Bill Stoneman
The architect of the Angels' first World Series title, who decades earlier had authored two of baseball's rarest pitching feats.
Born 1944 (age 82)·American baseball player and executive·Birthday: April 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill Stoneman's baseball life has two distinct, remarkable chapters. First, as a pitcher, he was a craftsman of moments. In just his fifth major league start for the Montreal Expos in 1969, he threw a no-hitter, announcing his arrival. He repeated the feat in 1972, becoming one of the few to throw multiple no-hitters for the same franchise. His playing career was solid but shortened by injury. The second act, however, cemented his legacy. As the general manager of the Anaheim Angels, Stoneman the executive built with the same precision. He orchestrated key signings and developed a core that blended power with chemistry. In 2002, his vision culminated in the franchise's first and only World Series championship, a cathartic win that forever changed the organization's identity. From authoring personal gems on the mound to constructing a championship team, Stoneman's impact on the game is uniquely dual-faceted.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As General Manager of the Anaheim Angels, built the team that won the 2002 World Series, the franchise's first championship.
- Threw two no-hitters as a pitcher for the Montreal Expos, in 1969 and 1972.
- Pitched a complete-game, 7-0 no-hitter in just his fifth major league start in April 1969.
- Served as the Expos' team president from 1988 to 1999 before becoming Angels GM.
Did You Know?
His second no-hitter in 1972 was a 7-0 victory over the New York Mets at Jarry Park.
He was the original general manager of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1995, though he resigned before they began play.
Stoneman was an All-Star pitcher for the Montreal Expos in 1970.
He returned briefly as the Angels' interim general manager for part of the 2015 season.
“A no-hitter is a lonely thing, just you and the catcher for nine innings.”
