Al Reyes
A Dominican reliever who weathered injuries and roster moves to craft a 13-year MLB career, peaking with a lights-out season as a closer in Tampa Bay.
Born 1971 (age 55)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: April 10·Generation X
Biography
Al Reyes's baseball story is one of resilience and reinvention. Breaking into the majors with Milwaukee in 1995, he spent over a decade as a journeyman right-handed reliever, wearing the uniforms of seven different teams. His career was a testament to the volatile life of a bullpen arm, marked by trades, releases, and the constant need to prove himself anew. The pinnacle arrived unexpectedly late. After missing the 2006 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Reyes signed with Tampa Bay and, at age 36, seized the closer's role. In 2007, he delivered a stunning performance, saving 26 games with a sharp fastball and slider. Though injuries resurfaced, that late-career flourish cemented his legacy as a pitcher of remarkable tenacity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Al was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Recorded 26 saves for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007, establishing himself as their primary closer that season.
- Pitched in 13 Major League seasons across seven different American and National League teams.
- Appeared in the postseason with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005.
Did You Know?
He was the opening day closer for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007.
He struck out slugger Barry Bonds for his first major league save in 1995.
He played for both New York teams, the Yankees and the Mets, during his career.
“Every pitch is a new fight; you forget the last one.”
