A baseball card mystery: Gary Gaetti’s 1993 Topps card

I vaguely remember Gary Gaetti playing for the California Angels. He also played for the Royals, Cardinals, and Cubs as he lingered aimlessly on the major league scene throughout the 1990s, far past his prime seasons of 1986, ‘87 and ‘88 with the Twins. But I have absolutely no recollection of Gaetti playing five games for the Red Sox in 2000, when he went hitless in 11 plate appearances before announcing his retirement. One would have to be a true Red Sox diehard to remember Gaetti’s early-season cameo at Fenway Park. More vividly than his tenures with the Red Sox and Angels, I remember Gary Gaetti as the consummate free swinger. For his career high, he averaged 54 walks per a season. Most years, his totals were in the twenties or thirties. A power hitter who loved to rip—he struck out two-and-a-half times for every walk he drew—Gaetti rarely met a pitch he didn’t like. Nicknamed “The Rat” for his long nose and weak chin, Gaetti was also an aggressive baserunner....