.
Defensively at third base made only eight errors in 115 attempts, posting a .951 %.
Gil Hodges said Garrett was one of the biggest surprises of 1969, the media & his teammates also agreed. Sportswriter Jack Lang said Garrett was the best bargain New York had, since buying Manhattan Island for $24 from the native American Indians.
three games batting .385, going 5 for 13, with three walks.
He opened up the Series getting two hits & drawing a walk in Game #1 at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.
In the top of the 8th inning, the Mets were down 5-4. Garrett led off with a double to left field off Phil Niekro. He then scored the tying run, on Cleon Jones base hit. The Mets scored four run on their way to the 9-5 win.
In Game #2, he got two more hits & drew another walk. In the 3rd inning, Garrett singled off Milt Pappas, scoring Bud Harrelson, to put the Mets up 6-0.
In the Game #3 clincher at Shea Stadium, Garrett came to bat in the bottom of the 5th inning, against pitcher Pat Jarvis, with the Mets down 3-2.
Wayne fielded the final out of the series as Tony Gonzales grounded out to him at third base. He
threw to first & it was bedlam as the fans stormed the Shea field.
threw to first & it was bedlam as the fans stormed the Shea field.
The Rookie Garrett had a great NLCS batting .357 (5-14) with a .769 slugging% hitting two doubles, while driving in three runs, with a HR & scoring three runs. His five hits were tied with Tommie Agee for third most behind Art Shamsky & Cleon Jones.
1969 World Series:
Quotes- Wayne Garrett: “During the Playoffs with Atlanta, they didn’t have any left-handed starting pitchers, so I got to play every game.
When it got down to the World Series, Baltimore had two lefty starters. They chose to throw them at us first. I got to play in the third game and that was it, the only game I played in.”
He also was a defensive replacement in Game #4 of the World Series at Shea Stadium. In Game #3 at Shea Stadium, he was 0-1 with two walks off Jim Palmer.
World Champion: After the World Series he enjoyed the success & acknowledgment the Amazing Mets were receiving. He was having a ball as a single guy in New York City with all the night life had to offer. He even made an appearance on The Dating Game TV show with Rod Gaspar & Kenny Boswell.
After all the years that the Mets had a problem with finding a steady third baseman, it seemed that Garrett could be the answer. But it was not the case, management was still trying new experiments at the position & would make many bad trades trying to find his replacement.
Quotes- GM Johnny Murphy: "I think that kid Garrett is going to make a heck of a third baseman, but we need someone to take Ed Charles' place".
Trivia: After all these years, with the 160 plus third baseman that have played for the Mets, Wayne Garrett is the only Mets third baseman to have played in two World Series.
In two of the worst trades during that Mets era, the team first parted ways with future All Star, Amos Otis, in a trade for Joe Foy (1970) & then Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, for Jim Fregosi (1972).
After the Championship: Although, he was in a backup role to start the season, Garrett still played in 70 games at third base & 45 games at second base in 1970.
At the plate Garrett struggled at first, not getting to the .200 mark until the first week of June. But then he hit safely in 15 of 18 games batting .429 in that stretch, getting his average over the .300 mark.
On June 9th he his second HR of the season, it came at the Houston Astrodome & helped Tom Seaver to a 2-1 win.
On June 14th he hit a two run HR off Par Jarvis, whom he had also hit a HR off of in last year's NLCS. The 5th inning two run shot tied the game in which New York went on to win.
Four days later Garrett hit another HR, this time off the San Diego Padres Pat Dobson. The HR was the Mets third in the inning, coming right after Cleon Jones had just blasted one as well.
He drove in ten runs in the final two weeks of August, and he capped off a six-game hit streak with a four-hit day on September 1st in St. Louis against the St. Louis Cards.
In the month of September, he drew walks in 17 of the 27 games he played in. He finished the year with 81 walks, second on the club to Bud Harrelson.
Garret posted the team's best a on base % (.390%) although he batted only .254. On Overall on the season, Garrett showed some power hitting 12 HRs (third best on the club) with a .421 slugging %, 17 doubles 45 RBIs & four triples.
1971: Joe Foy was gone, but the Mets were to lose Garrett for at least four months, as he had to serve military duty. A bad back had kept him out of the service the past two years. Garrett went to the reserves as the Mets began Spring Training 1971.
Garret posted the team's best a on base % (.390%) although he batted only .254. On Overall on the season, Garrett showed some power hitting 12 HRs (third best on the club) with a .421 slugging %, 17 doubles 45 RBIs & four triples.
1971: Joe Foy was gone, but the Mets were to lose Garrett for at least four months, as he had to serve military duty. A bad back had kept him out of the service the past two years. Garrett went to the reserves as the Mets began Spring Training 1971.
Aspromonte would lead all NL third baseman in fielding, although at the plate he hit just .225 with 5 HRs & 33 RBIs in 97 games. When Garrett returned in July, he was sent to AAA Tidewater, in 11 games he hit 3 HRs & batted .227.
In his MLB return, on June 24th he collected three hits with a pair of RBIs in the Mets 9-3 win over the Astros at Shea Stadium. The next day, he got two more hits with an RBI in the 7-6 win.
On August 7th, the Mets pounded the Braves 2-6 in Atlanta, with Garrett collecting three RBIs. On a long road trip, including a California swing, Garrett collected 15 hits in 13 games. He would hit his only HR on September 14th, in the second game of a double header in Montreal.
Garrett played in only 56 games, batting .213 with one HR 2 doubles 28 walks & 11 RBIs.
But in 1972, Fregosi & Garrett split time at the position, as both players dealt with injuries. For Garrett his hamstring was an issue most of the season, as well as other nagging injuries. He would just see action in 82 games.
He out played Fregosi at third & with the bat. Garrett made nine errors, posting a .960 fielding % (4th best in the NL), while Fregosi made 15 errors (.935 field %) in 85 games.
Meanwhile Garrett hit just .232 but posted a .374 on base % mainly due to his 70 walks (9th most in the NL). He also hit two HRs with 39 RBIs in 111 games. Garrett played in just eight games, the first two months of the season & didn't begin to see steady playing time until June.
Hit he hit his first HR of the year on June 12th, coming in Atlanta off Phil Niekro. On June 29th, he drove in three runs, with a two run double & sac fly, all off Steve Carlton, in a 9-4 Mets loss.
In the first game of a July 31st double header, in Pittsburgh, Garrett provided the only run of the game with a 10th inning, sac fly scoring Cleon Jones, as he helped rookie Jon Matlack, earn the complete game shutout.
On September 26th, he drove in a run & scored a run in the Mets 3-1 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium.
On October 2nd, Garrett singled in the bottom of the 8th inning in a scoreless game against the Montreal Expos.
On October 2nd, Garrett singled in the bottom of the 8th inning in a scoreless game against the Montreal Expos.
Although the Expos tied the game the Mets went on to win it on rookie Dave Schneck's RBI single. In the final month of the season, Garrett had six multi-hit games, drove in ten runs & raised his average 16 points.
1973 NL Championship Season: The 1973 Mets season began with Fregosi as the third baseman, but by early July he was batting .230 without a HR, and he was gone. Now finally, the third base job was all Garrett's.
1973 NL Championship Season: The 1973 Mets season began with Fregosi as the third baseman, but by early July he was batting .230 without a HR, and he was gone. Now finally, the third base job was all Garrett's.
Garrett quickly proved to everyone, that he was the guy for third base, in the 1973 N.L. Pennant winning season.
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Garrett would put in his best offensive season that year, posting career highs in HRs (16) which was second on the club to John Milner.
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He also posted career bests in hits (129) doubles (20) RBIs (58) runs scored (76) & slugging (.403%) all of which were third best on the club. Garrett also had 11 game winning hits through the regular season & had a great pennant stretch run.
Donna Garrett: He soon became a Shea fan favorite as well. The red headed Wayne and his beautiful wife Donna became very popular around Shea Stadium & on the New York scene.
Donna Garrett: He soon became a Shea fan favorite as well. The red headed Wayne and his beautiful wife Donna became very popular around Shea Stadium & on the New York scene.
Donna Garrett became the leader of the Mets wives club & head of various charity events.
He would find himself atop the batting order eventually batting in the leadoff spot. On the slow-footed ball club, Garrett led the team with just six stolen bases.
From May 12th to the 18th, in a five-game span, he hit three HRs, drove in six runs & collected eight hits. In the May 18th game, his two run HR off Luke Walker & three RBIs, led the Mets past the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium, 4-3.
In the middle of June, during another hot hitting week, he drove in eight runs collecting RBIs in five of seven games.
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On July 1st, in the first game of a double header at Wrigley Field, he hit a three run HR off the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer, Fergie Jenkins leading the Mets to a 6-5 win. He would drive in eight runs in the first seven games of July.
On July 13th at Riverfront Stadium, his 8th inning two run single off Don Gullett, gave the Mets a
7-3 lead, in a win against the Cincinnati Reds. They would hold on to win it 7-5.
He began August, with an RBI hit & two walks, in Tom Seaver's 3-0 shut out over the Pirates at Shea. On August 6th, Garrett had three hits & drove in three runs, in a 10-3 victory over the St. Louis Cards at Shea Stadium.
Garrett had a fantastic month of September helping the Mets win the NL East after being in last place at the end of August.
a .407 on base % & had four game winning hits.
You Gotta Believe: From September 4th through September 7th, he hit two HRs driving in four runs all contributing to Mets wins. On September 4th, he had two hits including a 1st inning HR off Jim Lonborg. The next night Garrett drove in two runs with a triple off the Phils, George Culver.
September 7th in Montreal, he drove in the only run of the game, with a HR off former Met, Steve Renko. Jon Matlack & Tug McGraw combined on the shut out, as the Mets passed the Expos in the pennant chase. Garrett would drive in runs in five of the next six games, all of which were Mets victories.
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The next night, the game went into extra innings.
In the 12th inning, Garret put the Mets ahead with a bases loaded single, as the went on to a 4-2 win.
As the hot Mets opened a series with the Cubs, Garrett added a sac fly RBI in the first game of a 5-1 win.
The Ball On the Wall Game: On September 20th in a key game against the first place Pittsburg Pirates, Garrett played a big role in one of the biggest defensive plays of the season.
With the score tied, Garrett was playing at short stop. Dave Augustine, hit a ball that bounced off the top of the left field wall, into Cleon Jones glove. Jones fired to the relay man, Garrett.
Garrett took the throw, turned & nailed Pirate runner, Richie Zisk, who was tagged out at home plate.
Zisk was trying to score from first base. The catcher, rookie Ron Hodges, would single home the game winning run in the bottom of the 9th. The Mets win, brought them within a half game of the first place Pirates.
Wayne Garrett had three hits including his 14th HR of the year. John Milner & Rusty Staub also homered that night.
On Saturday September 22nd, in a matinee at Shea Stadium against St. Louis, Garrett hit his 15th HR of the year, coming off Reggie Cleveland. Red provided both Mets runs in Jon Matlack's four hit shutout.
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As reliever, Al Hrabosky, "The Mad Hungarian" came into pitch, with two on, Garrett greeted him with a two-run triple to right field. Another hot Mets hitter, Cleon Jones added a HR & the Mets went on to a 5-2 win.
The victory put the Cardinals three behind the Mets, as they faded away from the tight NL East pennant race. Although the Mets lost to Montreal Expos on September 26th, Garrett hit a three run HR, his 16th & final HR of the regular season. He drove in all the Mets runs.
The victory put the Cardinals three behind the Mets, as they faded away from the tight NL East pennant race. Although the Mets lost to Montreal Expos on September 26th, Garrett hit a three run HR, his 16th & final HR of the regular season. He drove in all the Mets runs.
The Mets clinched the NL East the next day on the last day of the season. They finished out a 20-8 September, with a rally cry of "You Gotta Believe".
Wayne Garrett closed out the year on a nine-game hit streak, hitting safely in 12 of 13 games. In that time Garrett had seven multi-hit games with ten RBIs, & three runs scored.
Defensively at third base in 130 games, he had a rough time, making a career high 22 errors (4th most in the NL) posting a .942 fielding %. But he also turned 36 double plays (second most for NL third basemen).
Defensively at third base in 130 games, he had a rough time, making a career high 22 errors (4th most in the NL) posting a .942 fielding %. But he also turned 36 double plays (second most for NL third basemen).
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1973 Post Season: 1973 NLCS: In the 1973 NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds, Garrett played in all five games but only got two hits in twenty-three at bats.
In the Game #1 opener at Riverfront Stadium, he started out the series with a lead off hit against Jack Billingham. He was hitless in the next two games.
One of his biggest heroic acts was coming over from third base & being the first guy to tackle Pete Rose during his brawl at second base with Bud Harrelson.
In that game Garret was 0-4 with an RBI sac fly in the second inning. The run put New York ahead 2-0 in a game they would win 9-2.
He went 0-5 in Game #4. In Game #5 in front of 50, 323 crazed, fans at Shea Stadium, the final deciding game in the best of five series,
Garrett led off the 5th inning with a double off Jack Billingham. The game was tied 2-2 at that point, he then scored on Cleon Jones double which put the Mets ahead for good.
The Mets scored four runs in the inning & never looked back clinching the NL Pennant & shocking the Big Red Machine.
The Mets scored four runs in the inning & never looked back clinching the NL Pennant & shocking the Big Red Machine.
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In Game #1 at Oakland Garrett went 0-5 against the A's pitching in the 2-1 Mets loss.
In Game #2 Garrett hit a 3rd inning solo HR off Vida Blue. It was his only hit of the extra inning game, going 1-6 & striking out three times. The Mets evened the series winning the game 10-7 in 12 innings.
In Game #3 the Series moved to Shea Stadium for a night game featuring a marquee pitching matchup of Tom Seaver & Catfish Hunter.
In the bottom of the 1st inning, Garrett led off with a HR off the A's, Catfish Hunter giving the Mets an early 1-0 lead.
Mets World Series Trivia: As Garret led off Game #3 with a HR, it would mark the second time a Mets player would lead off a World Series game with a HR. Tommie Agee was the first to do it in 1969 also in a Game #3 at Shea Stadium. In 1986, Lenny Dykstra would be the third Met to accomplish the feat, in Game #3 at Fenway Park in Boston.
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This Game went to extra innings as well, Garrett led off the top of the 11th with a base hit off Paul Lindblad. He was sacrificed over to second but left there as the Mets took a 3-2 loss.
In Game #4, Garrett led off the Mets first inning, with a base hit off Ken Holtzman. Felix Millan followed with a bunt base hit to third base. Rusty Staub would then blast a three run HR scoring both runners for a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 4th, he was hit by a pitch from Darold Knowles. He would advance on an A's error then score on Rusty Staub's base hit, Staub's fifth RBI on the night. The Mets would leave New York with a 3-2 Series lead but lost the final two games in Oakland.
In the Game #5 Jerry Koosman- Tug McGraw 2-0 shutout, Garrett went 0-3 with a walk.
In Game #7, Garrett faced Oakland's reliever Darold Knowles in the top of the 9th inning, representing the tying run. Garrett batted with two on & two out, but made the last out of the Series, popping up to short stop Bert Campaneris. The dream was over, as the Mets fell one game short of a championship.
Trivia: Garrett would strike out eleven times in the Series, tying Milwaukee Braves Hall of Famer, Eddie Mathews 1958 World Series record.
In April of 1974, he hit 4 HRs & showed some production early on with 5 HRs & 10 RBIs by May 4th. His average dropped to .149 by the end of May.
After a May 1st HR he would hit just two more over the next two months.
On June 8th, in the top of the 15th inning at the Houston Astrodome, Garrett drove in the winning run with a ground out scoring John Milner.
In July he slumped, driving in just one run the whole month, as his average fell to .201. He rebounded to have his best month in August driving in 12 runs, with twenty hits & 26 walks. He enjoyed a streak where he hit safely in 15 of 20 games.
In July he slumped, driving in just one run the whole month, as his average fell to .201. He rebounded to have his best month in August driving in 12 runs, with twenty hits & 26 walks. He enjoyed a streak where he hit safely in 15 of 20 games.
On September 21st at Three Rivers Stadium, he hit a three run HR off veteran Juan Pizzaro in the 7th inning, leading to a 4-3 win over the Pirates.
On September 20th he hit his fifth HR of the month,
another three run shot helping in a 5-3 win over the Phillies. In September he had 26 hits, with 5 HRs & 19 RBIs.
He finished the 1974 season, batting .224 with 13 HRs (third on the club) 14 doubles a .337 on base % and 53 RBIs. He led the team in walks with a career high 89 (10th in the league).
On September 20th he hit his fifth HR of the month,
another three run shot helping in a 5-3 win over the Phillies. In September he had 26 hits, with 5 HRs & 19 RBIs.
He finished the 1974 season, batting .224 with 13 HRs (third on the club) 14 doubles a .337 on base % and 53 RBIs. He led the team in walks with a career high 89 (10th in the league).
That year the Mets finished with a losing record for the first time since 1968.
1975: In 1975 the Mets acquired a player they had sought out for years, to be their main third baseman; the Brooklyn born veteran, Joe Torre.
1975: In 1975 the Mets acquired a player they had sought out for years, to be their main third baseman; the Brooklyn born veteran, Joe Torre.
In 1969, a deal to get Torre fell through, after the Mets refused to part with their top pitching prospects, mainly Nolan Ryan. Torre now in the twilight of his career, came to the Mets at age 34. He would see action in 83 games at third, as well as play at first base.
Garrett would still play in 95 games at third base for the Mets, posting the second-best fielding % of all NL third baseman (.966%). He did well as a pinch hitter, batting .545 with a pair of HRs in 11 at bats.
Garrett would still play in 95 games at third base for the Mets, posting the second-best fielding % of all NL third baseman (.966%). He did well as a pinch hitter, batting .545 with a pair of HRs in 11 at bats.
At the plate he started out hot, batting .321 the first month of the season. On April 20th, he tied up a 1-0 game, with an RBI hit off Burt Hooton, in the Mets 4-3 win at Shea. He would draw nine walks in his first 12 games of the season.
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Walk Off HR: On May 26th, he hit a pinch hit, walk off three run HR off one of the league’s best
pitchers, the Dodgers; Andy Messersmith, for a 6-3 Tom Seaver win.
His hitting tailed off as the year went on, peaking at .290 on June 22nd he fell of from there. On July 8th, he led off the game with a HR, off Carl Morton in a 4-3 win at Atlanta.
His hitting tailed off as the year went on, peaking at .290 on June 22nd he fell of from there. On July 8th, he led off the game with a HR, off Carl Morton in a 4-3 win at Atlanta.
He had the most run production in the month of August when he drove in 14 runs. On August 2nd, he hit two doubles & drove in two runs in Jon Matlack's 6-0 shut out over the Pirates.
On August 6th, he hit a two run HR off Steve Renko & drove in another run with a bases loaded walk, in a Mets 9-6 win over the Expos at Shea.
In a Friday night twin bill, on August 15th, he hit a three run HR off the Giants, Mike Cauldwell in the night cap, joining Rusty Staub & John Stearns, who also homered in a 9-4 Mets win at Shea, in front of 43,395.
For the year he raised his average over 40 points to .266, drawing 82 walks which gave him a .380 on base %. In 107 games he hit 6 HRs 12 doubles with 34 RBIs, & 49 runs scored.
Bicentennial Year: By 1976 most members of the Amazing Mets & Pennant team of '73 were gone. Joan Payson passed away the previous October & Yogi Berra was no longer the skipper, being let go the previous August. Garrett's days were also numbered.
The new Mets manager Joe Frazier, went with a young rookie, Roy Staiger at third base. Staiger had driven in a lot of runs at AAA Tidewater, where Frazier had been his manager. Staiger played for just one season, never making it, as the third baseman of the future.
On June 14th, he drove in runs in both ends of a double header. On June 15th, in a scoreless game against the Dodgers, at Shea, Garrett singled in the 7th inning bringing in the first run. Dave Kingman's HR led the way to Jon Matlack's 2-1 victory. On July 9th, he hit his last HR in a Mets uniform.
Through July 21st, after 80 games, Garrett was hitting only .223 with four HRs & 26 RBIs. He was traded, along with Del Unser, to the Montreal Expos for Jim Dwyer & Pepe Mangual.
Garrett must be remembered to down as one of the most reliable Mets in history, as well as one of
their better third baseman.
their better third baseman.
He is 16th on the All-time Mets list in games played (883) fifth in walks (482) tied for 14th in triples (20) 19th in runs scored (389) & 24th in hits (667).
In his Mets career, Garrett also hit 55 HRs with 295 RBIs & 93 doubles & batted .239 with a .343 on base % & .691 OPS.
Post Mets Career: For the rest of the 1976 season with Montreal, he hit .243 as the Expos backup third baseman, to Larry Parrish.
Trivia: On September 29th, he hit the only grand slam of his career, it came off Tom Seaver in a 7-2 win over the Mets.
On August 10th, he injured his knee while sliding into second base. The injury shortened his career, as he suffered internal damage.
He played in only 68 games batting .270, with two HRs and 22 RBIs.
1978: He began the year with Expos batting just .174 in 49 games. On June 22nd, he hit a 1st inning solo HR at Shea Stadium off the Mets Pat Zachry in a 2-0 Expos shut out.
On July 21st, his contract was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Reds Doug Bair. It was Garretts second career grand slam.
On September 3rd, he had a multi-RBI game driving in two in a 10-2 Cardinal win. On September 26th in what was his final MLB game, fittingly at Sea Stadium, Garrett collected two hits with a double off the Mets Craig Swan in a 3-1 Mets win.
Career Stats: Overall in his ten-year MLB career Garrett batted .239 with 786 hits 107 doubles 22 triples 61 HRs & 340 RBIs. He struck out 529 times & drew 561 walks with a .350 on base % & .691 OPS playing in 1092 games.
Garrett also played 195 games at second base & 32 games at short stop.
Nippon Professional Baseball: In 1979 he went on to play in Japan, joining his brother Adrian. He played for two years with the Chunichi Dragons.
He later said they paid him $125,000 for two seasons, almost twice as much as he was making in the big leagues. He played through the injuries & stating that he did not have too much fun there.
Retirement: In 1989 Garrett played in the Senior Pro League, batting .246 for the Bradenton Explores, under manager Clete Boyer.
“I’ll watch it on ESPN, I’ll watch the highlights, but to just sit down and watch a game is very seldom, usually only the playoffs.”
Honors: Garrett was on hand for the closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008. He also joined his 1969 Amazing Mets teammates, for the 40th & 50th Anniversaries, of the Championship team at Citi Field in 2009 & 2019.
Honors: Garrett was on hand for the closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008. He also joined his 1969 Amazing Mets teammates, for the 40th & 50th Anniversaries, of the Championship team at Citi Field in 2009 & 2019.
Family: Wayne & his first wife Donna divorced. Wayne married his second wife Connie who is a dental assistant in Sarasota Florida.
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