Not Gaetti

Columnist, NotGaetti At Large • Curator of NEPTA™ • @baseball_ref Brand Ambassador • Explore the NEPTA Dashboard and merch collection by @obvious_shirts

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

A pitch to the face, a gunshot intended for someone else, a rare blood disorder, glaucoma at 36, and even a professional football injury. Incredible careers, changed forever.

Read Part 2 of my three-part series on baseball's 30 biggest "what-if" center fielders, right here:

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

https://t.co/tL4zrLzI8q

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

If OBP is king, why doesn’t anyone do it? 🤔

[Codify @CodifyBaseball]

Qualified MLB Hitters With .400+ OBPs:

1998: 18
1999: 31
2000: 31
2001: 18
2002: 20
2003: 15
2004: 12
2005: 11
2006: 16
2007: 18
2008: 10
2009: 12
2010: 7
2011: 6
2012: 4
2013: 7
2014: 3
2015: 6
2016: 7
2017: 11
2018: 6
2019: 7
2021: 3
2022: 6
2023: 7
2024: 2
2025: 1
2026: 1 (Yordan Álvarez)

[Larry Stone @StoneLarry]

Turns out the Mariners could have won the division by going 15-7 in that finishing stretch against the 97-loss A’s, the 100-loss Angels and the 104-loss Rockies (plus 3 games w/Texas). They went 10-12.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@CChapro832 my god

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Why didn't anyone tell Jim Bunning about Load Management?!

[Bob wormington @WormingtonBob]

@notgaetti Bunning started 3 times on 2 days rest and gave up 18 earned runs in 10.2 innings.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

2025 Kershaw
2026 Verlander
2027 Scherzer
2028 Sale

MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

My take is that if Kershaw, Verlander, and Scherzer all retired the same year and went in together, that would be awesome

But if Kershaw retired in 2025 and Verlander in 2026, we need Max to play in 2027 so we have ace starter inductions in three straight years coming up!

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@jerseydevil_82 @shegone03 @JoseCanseco Doesn't get better than that

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

My take is that if Kershaw, Verlander, and Scherzer all retired the same year and went in together, that would be awesome

But if Kershaw retired in 2025 and Verlander in 2026, we need Max to play in 2027 so we have ace starter inductions in three straight years coming up!

[Daniel Jackett @DanielJacksbgt]

Verlander and Scherzer going into the HOF together would be cool as hell
@notgaetti

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Josh Naylor has become the first 1B in more than a century with back-to-back 30-SB seasons after hitting the mark in each of 2025 and 2026.

The last 1B to do so was George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1921 and 1922. (He actually had 3 straight, and 6 out of 7 from 1916-22.)

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Not enough people talk about George Sisler

• .340/.379/.468 (.847 OPS), 125 OPS+
• 2812 H, 102 HR, 1178 RBI, 375 SB
• 57.7 WAR, 2x batting champion
• Reputation as an elite fielder
• 1922 AL MVP with St. Louis
• (That means the Browns)
• Batted over .400 twice
• Hit at least .305 13x!!!
• Topped 6.0 WAR 5x
• Led in WAR 2x, hits 2x
• Led in SB 4x, 3B 2x, TB 1x
• 277 Rbat, 17 Rbaser, 6 Rfield
• Never played in a postseason
• Nicknamed "Gorgeous George"
• Terrific speed for a first baseman
• Had a then-record 257 hits in 1920
• (That record stood until Ichiro 2004)
• Pitched 111.0 innings from 1915 - 1928
• (With a terrific 2.35 ERA and 125 ERA+)
• Took *FOUR BALLOTS* to make the HOF
• Was a player-manager from 1924 to 1926
• Missed all of 1923 w/ a bad sinus infection
• (Very easily treatable today, but not in 1923)
• Before/162: 7.4 WAR, 232 H, .914 OPS, 43 SB
• After per 162: 1.2 WAR, 211 H, .779 OPS, 15 SB
• Missed out on 3000 hits because of the illness
• George Sisler has the second-highest career BA among players with at least 15 Rbaser and 5 Rfield; he and Rod Carew are the only first basemen in the top 30 on this list, with Jeff Bagwell coming in at #33 (.297 / 31 / 54).

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@BNightengale The great Ralph Garr had a tremendous season in 1974 and still holds the record for the most hits before the All-Star break (149 hits in 98 games during the first half) https://t.co/0EKZGHygL9

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Not enough people talk about Ralph Garr

• All-Star, Batting Title, .306 career BA
• Had 200 hits 3x, 25 SB 4x, .300 BA 5x
• Averaged 228 hits per 162 from 1971-74
• Was teammates with Hank Aaron in ATL
• Never struck out more than 68x in a year
• Iconic photo in 1976 CWS uniform shorts
• Holds record for most hits in the first half
• Won 1974 NL batting title by slashing .353/.383/.503 (.886 OPS), leading league in hits (214) and triples (17) while making his only ASG

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@MitchOl94631961 Knock yourself out! And be sure to check in next weekend for Part 3. https://t.co/RXEXp2rG9O

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

https://t.co/q6hR03BPej

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

A pitch to the face, a gunshot intended for someone else, a rare blood disorder, glaucoma at 36, and even a professional football injury. Incredible careers, changed forever.

Read Part 2 of my three-part series on baseball's 30 biggest "what-if" center fielders, right here:

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

https://t.co/tL4zrLzI8q

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@caia437 He seemed to be a mature hitter well beyond his years. Very, very tragic.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@DanJohnsonjnx @2_seamfastball And, although we have sort of gotten off on the wrong foot here, I'm also sure you probably have more class than this: https://t.co/FcxwjRqS6j

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

New Giants manager Tony Vitello, who had no professional baseball experience prior to 2026, is captured on video making fun of his own team’s ball boy.

“Worst ball boy ever…. fuck me.”

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

New Giants manager Tony Vitello, who had no professional baseball experience prior to 2026, finishes the season still not having a clue about how to handle himself as a big league manager

[Alex Pavlovic @PavlovicNBCS]

Tony Vitello got ejected from the final game of the year. He'll finish his first season as the MLB leader with seven ejections.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@DanJohnsonjnx @2_seamfastball Well, chief, I'm sure you don't have any big league managerial experience yourself, but I'm confident you'd have done better than this: https://t.co/Hidle0UGdQ

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

New Giants manager Tony Vitello, who had no professional baseball experience prior to 2026, told his bullpen he wanted a new pitcher, but didn’t specify which one, leading to absolute chaos and confusion. The Giants are 16-24.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

NEPTA These Men

[Bob Nightengale @BNightengale]

Congratulations to Gary Matthews, Ralph Garr, Reggie Smith and Andre Thornton who are inducted into the Negro Leagues Museum Hall of Fame

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@AOWD1976 @MLB SHEESH

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@Robertinno53 It’s so beautiful!

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Makes me proud to be a Girl Dad

[Zack Pierce @ZPathletic]

This angle gets me, where he’s just kind of standing there soaking it in, then sees his daughter and smiles, then instantly melts into tears … whew. Hell of a run, 35.

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

@PeteATurner The 1900s 💀

[Not Gaetti @notgaetti]

Co-sign

[Buff Shit Connoisseur @BuffsSzn]

@notgaetti Hunter Goodman slander will not be tolerated