Friday, April 16, 2010

#23 - Adrian Garrett



This 1974 card is Garrett's only one in a Cubs uniform and its from his second stint with the team. That is why you see #25 on his back, not #23.

Our next #23 is Adrian Garrett. He wore the number during a brief stay with the Cubs in the 1970 season. Originally a Braves farmhand, Garrett had moved through the Braves, Mets, and Phillies organizations before the Cubs obtained him off of waivers in December, 1969. He played in only three games for the 1970 Cubs in September and was 0 for 3 in three pinch hit appearances.

He went back to AAA for the 1971 season and was traded to Oakland in late August. A little more than a year later, in mid-September, 1972, the Cubs reacquired him. He would spend parts of the next three seasons with the Cubs and their AAA team. Like Pete LaCock, each time he got to Chicago he was given a different number. Since Carmen Fanzone had joined the team and was wearing #23, Garrett wore #25, #5, and #28.

During his four years with the Cubs, Garrett hit an anemic .163 in 86 at bats. After his time with the Cubs, he was just as bad for the A's and the Angels. When the Angels released him after the 1976 season, he tried his luck in Japan. There he finally found some success, belting 102 home runs over three seasons for the Hiroshima Carp.

And any post on Adrian Garrett has to have the obligatory mention of his little brother Wayne, who was an infielder for the lousy, no good dream wreckers, the 1969 Mets.


In between Garrett and Fanzone, Ramon Webster wore #23 for a very brief 16 game stint with the 1971 Cubs. He was released during the season and Topps never issued a card for him in a Cubs uniform.

3 comments:

  1. I remember this card as a kid. I always thought Garrett was like 6'6 feet tall (because of this photo) and sort of like a Dave Kingman charachter

    ReplyDelete
  2. You need to look at Garrett's stats again. He did a solid job for the '75 Angels. And he did a fair job as a pinch hitter / reserve catcher / outfielder for the '73 Cubs. How many players do you know who can step in and play catcher at the Major League level when they have never caught at any level previously? Well, Adrian Garrett did it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have fond childhood memories of watching him hit homers on TV, with Jack Brickhouse pronouncing his name in a special way.

    ReplyDelete