Bernard Gilkey
A powerful hitter who delivered one of the most statistically remarkable single seasons in New York Mets history.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American baseball player·Birthday: September 24·Generation X
Biography
Bernard Gilkey played outfield for the St. Louis Cardinals, where he developed a reputation for a strong throwing arm and consistent hitting. His career peaked in 1996 with the New York Mets, when he batted .317 with 30 home runs, 44 doubles, and 117 RBIs. That season earned him a 12th-place finish in National League MVP voting and remains the defining year of his playing days. After leaving the Mets, Gilkey became a journeyman. He joined the inaugural Arizona Diamondbacks roster in 1998, then spent brief stints with the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves before retiring. Following his playing career, Gilkey moved into coaching. He worked in the minor leagues, passing on lessons from his 12-year major league tenure to younger players. Born in 1966 in St. Louis, Missouri, Gilkey debuted in the majors in 1990 and finished with a .272 career average over 1,213 games. His 1996 season for the Mets remains one of the best single-year performances by any player in franchise history during the mid-1990s.
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.
Bernard was born in 1966, 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 Bernard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Bernard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
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
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
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
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished 12th in NL MVP voting in 1996 after a standout season with the New York Mets.
- Recorded a .317 batting average with 30 home runs and 117 RBIs during his career-best 1996 season.
- Hit 44 doubles in 1996, a Mets single-season record that stood for over two decades.
- Was a member of the inaugural 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks roster.
- Played over 1,100 Major League games across a 12-year career with five different teams.
Did You Know?
His 44 doubles in 1996 set a New York Mets single-season record that was not broken until 2019.
He was traded from the Cardinals to the Mets for three players, including outfielder Eric Davis.
Gilkey hit for the cycle on May 11, 1997, while playing for the Mets against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He served as a minor league hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals organization after his playing days.
In his record 1996 season, he also stole 17 bases, showcasing unexpected speed.
“That season in New York, every swing felt like it found the barrel.”
