This lefthanded power hitter became the Yankees regular third baseman in July 1984. Pagliarulo also became known as a hard-nosed player, literally, missing just one game after being hit in the face by a pitch in May 1986. He homered in his next three games. A consistent mid-season player, he often slumped during September; some blamed over-intense work habits.
Pags went to the Padres in mid-1989 in the Walt Terrell deal. He had slugged 75 homers in his last three years in New York, but disappointed the Padres by hitting only 10 in 1 1/2 seasons after the trade. Combined with his unpopular criticism of teammate and local hero Tony Gwynn, Pagliarulo’s limited production forced the Pods to let him jump to the Twins as a free agent. The shining moment of his career was a game-winning, 10th-inning homer off Mike Timlin in Game Three of the 1991 ALCS.
